101domain, Inc 101domain.com Blatant hijacking of domain with intent to extort money Internet

I am the registered owner of a very valuable and desirable, short, three letter domain name.

 

On May 22, 2014, I received an email from support@ksregistry.com with a domain transfer code for my domain and a link to a list of accredited .vg registrars.  On this list of "accredited" registrars was 101domain.com.  The email also stated that I had 7 days to act on the transfer.  I immediately visited the website for 101domain.com and proceeded to place an order to register my domain.  I entered my credit card information and received a confirmation email stating that my order was created and was being processed.  This email, dated May 22, 2014 informed me that the time to register my domain was approximately 24 to 48 hours.

 

After 24 hours, I logged into the site and saw my domain listed as "transfer in ready".  I submitted a support ticket asking if I needed to do something to get the domain transferred.  The response, late that night asked for more information.  I responded on the next business day, May 27, 2014, stating that I was trying to transfer my domain per the email I had received and that the status was "transfer in ready".

 

In response, I received and email that an invoice had been created and a response to the help ticket stating that I needed to pay the invoice.  The invoice stated that "if paid past the due date (which was "n/a") that I may be subject to a restoration fee of $150.  Again, I responded promptly and paid the invoice the same day.

 

On June 4, 2014, I submitted yet another ticket inquiring about when I could expect my domain to be usable as it had been two weeks since my original order and it still wasn't working.  The response the following day was that the domain was not active and the transfer was not possible.  I voiced my displeasure with the service and after several messages and phone calls I was instructed to submit some documentation of my identity and prior ownership of the domain, which I did, again, very promptly.

 

On June 17, 2014 I received several emails stating that invoices had been created for $99 and $150 respectfully for "redemption fees".  I checked the WHOIS database for the registry and saw that my domain had been transferred under the control of 101domain.com.  As I had not been informed about any additional fees being assessed I called support and voiced my objection to being charged a redemption fee as a result of 101domain.com failing to process my order in a timely manner.

 

Since then I've been getting a runaround from 101domain and their support staff who have made all manner of excuses to blame me for the domain not being registered prior to expiration.  I've been told that domain transfers take 2-4 weeks and "2 days" was not enough, despite the fact that (1) I placed the order 7 days before the transfer expired, (2) it was impossible to place the order 2-4 weeks ahead of expiration as the registry only allowed 7 days, and (3) as an "accredited registrar", they should have known exactly what the time restrictions were and should have been able to process the order in a timely fashion.  Furthermore, 101domain never informed me of a redemption fee, nor got my consent to transfer control of the domain to themselves contingent on me paying a redemption fee.

 

I could write this whole experience off as complete incompetence on the part of 101domain if not for the fact that after allowing my domain to expire, they went out of their way to transfer control of the domain to themselves prior to beginning the efforts to extort money from me to correct the very problem that they created.  With the domain now under the control of 101domain, they will be able to seize control of the domain and auction it off for a profit if I refuse to pay the ransom they're demanding.  

 

It's apparent that 101domain is scamming me in an attempt to rip me off through extortion after hijacking my domain.  I've now exhausted my efforts to get 101domain to accept responsibility and waive the fees.  I will now be sending this letter to ICANN, the California and Nevada Better Business Bureaus, KS Registry, Authorize.net, US-EU SafeHarbor, INTA, Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, Domaining.com, RipOffReport.com, Consumerist.com, and other websites as I see fit.   I've contacted my credit card company to dispute the charges from 101domain and I'll be sending a registered letter to 101domain.com's corporate offices demanding that they CEASE AND DESIST any efforts to auction or release my domain for registration by other entities pending the outcome of the lawsuit that I will be filing this week.

 

I urge all parties to reconsider their relationship with 101domain and I urge KSRegistry to remove 101domain as an "accredited" registrar as they're clearly either incompetent or scammers.