So after a two year battle with a former hosting company who will remain nameless (not like many people who read this are anxious to hop on board a new hosting company anyways), I’ve finally begun the process of getting my second domain name ever back: darkdriving.com
This is pretty big for me because for all intents and purposes, and as far as the government is concerned, dark driving LLC still exists. We don’t really do too much work anymore (none that I know of, at least), but our website being down for about three years may have had some impact on that. With a bit of luck, the transfer will go smoothly, I can sign up with a new hosting company, and get at least the original website back up and running and maybe generate some leads by doing some of the natural SEO optimization I’ve learned from my current job.
Let me make a long story short:
This former hosting company emailed me an invoice yesterday for a years worth of services (which weren’t active on the domain) and said I owed somewhere in the neighborhood of $180. After immediately getting pissed off, I wrote the following email in response (as calmly as I could):
To Whom It May Concern:
I have not used nor had access to your services for over three years. I’ve sent multiple emails to ***** ***** (the technical contact on the domain) in attempts to have my domain, darkdriving.com, transferred back into my possession with no luck. I’ve since purchased a new domain and am affiliated with a hosting company that meets my expectations and often times exceeds them. I’m writing to tell you that I will not be paying the balance you claim is due for two domain names that have in the past and currently point to absolutely nothing. If you’re willing to negotiate the transfer of darkdriving.com to me (that is to say unlock it and allow me to transfer it into my own domain control panel), then I would be willing to hear an offer. As for the balance that is due (9 days before I receive this email, nonetheless), I reiterate that I will not be paying it and should you charge the card you may still have on file, I will pursue legal action.
Regards,
Andrew Gormley
I left it at that, expecting to hear no response whatsoever until this little gem came thru:
Hi Andrew, I’m sorry to report that I have not received any of your prior requests. The domains on file have been unlocked, I’m sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.
The invoice is to continue services on your domains. If you’d like to keep domain and hosting with ********, log in and pay your bill. If not, just let me know and I will cancel your account.
There is nothing further preventing you from transfering your domain. I’ve switched the contact information over to Edward Gormley. You would just need to make sure the email address on file confirms the transfer- Edward Gormley (********@msn.com)
“Sweet!” I thought. I just canceled this broke ass hosting company’s charges and I can get my domain back. The one hitch, however, was that my dad hasn’t had MSN since the domain was originally purchased (circa 2003-2004). I called him, left a message and waited patiently. He called me back shortly thereafter and confirmed that yes, he was able to get the email and would go thru the transfer process. Scrumptulescent. He also mentioned that there was someone else who wrote him earlier this week in an attempt to purchase the domain (bastardos!). Good looking out, pops.
Now I’m just waiting for the verification process to clear and then we’ll go from there. Props to my former hosting company for not being dicks and charging me a transfer fee and to dad for not selling the domain to someone else. Dark Driving is back!
So little to say and so much time… Here goes something….
My name is Andrew to everyone who knows me and nothing to the people who don’t. I rarely feel inclined to write about myself and this small text blurb is no exception. I’m a film maker, of sorts. A designer, of sorts. A musician, of sorts. A photographer, of sorts. An armada of etceteras march behind these four generals.
The point I’m trying to make is that I enjoy art in all of it’s forms, and try my best to creatively express myself in every medium I take a liking towards. As always, things like life get in the way of being a non-stop idea factory, but that life is something that I’m thoroughly enjoying at the moment.
It consists of my beautiful girlfriend who I am very much in love with, a job that pays me well to do work that I would otherwise be doing for free, and a family and friends that I wouldn’t trade the world for. It’s safe to assume that I’m walking on air/over water/atop mountain peaks (pick one… hell, pick all three).