I have not written in this blog for quite some time (because of work overload mostly) but this incident was too funny to keep it to myself.

A few years ago I registered a few .com domains with yahoo small business at a promotional rate of $4.95/year (or around that price anyway) . Last year (I don't remember exactly) when yahoo announced their regular prices I decided it was time to part from their services so I initiated the transfer process which was completed within a few days and all the domains were working properly on their new "registrar". It was obvious to me that the no other action was needed on my part. I was wrong ...

Last month I received a yahoo email that my one of my domains was suspended because I had failed to pay their $34.95 annual registration fee !!! Had they not noticed that the domains had been transfered elsewhere ? Of course they had the other domains completelly transfered out of their system. Wasn't this automated ? I initiated a transfer and part of that process was Yahoo Domains sending me an email to confirm that the transfer had my consent !!! (and wasn't fraudulent)

Anyway I went along and logged in my control panel in order to cancel the service but since they considered my billing obligations past due, no action was allowed - except I believe entering a new credit card number. Because of this I decide to send them an email explaining the situation so it can be resolved but this lead to a few emails back and forth in what appears to be a total miscommunication between me and the YAHOO email support . I will let you enjoy them ... still in doubt whether the responses were coming from a human being though ...


Original message


This is an automated notice. Replies to this address will not be received. If you have questions, please contact Yahoo! Customer Care. For your protection, Yahoo! will never ask you to provide your billing information via email.

Dear G Kontopoulos,

Your Yahoo! Domains account is past due and has been suspended. Although we have previously sent past-due notices, we have not yet received payment for your account.

Amount due: 34.95

Service period: 10/19/2008 00:00:00 to 10/18/2009 23:59:59

The Yahoo! ID associated with this account: xxxxxxxx

The domain name for this account: xxxxxxxxx.com

To update the payment information on file for your account:

1. Go to the Service Summary page at https://billing.yahoo.com to view a list of your active services. Services with past-due payments will be marked with a past-due alert.
2. Click the "update your payment method" link in the past-due alert.
3. To edit the payment method you are currently using to pay for your service, click "Edit." To switch to a new payment method, click the "Add a new payment method" link in the upper-right corner of the page. Be sure to click "Continue" to save your changes.
4. Once you have updated the payment information for your service, we will attempt to charge your payment method using the new information.
5. Verify that payment information has been updated for your service by confirming that the service is no longer in past-due status. When you return to https://billing.yahoo.com, you should see your service marked with the word Active.

To update payment information for additional services, return to the Service Summary page at https://billing.yahoo.com and repeat the steps above.

If the information on file in the billing center is valid, you may need to contact your credit card issuer or PayPal to correct the problem.

If you are having problems updating the information as instructed above, please visit our online help center or call our toll-free number at (866) 800-8092 between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

We appreciate your attention to this matter.

The Yahoo! Billing team

My response
I have been receiving emails about my domain registration
expiring and unpaid bills but xxxxxxx.com and any other domain that I
had with yahoo has been transfered to another register almost a year ago

I am trying to cancel the plan but it does not let me

Please correct this in your records


Please correct this in your records
Their response
Hello George,

Thank you for contacting Yahoo! Small Business Support.

As per our records we see that your domain xxxxxxx.com is still active
with Yahoo!, kindly cancel your domain online and if you are not able to
do it online kindly contact Yahoo! Customer Care Billing 1-866-562-7219
to force cancel the domain.

Please do not hesitate to reply if you need further assistance.

Regards,


Shankar
Yahoo! Small Business Support

For assistance with all Yahoo! services please visit:

http://help.yahoo.com/


My Response
This is the second support request

xxxxxxx.com was successfully transfered to
another account outside yahoo domains 1 year ago
(using the accepted transfer method all registrars use)
and yahoo had accepted the transfer
I thought it was obvious that the
yahoo domains will not bill me again about it ??

Please cancel the account for xxxxxxxx.com

I am trying to do it with the web interface
but it does not let me

The previous person instructed me to contact
customer service and I am (email support)
since I am neither in the US nor do I have time
to spend on the phone for something I consider trivial

Thanks

Their response

Hello,

Thank you for writing to Yahoo! Customer Support.

To better serve your needs we now provide care for billing related
concerns exclusively over the phone.

Please call us at 1-800-318-0870 Monday through Friday from 6AM to 6 PM
Pacific Standard Time, and a customer care representative will be happy
to assist you.

If you prefer to go online where you can view all billing, payment, and
credit card information, make payments, or update your services anytime
day or night, please go to


http:// billing.yahoo.com .
Thank you again for contacting Yahoo! Customer Care.

Regards,



Yahoo! Customer Care
For assistance with all Yahoo! services please visit:
http://help.yahoo.com/


MY FINAL RESPONSE

You people just don't read the email

well I am considering this issue FINISHED

here is our previous conversations
Please don't contact me again about THIS !!!