InterNIC Domain Name Deactivation FAQ

Wed Apr 2 15:58:48 UTC 1997

In advance, I'll apologize for this post which on the surface would 
not appear directly related to running a North American network :).  
However, because it does impact those who do, I have included below 
a repost of a FAQ posted to the InterNIC RS-TALK mailing list which 
discusses issues surrounding the domain name deactivation process.  
I felt it appropriate as the issue did surface here a few days ago.  
The note below was posted by Chris Clough, the Network Solutions, Inc. 
Director of Communications in order to provide some insight with 
regard to the process and our efforts to both improve as well as 
streamline the system.

Regards,

Tom
--

Tom Newell                  tomn at internic.net      +1 703 742 4796
Mngr, Info & Educ Svcs      InterNIC Registration Services
PGP Key fingerprint =  5E 86 3D 13 73 19 69 08  6B 54 6A 7D AD A2 37 6D
#######################################################################

[ Reposted from RS-TALK ]

Because of inquiries and mailing list posts regarding the
InterNIC's billing and deactivation procedures, the following
FAQ is offered for your reference.

Chris Clough 
Director of Communications 
Network Solutions, Inc.
------------------------------------------------------------
DEACTIVATION FAQ

Expanded capabilities for better services

Over the past six months, Network Solutions has worked
diligently to improve billing and accounts receivable processes
to provide better customer service.  We have automated many of
our steps to quickly and efficiently register desired domain
names, bill our customers, and record their payments. We have
also recently added expanded capabilities and resources for
check processing, credit card processing and invoice
generation.  In addition, our automated voice processing system
offers registrants a quick and easy payment option.

These measures have already demonstrably increased our accuracy
and efficiency as a customer service organization.  New
telephone trunk lines are increasing our capabilities to better
service the growing demand.  We believe that the aggressive
steps we are taking will minimize frustrating delays and will
allow us to more efficiently serve you.

Our exponential growth has meant growing pains as we respond to
the needs of  our customers. As our growth continues our team is
working around the clock to bring you solutions.

We appreciate your patience in this  time of growth as we
continue to improve our processing times.  We recognize that you
may have questions, however, and the following represents those
billing questions most frequently asked by Network Solutions’
InterNIC customers. If your question is not answered here,
please contact us for further information.

1)  I never received an invoice. What happened?

The InterNIC depends on valid information from the template
registration that you fill out so that our database will
generate correct email and postal invoices and notices. Please
make sure that all of the information you included was correct
and current so we can get an invoice to you.

2) How do I check to see if my domain has been paid?

The InterNIC has two ways for you to check the status of your
domain payment.

	1)  Using the tracking number you received when you registered,
look at the web form:

	http://rs.internic.net/cgi-bin/finger

	2)  You may call our interactive voice response system
1-888-771-3000 for the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin
Islands.  Other areas may call 402-496-9798.

3) Where can I see where an invoice was sent?

You may find that information at the URL:

	http://rs.internic.net/cgi-bin/whois

Enter the domain name in question and select the billing contact
NIC handle (highlighted) for information

4) How can I pay?

You have numerous payment options.  For a complete listing,
please see

	http://rs.internic.net/fees/facts.html.

5) Your phones are always busy, what are you planning to do
about this?

We have just increased telephone line capacity by 30 percent. We
are also investing in other new facilities that will nearly
triple our capacities. Credit card calls are now expedited
through our interactive voice response system, and additional
personnel are being added so that we can provide better, faster
service to you.

6) I've paid via the 1-888 number, why does it not show up
immediately within your tracking system?

Your 1-888 calls are processed within 48 hours and updated in
our systems, and should be reflected in the records after
updating.

7) I've paid via First Virtual, why does it not show up
immediately within your tracking system?

Your First Virtual payments are processed within 48 hours and
updated in our system and should be reflected in the records
after updating.

8)  I paid my bill, why did I get cut off?

If you paid your bill AFTER the due date, we make our best
effort to process within 48 hours of receipt.  In these cases it
is possible that your last-minute payment did not make it into
the database before the cutoff period. NSI puts names on hold
for non-payment for a certain number of days and during this
period of time the name will not show up in the .com, .net, or
.org zone files.

9) Why did I receive a deactivation notice for a domain that I
am not associated with?

The InterNIC makes the best effort to notify domain name
registrants and contacts before they are deactivated.  It is
possible that registrants have included name server information
that is false (lame delegations, or domain entries that
inappropriately reference another organization’s nameservers). 
If you receive such a notice you should contact the registrant.

10)  I sent in a check for my domain and it was never processed.
Why?

If the check we received does not have sufficient information on
it, including the domain names for which the check was sent
and/or the invoice numbers, the processing staff cannot rightly
attribute the payment. We make best efforts to contact the
person paying the bill and this manual process takes longer.

11)  I know that my domain name has been canceled in error. What
can I do to get it restored?

Please immediately contact the InterNIC and we will work with
you to find a solution.

12)  Is there any truth to the rumor that InterNIC is randomly
deleting names?

There is absolutely no truth to this.  The InterNIC takes every
precaution to ensure that only those non-paying domain name
registrations are deactivated.  On occasion errors have been
made and when this happens, the InterNIC will make best efforts
to restore service.

13)  I’ve heard that really big ISPs have been effected.  How do
I know if my ISP has paid so I don’t have to worry about being
deactivated in the future?

You may want to check your registration as you approach your
renewal date by using the InterNIC’s “whois” service. If your
ISP is the billing contact, ask them for the InterNIC invoice
number and call 1-888-771-3000 to check payment status (remember
your payment status may not be reflected in the voice
interactive system for up to 48 hours).

14)  If a domain name is deactivated is it then available to
anyone?

No, it remains deactivated for a period of time after which if
payment is not received it is deleted and becomes available for
others.

15)  Is there any preference given to US registrants?  Is there
any bias toward non-US registrants?

There is absolutely no distinction given to the location of the
registrant in relation to a registration request.  InterNIC
makes best efforts to provide uniform level of customer service
to all registrants.

16)  When will InterNIC deactivate domain names again?  What is
the process?

Deactivation are an ongoing business practice.  At the present
time there are concentrated efforts to bring all records in the
InterNIC database current.

17)  I've see a lot of postings from members of the Internet
community about their concern over the InterNIC actions, how do
I know what's really going on?

Please refer to www.netsol.com or rs.internic.net page for
information about the current status of InterNIC registration
procedures. Additionally we host mailing lists for distributing
registration related information.  To learn more about such
lists visit:

	http://rs.internic.net/cgi-bin/lwgate

Also, please see the March 28, 1997 announcement regarding new
invoicing procedures and payment processing enhancements that
will go into effect on April 14th at:

	http://rs.internic.net/announcements