Scammed by Europe Registry?

Question

Has anyone been scammed by the European Registry?

This company charged me €60 for registration of 3 .eu domains back in 2005. The registration never took place becayse the .eu domains in question were subsequently registered in the sunshine period by others.

The European Registry should have never charged my credit card for domain registrations in advance, registrations that were unlikely to materialize, and never took place.

Moreover, they should have given me the option of refunding the money, something they never did. They instead issued me “credit” for future domain registrations. Note that .eu domains now cost as low as 4 times less at competing registrars.

The European Registry insists they acted legally, point to their fine print, and refuse to issue me a refund. As of this writing, their website is offline:

http://www.europeregistry.com/

Answer 1

You bought 3 domains.  It sucks someone else registered the names but you still bought 3.  It really isn't their fault that you never registered any names.  But they still gave you credit for it.

Last you signed something without reading the fine print.

It seems like they got you good.  You bought domains and they refunded you a credit.  That's really all any company is required to do--especially if that is what you agreed to in the contract.

EDIT*** wait.  How did they not get registered?  Don't you have to register it or was it something they failed to do?  It sounded like you asked for names and then they were already taken by someone else.  There isn't anything they can do about that.  But you would just provide additional choices and they'd register those.  

What I mean by you bought 3, is that you paid money in order to get 3.  You still have that credit right?  

Credit issued or refunded is semantics.  You paid and they still have proof that you paid and are still willing to fulfill their end, right?  If they are refusing to honor the contract, you have a point and should get your money back.  But like many stores, you get a store credit for unused money.  You don't get cash in hand for it.

If they are refusing to honor the fact that you paid, it is probably too late to get the credit card to help fight your battle but you can file a lawsuit.  Like I said though, if they just say "yes he has credit for 3 domains.  Original choices are taken and once he gives us new names we will register those" you will lose legally.

I mean it sounds like how people are always pissed off at gift certificates.  You spend $19 out of a $20 gift card and the company gets to keep the $1 b/c nothing in the store costs $1 so you can't use the rest of the card.  They don't give you the $1 back--even though they are technically getting paid twice.  Morally wrong.  Legally not.

But unfortunately--if you sign a contract that is truly unfair and beneficial to one person, a judge can't do anything about it.  B/c you agreed to it, unfair or not.

I understand your point.  I get why you are mad.  I'm just telling you that legally the problem falls with whoever can prove breech of contract.  Are they refusing to serve you or are you refusing anything but names that are already in use by someone else?  If you paid and they are refusing to grant you 3 domains for that money, legally you'll get your money back.