1&1 Internet: Not Recommended

And that’s putting it lightly.

Despite having cancelled a domain I registered through them, they’re still sending me letters asking for payment. When a letter arrived this morning stating that they’re going to refer the case to a debt collector, I phoned them (again) to pay the £10 just to get them out of my hair. I’d Googled them when all this kicked off, and they seem to have a bad reputation for this sort of thing.

So, I phoned them, told them I’d just pay it and be done with it. But they can’t take payment over the phone now, because the account has been closed. I have to send them a cheque.

I asked if there was some misguided logic there that I was missing: I cancel the domain but they still insist that I pay, yet I can’t actually pay by conventional means because the domain is cancelled. They can’t “uncancel” the domain either.

Couple that with the fact that they use a totally separate administration system for domain cancellations (you have to visit their “cancel” subdomain), and the whole thing smells like a big con.

In summary: avoid 1&1 (or 1and1) like the plague.