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My domain shows as available but registration fails every time

Domain Names by SamAlvi 23 replies 1.8K views
SamAlvi

Member OP

Self-Host Everything

6 #1

Trying to register "redacted for privacy" through Hetzner. WHOIS says available. Cart accepts it. Payment processes. Then: "registry error, domain not registered, refund in 5-7 days."

Tried three times. Same result. Support says "try again later."

My theory: registry glitch. But why would the registrar let it through to payment if the registry rejects it? This feels like a frontend/backend sync issue.

Why pay for Hetzner when you can self-host your own registrar connection? (I kid, EPP is nightmare fuel.) Running my own BIND for the zone wouldnt help here since I need the delegation. Docker compose with a registry proxy wont fix broken APIs.

Anyone seen this pattern? Is there a lag between drop and true availability that isnt documented?

my cloud. my rules. my 3AM alerts.
marcus_qc

Member

#2

Hey folks gonna be real with you this sounds like a dropped domain in quarantine

Super stoked to help here

Registry holds deleted names for 30 days sometimes 5 days for fast track but most do the full month. Whois shows available because its not actively registered but the registry wont let it through regular registration yet. Its a ghost domain

Check the creation date in the whois history if you can. If it was registered before and dropped recently thats your answer

Hetzner should know this but their tier 1 support is gonna gonna guess until you escalate

42U and still growing
Hel

Member

Bare Metal Purist

#3

Registry quarantine. 30 day standard. 5 day fast drop optional. Registrar api caches stale whois. Not glitch. Designed behavior. Perkele.

Check deletion date. Add 30. Wait. Or pay premium if registry offers snap service. Price bad. Availability lie. Server good.

MA

Member

#4

Fighting!!! Sam you got registry fooled bro

Redemption period!!! 30 days!!! Not available just looks available!!!

Kk happens all the time!!!

Whois lie!!! Registry truth!!!

Check ICANN lookup not registrar whois!!!

Hetzner should tell you this!!! FIGHTING!!!

IC

Member

#5

I've had refunds hit in 2 days from Hetzner, not 5-7

WE

Member

#6

Registry cache stale is real, seen it on .io domains

SamAlvi

Member OP

Self-Host Everything

#7

Checked the WHOIS history on viewdns.info. Creation date was 2019, no deletion date shown. But the registrar WHOIS says "clientDeleteProhibited" in status. So it's not deleted, it's locked. That changes things.

Why would a locked domain show as available in Hetzner's cart? That's not quarantine, that's their API returning garbage.

my cloud. my rules. my 3AM alerts.
marcus_qc

Member

#8
SamAlvi said:
Creation date was 2019, no deletion date shown. But the registrar WHOIS says "clientDeleteProhibited"

That's a hold status, not deleted. Someone still owns it or the registrar has it locked for non-payment or dispute. Hetzner's cart should reject that hard, not take your money.

Their domain search is probably hitting a cached zone file or their own database, not live EPP. Cheap registrar, you get what you pay for. No offense, I resell through them for some stuff but domains are not their core.

Escalate to their domain team, not general support. Or cut your losses and use a real registrar for this one.

42U and still growing
Hel

Member

Bare Metal Purist

#9

Hetzner domain service wrapper on Resello. Not own registry connection. Cache stale common. API layer garbage in garbage out.

Use direct registrar with real EPP. Or registry itself if TLD allows. Hetzner good for server. Domain afterthought.

FL

Member

#10

Same thing happened to me with a .com.br through Registro.br's delegated registrar. Cart said available, payment went through, then "domain indisponivel." Took 8 days for refund because Brazilian banking.

Registry lock, registrar cache, same pattern. The ccTLD registries are worse for this than gTLD.

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