A Douglas business is calling for urgent changes to the island’s ‘.im’ domain dispute process after losing its long‑established website address to a third party, despite evidence that renewal fees had been paid.
Refuge Bistro & Bar, operated by Robert McAleer, says the loss of refuge.im has left the business without practical protection and has caused confusion for customers who have used the address since 2021 for bookings, menus and contact information.
According to a NIC.IM dispute decision published on June 29, 2026, McAleer sought to have the domain transferred back to the business.
Domain Review
The decision notes that payments had been made to Yellowbush for website and domain services since 2021, that the business name “Refuge” was formally registered in September 2021, and that a Netcetra invoice due in May 2026 was paid.
However, Netcetra confirmed the payment was received after the renewal deadline, and the domain was subsequently registered by another party once it became available. The registrant did not respond during the 15‑day dispute period.
Despite this, NIC.IM ruled there was insufficient evidence to show the domain had been registered or used in a blocking, disruptive or abusive manner under .im rules, meaning refuge.im remains with its current holder.
McAleer said the outcome was “deeply frustrating”, adding: “We paid for the domain to be managed and renewed, we had clear evidence of our use of the Refuge name, and we still lost the domain. We relied on the people managing the domain and now we are left trying to explain to customers why our established web address no longer belongs to us.”
Chris Naylor of TechCentre Group, who is assisting the business, said the case highlights a wider issue: “If a local business can lose a domain after payment has been made and still be told the dispute process cannot help, then the process is not giving enough practical protection to real local businesses.”
Refuge Bistro & Bar has temporarily moved to refuge.co.im and says the current refuge.im site does not represent the business and may mislead the public.
The business is now asking local representatives and authorities to review whether the island’s dispute process offers sufficient protection for Manx businesses, particularly where there is evidence of prior use, payment, and no response from the new registrant.
