Refuge Bistro & Bar has appealed to NIC.IM after evidence showed its refuge.im domain was deleted two days before its stated expiry date and then registered by a third party.
NIC.IM confirmed the delete command was sent through the reseller chain on May 9, even though the domain was due to expire on May 11, meaning the usual grace‑period recovery protections did not apply.
A renewal invoice had been paid and later refunded after the domain was already lost.
More Than a Commercial Dispute
Robert McAleer said: “This has been characterised as a commercial dispute between the domain holder, web provider and reseller. However, the evidence suggests the domain was deleted before its stated expiry date, preventing the normal protection and recovery processes from applying.
The question is whether the current framework contains sufficient safeguards to prevent this happening to other Isle of Man businesses.”
Chris Naylor, assisting Refuge Bistro & Bar with the appeal, said: “The question is simple. If the domain was not due to expire until 11 May, why was it deleted on 9 May and made available for registration by a third party before that date? This is no longer just about Refuge. Every Isle of Man business that relies on a .IM domain should be asking whether the same thing could happen to them.
“Most business owners assume that safeguards exist to protect their online identity. This case raises questions about whether those safeguards remain effective when a domain is deleted within the registrar and reseller supply chain.”
Refuge is calling for a review of the policies governing domain deletions to prevent similar losses for other Isle of Man businesses.
