One thing really annoys me. A customer decides they don't want to host their site with us anymore (usually because a friend of a friend is a "web developer"). Rather than be honest with us and explain that they are getting something for nothing they don't let us know and we renew their domain name - and then we issue the hosting invoice they tell us they are either "not renewing" or "don't want a web site anymore". We then notice a couple of weeks later that they have a new site somewhere else and we have been saddled with a domain name we don't want or need.
In the past we have just ignored this (it only happens once or twice a year) but tonight I got a bit hacked off (as I sometimes do) and decided that I am not going to put up with it anymore - after all, these people are not our customers anymore. You see, if a customer wants to move somewhere else that's absolutely fine (after all, clients come to us from other providers so fair enough!), we will renew their domain and (once the at-cost renewal is paid for) move the domain name FOR FREE and handle the transfer on their behalf FOR FREE.
So, with immediate effect, if a customer gives me a load of flannel about "not bothering this year", lets me renew the domain (which means I've paid for it) then, as far as I'm concerned and as far as the registrars are concerned IT IS MY DOMAIN NAME TO DO WITH WHATEVER I WANT.
Now I'm not sure if that's what happened with Red Lion Lanzarote but they told us they were not renewing AFTER we had renewed their domain name (in breach of our terms of sale). So their domain name now points at a rather lovely adults only site (don't click the following link if you are easily offended as this red lion bar costa teguise lanzarote link points at content some people may find offensive). However, we get a small commission every time the link is clicked so hopefully we'll get back the money we spent :-) And if we get more back then we'll just keep renewing it. And yes, the use of the bar, town, and island are deliberate as anyone searching Google will hopefully find the "bums and bums" site first.
Of course, the owners of these domains could just pay us for the renewals and, as long as Ladybird isn't out of pocket, I will be happy. We'll see what happens but I won't hold my breath.