Manage Hover

How to cancel hover and protect your domains and email in south africa

What is hover and why you might want to cancel

Hover is a domain registration and email hosting service operated by Tucows that lets you register, manage, and renew domain names and email mailboxes through a straightforward online dashboard. It focuses on domain management and email services rather than full website hosting or site-building tools.

You control auto-renewal settings, DNS records, and mailbox subscriptions directly from your account. If you're moving your domains elsewhere, switching email providers, or simply no longer need these services, you'll need to understand how cancellation works in South Africa to protect your data and avoid unexpected charges.

Primary functions of hover

Hover provides three core services: domain registration and renewal, DNS management controls, and email (mailbox) subscriptions. Most of your management happens through the web dashboard, where you can toggle auto-renewal, update DNS records, and manage email accounts.

When cancellation makes sense

You might cancel if you're switching to a competitor, consolidating services with a different provider, or simply no longer need email hosting. The key is understanding what happens to your domains and email data during the cancellation process.

Your consumer rights in south africa

South African consumers have statutory protections that apply to online services like Hover, even when dealing with international operators.

Consumer protection act and your rights

The Consumer Protection Act (CPA) protects you against unfair contract terms, hidden fees, and services that don't work as advertised. You have the right to cancel services within a reasonable cooling-off period if the terms weren't clearly disclosed. If Hover refuses to honour your cancellation request or withholds a refund you're entitled to, you can escalate to the National Consumer Commission (NCC).

Additionally, you have the right to transparent pricing in your local currency or a clearly stated exchange rate, and the right to receive confirmation of your cancellation within 10 business days.

When to escalate your cancellation

If Hover charges you after you've cancelled, refuses to process your cancellation request, or fails to refund pro-rated email fees, contact the National Consumer Commission. Document all communication attempts and keep copies of your cancellation request and confirmation emails. Stopee recommends keeping screenshots and written records as proof of your cancellation effort.

How to cancel hover step by step

Cancelling Hover involves disabling auto-renewal for domains and separately cancelling any email mailboxes you want to remove. The process differs slightly depending on what services you're cancelling.

Cancel domain auto-renewal through your hover account

1. Sign in to your Hover account at hover.com using your email and password.
2. Click on "Domains" in the left menu to view your domain list.
3. Find the domain you want to stop renewing and click on it to open the domain details page.
4. Look for the "Auto Renewal" toggle or switch and toggle it to the OFF position.
   • Warning: Even with auto-renewal disabled, your domain will still expire on its current renewal date. Set a reminder or note the expiry date to ensure you don't lose it unexpectedly.
5. Confirm the change. Your account should display a confirmation message within a few seconds.
6. Repeat for any other domains you want to cancel renewal on.

Pro tip: If you plan to transfer your domain to another registrar, disable auto-renewal first. This prevents Hover from charging a renewal fee just before you move it, which could lock your domain for another year.

Cancel email mailboxes and subscriptions

1. Sign in to your Hover account and navigate to the "Email" or "Mailboxes" section from the main menu.
2. Find the mailbox or email subscription you want to cancel and click on it.
3. Look for a "Cancel" or "Delete" button, usually located near the bottom of the mailbox settings page.
4. Confirm your cancellation when prompted.
   • Warning: Cancelling a mailbox is usually permanent. Hover may retain inactive mailbox data for a limited period, but you should download or forward any important emails first.
5. Note the cancellation date. Your access will remain active until the end of your billing cycle unless you've paid in advance.

Stopee advises backing up your emails before cancelling. Use your email client (Outlook, Gmail, Thunderbird) to download emails to your computer, or forward important messages to a personal email account you control.

Cancelling through app store subscriptions

If you purchased Hover services through the Apple App Store or Google Play, you must cancel the subscription through those platforms, not through Hover itself. App store subscriptions operate separately from your Hover web account.

• Apple App Store (iOS): Open the App Store app, tap your profile icon, select "Subscriptions", find Hover, and tap "Cancel Subscription".
• Google Play (Android): Open Google Play, tap your profile icon, select "Payments and subscriptions", then "Subscriptions", find Hover, and tap "Cancel subscription".

After cancelling through the app store, verify that your Hover web account reflects the cancellation within 24 hours. If it doesn't, contact Hover support directly.

What happens to your account after cancellation

Understanding what occurs after you cancel ensures you don't lose access to critical data or miss important renewal deadlines.

Access and service continuity during the wind-down period

When you disable auto-renewal or cancel a mailbox, your current subscription period remains active until it expires naturally. You continue to have full access to your domains and emails during this paid period. Once the billing cycle ends, your access ends unless you manually renew.

For domains, this means your domain stays active and pointing to your current DNS records until the expiry date. For mailboxes, emails remain accessible until cancellation becomes effective at the end of your billing cycle.

Your data and DNS records after cancellation

Cancelling your mailbox does not delete your domain. Similarly, disabling auto-renewal doesn't immediately affect your DNS records or email forwarding rules. However, after your domain expires, you lose access to edit those records. If you're transferring your domain, download or note your current DNS settings before the domain expires.

Pro tip: Export your DNS records before cancelling. Log into Hover, open your domain settings, and take screenshots or notes of all A records, MX records, CNAME records, and any other custom DNS entries you've configured. This saves time if you switch to another registrar.

Account status after full cancellation

Cancelling individual services (mailboxes or domains) leaves your Hover account open. You only fully terminate your agreement with Hover when you cancel all services and close your account. If you want to delete your entire Hover account, contact Hover support directly to request account closure. They will confirm what data, if any, they retain after closure.

Refunds and what to expect when you cancel

Hover's refund policy has important limits that you should know before cancelling, particularly if you've paid in advance.

General refund policy for domains and renewals

Domain registration and renewal fees are non-refundable under Hover's standard terms. If you disable auto-renewal or cancel your account, you do not receive a refund for the current registration period, even if you cancel on day two of a 365-day renewal cycle.

Premium domain purchases (domains sold at a premium price) are also non-refundable once purchased.

Pro-rated refunds for cancelled email mailboxes

Email mailboxes are treated differently. If you cancel an email account within 365 days of your initial purchase, Hover provides a pro-rated refund for the unused portion of your mailbox subscription. This means if you paid for 12 months but cancel after 3 months, you receive a refund for the remaining 9 months of unused service.

This is one area where you may have leverage under South African consumer law. Stopee recommends requesting this refund explicitly if you've cancelled an active mailbox subscription.

Discretionary refunds and transfers

Hover may, at its discretion, refund unused portions of services or assist with domain transfers at no cost. This is not guaranteed but worth requesting in writing if your circumstances warrant an exception. Keep copies of all correspondence with Hover support for escalation to the NCC if needed.

Hover pricing and subscription costs in south africa

Understanding Hover's pricing structure helps you evaluate the cost of cancellation versus continuing your subscription.

Pricing transparency and currency

Hover publishes pricing per domain extension and per mailbox on its website, typically in US dollars (USD) and other major currencies. Pricing for South African consumers is usually converted at Hover's stated exchange rate. Exact ZAR pricing is not consistently published, so you'll see USD pricing converted at checkout.

How to view current pricing

Sign into your Hover account and navigate to the domain search or mailbox section to see live pricing for the services you're interested in. Pricing varies significantly by domain extension (.com, .co.za, .org) and mailbox features (storage, forwarding rules).

These prices are approximate and subject to change. Exchange rate fluctuations may affect your final ZAR cost at the point of renewal.

Common mistakes to avoid when cancelling hover

Cancelling a domain or email service feels straightforward, but small oversights can leave you without access to critical services or waste money on unwanted renewals.

Mistake 1: forgetting to disable auto-renewal before expiry

The most common error is assuming your domain or mailbox will cancel automatically. Hover's default is to auto-renew. If you don't explicitly toggle off auto-renewal, you'll be charged for another year without warning. Set a phone reminder for 30 days before your expiry date to check your cancellation status.

Mistake 2: cancelling without backing up DNS records or emails

Once your domain expires, you lose access to your DNS settings and email forwarding rules. If you don't document these before cancellation, recovering them becomes difficult and expensive. Download your email archives and take screenshots of your DNS configuration before your cancellation takes effect.

Mistake 3: mixing up account cancellation with service cancellation

Cancelling one mailbox or disabling auto-renewal on one domain does not close your Hover account. You can still be charged for other services or auto-renewals on remaining domains. Review your full account before claiming you've cancelled everything.

Mistake 4: not requesting your pro-rated mailbox refund in writing

Hover provides pro-rated refunds for cancelled mailboxes if you request them within 365 days of purchase. Many customers don't ask, so they never receive this refund they're entitled to. Send an email to Hover support confirming your cancellation date and requesting the pro-rated refund explicitly.

Your cancellation checklist

Use this checklist to ensure you've completed every step and haven't missed anything before your services expire.

• Sign into your Hover account and confirm your current services (domains, mailboxes).
• Note the expiry date of each service you plan to cancel.
• Download or forward all important emails from cancelled mailboxes.
• Screenshot your current DNS records for each domain you're cancelling.
• Disable auto-renewal for each domain (toggle OFF in the Domains section).
• Cancel each mailbox individually (look for the Cancel button in Email settings).
• If subscribed via App Store or Google Play, cancel through those platforms as well.
• Send a written cancellation request to Hover support requesting confirmation of cancellation.
• Request a pro-rated refund for mailboxes cancelled within 365 days of purchase.
• Save all cancellation confirmation emails for your records.
• Verify your account after 48 hours to confirm cancellation took effect.
• If you don't receive confirmation or are charged after cancellation, escalate to the NCC.

How stopee can help you cancel services confidently

Navigating cancellation policies, understanding your refund rights, and managing communications with service providers can be overwhelming. That's where Stopee comes in. Stopee has helped thousands of consumers cancel unwanted subscriptions, secure refunds they're entitled to, and escalate complaints to consumer authorities when companies refuse to cooperate.

Whether you're cancelling Hover domains, email mailboxes, or app store subscriptions, Stopee provides clear step-by-step guidance tailored to South African consumer law. We also help you identify when you have legal leverage under the Consumer Protection Act and how to escalate if Hover ignores your cancellation request.

Visit Stopee today to access templates for formal cancellation letters, guides to your consumer rights, and support in recovering refunds you deserve. Stopee empowers you to cancel on your terms, not the company's terms.

Contact hover to request cancellation in writing

For formal cancellation requests, especially if you're requesting a refund or escalating a dispute, send written correspondence to Hover's Data Protection Officer address. This creates a paper trail and ensures your request is documented officially.

Hover's official contact address for cancellation requests

Send written cancellation requests to the address listed in Hover's Privacy Policy:

Hover (Tucows Inc.)
Office of the Data Protection Officer
96 Mowat Avenue
Toronto, ON M6K 3M1
Canada

Include the following in your written request:

• Your full name and Hover account email address.
• The domains or mailboxes you want to cancel (list each one).
• Your request to disable auto-renewal immediately.
• A request for confirmation of cancellation within 10 business days.
• If applicable, a request for a pro-rated refund for cancelled mailboxes within 365 days of purchase, citing the Consumer Protection Act.
• Your contact details and preferred communication method.

Keep a copy for your records. If Hover doesn't respond within 15 business days, or if they refuse your cancellation request, escalate to the National Consumer Commission with copies of your correspondence.

Stopee recommends sending this letter via tracked mail or email (if an email address is available) so you have proof of delivery. Taking this formal approach rarely fails and gives you legal standing if you need to escalate your complaint.