Does anyone else here have a domain name registered with TotalNIC and have
had the wonderful experience of communicating with them? Or better still,
been able to actually transfer away from them?

Given their extremely poor reputation and deliberate blocking of domain
transfers, how the hell did they become an accredited AuDA registrar in the
first place??? 

If you don't know what I'm talking about, just do a google search for
TotalNIC :-)

Beware - never use them.

Phil.