What are the steps to transfer TS 16949 certification or switch registrars?

[jenboy]

My company has recently decided to use the same ISO/TS 16949 registrar as our current ISO 14001 registrar. Our current ISO/TS registrar is not too happy about this and has sent me a letter with this verbiage:

This is to confirm our communication of June 5, 2012 regarding your company’s request to withdraw the registration of Ref ID# ####### (File# #####). Based on this, this company. will proceed with the withdrawal of the ISO/TS 16949 registration associated
with Ref ID# ####### (File# #####).Please notify us immediately if you wish to discuss this further.

Please be advised that This Company. has initiated the withdrawal of This Company'sQuality Management System Registration Ref ID# ####### (File# #####). All future assessment activities have been cancelled. To complete the withdrawal process we request the following:
1. Return of the Certificate of Registration and Plaque.
2. Removal of the This Company's Registered Firm Mark from all materials.
3. Removal of claims to This Company's. Registration.
4. Customers have been informed of Registration Withdrawal.

I'm not really comfortable with this since our registration does not expire until November, and our audit is scheduled for mid-September. I received a phone call from the account rep and he says they need 30-60 days for the withdrawl process, so they want to start it right away.

Is anyone familiar with this process? We are not under any contractual obligation to stay with this registrar and I don't recall "requesting withdrawl" from anything. Isn't our registration good until the cert expires? Does this "withdrawl" risk a lapse in our Quality System certification?

I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. The last time I worked for a company, we called them, extended our regrets and severed business ties. The next company came in, performed a 4.5 day recert and transfer audit and there was no "withdrawl" of any kind.

Thanks!