Thanks to Sidney and Al. The site I cited (cool word use, huh?) DOES include TS16949 registrations. The subject company of this thread is listed, along with its registrar. I agree with Sidney that many folks are still feeling their way with TS rules and regs. That said, the side of the story we have makes the registrar seem awfully undiplomatic in the way it deals with this particular registrant. You can bet your sweet patootie if I was the registrar, I would have a well-thought out approach as to why I was going to pick the registrant's pocket for a few more $.
In other threads, I have frequently railed at the problem of being "squeezed" between customer and registrar, compounded by bosses breathing down your neck with admonitions to "Get it done!" Some of us may enjoy enough power and prestige to stand up and demand better explanations, but most of us operate in an atmosphere of fear, whether for ourselves, our coworkers, or the entire organization, if we somehow alienate a registrar and delay or derail our organization's "license" to do business and thus put ourselves or everyone in the organization on the welfare rolls.
Is there a solution? I don't have one. The fact is, some registrars DO run roughshod over the registrants, despite the concept of competition among registrars.