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TroubleShooting -
Transfers
Q.
Can I transfer
my domain name from my current registrar.
- Domain names can easily be
transferred from one registrar to another. There are over 100 different
registrars that are accredited with ICANN, the regulatory board that oversees
the .com, .net, and org, domain registrations. Most registrars don't
charge
an extra fee for the transfer, just a minimum one-year extended registration
fee.
 Q.
How do I initiate a transfer
order request?
- Login to
your domain home page and click "Transfers", "Domain Search" or "Domain Login".
Click on the "Transfers" hyperlink. You will see the following
screen:
Fill in the domain names you would like
to transfer. Create your own password that you will use to late manage your
domain through the domain control panel if and when your transfer is
successful. Fill out contact info which needs to be complete and accurate.
Then click on the "Transfer" button at the bottom of the form.
You will go to the next screen which is
the Payment Information:
Fill in your credit card information
and expiration date and click "Purchase". Please note that your credit card is
pre-authorized when you initiate a transfer order but it is only charged if and
when the transfer is successful.
 Transfer Confirmation
When you initiate a new transfer order
your current registrar is contacted on your behalf to let them know you would
like to transfer your domain(s). You will most likely receive a confirmation
email from your current registrar. You will also receive for security, one or
more auto-verfication emails sent with a confirmation link to verify the
transfer request from us.
Make sure to check the email that is
listed on the whois database record for the legal registrant and/or the
administrative contact. ( You can check your whois database record quickly at
http://checkdomain.com ) If this is an old email that you do not check or have
access to, you won't be able to confirm the domain and the transfer will be
rejected. You may need to update your contact record with your current registrar
to reflect a current email you have access to.
Please allow 2-7 days for
the transfer to be completed. You will receive a status email at the end of this
time frame to let you know if the transfer is complete. You will not be able to
access your domain with your password from our home page until the transfer is
successful and complete.
 Q.
I
have many names at different registrars. Can I transfer names in bulk?
- Yes, you can transfer up to
five domain names on the same transfer order.
 Q.
When
should I start to transfer domain that are about to expire?
- A domain
transfer order request must be made before the current registrar's expiration
date. First, a transfer order request must be initiated. The date that is it
received is the date your transfer order has been initiated. In case of
possible registrar rejection and other errors or other problems that can occur
during the transfer process, it is best to start a transfer order several weeks
before the expiration date.
 Q.
When
I transfer a domain name before the expiration date, do I lose any of the
registration time I had paid for already?
- In most
cases, when a domain name is transferred, an additional year of registration is
added on to the expiration date. For example, if a domain is set to expire
6-01-2002 and it is successfully transferred to another registrar in May 2002, a
full year of registration is added on starting at the expiration date. This
makes the new expiration date effective 6-01-2003. In this way, domains can be
transferred in the middle of a registration year with essentially no loss of
registration time already paid for.
There is one exception to this,
however. After a domain has been renewed at the same registrar, if the domain is
transferred in the next 45 days, the added one year of registration time will be
lost. If the transfer takes place after 45 days of the last renewal date, then
the typical full year of additional registration is added.
 Q.
Can
I still transfer my domain if the expiration date has already passed?
- Domain names cannot be
transferred from one registrar to another if there is an outstanding invoice due
for the domain. Once the expiration date passes for domain renewal, there is an
outstanding invoice in effect from the current registrar (until at least a
one-year renewal is paid), which prevents the domain from being able to be
transferred.
 Q.
Since
the expiration date has already passed on my domain name, what can I do to
prevent losing the name?
- If the
expiration date has passed, you will need to renew the domain for one year with
your current registrar. You can choose to transfer the domain right after your
renewal, but if it is less than 45 days since the last renewal, you will lose
that added year of renewal registration from the other registrar. After 45 days
you will keep the renewal year.
Many registrars will retain the domain in
a grace period 10-30 days after expiration. After the expiration date, your
domain is put “on hold” pending renewal payment. Once you make the renewal
payment during that time, your domain name is updated with another year of
registration. You can then transfer the name to another registrar, but you will
lose the one-year registration if you transfer the name less than 45 days after
the renewal date.
Another option is to try and re-register
your domain after it totally drops off, but this is risky because someone else
could register your domain.
 Q.
Can
I transfer a new domain I recently registered with another registrar?
- A
domain name cannot be transferred to a new registrar in the first 60 days after
its initial registration with the current registrar. After 60 days has passed,
the domain can be transferred to another registrar. This applies only to “new”
domain registrations – there are different guidelines for renewals.
 Q.
When
a domain name is transferred, is there any change to the nameserver
information?
- When a domain name is transferred, there is no change to the
current nameserver information if an outside nameserver has been used (such as
the nameserver of a web hosting company). If a nameserver of the former
registrar was used (an example would be a "parking page" or "under construction"
page provided by the registrar), then after the transfer these settings would
stay the same. You can easily update nameservers
24/7 from your domain control panel.
 Q.
Will
I need to confirm the transfer with a confirmation email from my current
registrar?
- After a transfer order request is made, the current registrar
may ask for email confirmation from the legal owner or administrative contact to
verify the request to transfer. It is important to check the email that is
listed in the whois database and promptly reply to any confirmation email. This
is one common problem that can delay or disqualify a transfer order
request.
 Q.
How long does
it take for a domain transfer to take place?
- It usually takes between 2-7 days for the transfer to be
complete.
 Q.
How is payment
handled when I initiate a transfer order?
- Your credit card is pre-authorized when you initiate a
transfer order but it is only charged if and when the transfer is
successful.
 Q.
Can I
transfer my domain away to another registrar in the future?
- Yes, in
your domain control panel scroll down to the bottom and unclick the box for
"Registrar Lock". This will make your domain available to be transferred to
another registrar if your would like.
 Q.
What
can I do to protect my domain from an unauthorized transfer by another party?
- You can protect your
domain by activating "Registrar Lock". This prevents an outside source from
transferring your domain to another registrar in their account by falsifying
documents and requests.
On the domain control panel for your
domain name, scroll down the bottom of the screen and choose “Registrar Lock”
feature and update. You can deactivate this feature at any time if you would
like to transfer to another registrar.
 TroubleShooting -
Transfers
Q.
My transfer was
rejected - What could have gone wrong?
There are several reasons that
your transfer might be declined or rejected. Please review below and then
resubmit your request for a new transfer order if it is still before the
expiration date. (Please note that your credit card was not charged if the
transfer did not go through)
1) You need to respond to one or more
verification / confirmation emails. One is from us, and one may be from your
current registrar. You need to respond to these emails within an allotted time
period (Verisign / Network Solutions requires a response to accept/decline a
transfer request within 72 hours, we require a response within 6 days - others
registrars may vary or not require a verification email).
2) If your
current registrar requires a verification email it would have been sent to the
email listed in the current whois database. You may not have checked that email
if it isn't an email address that you check on a regular basis.
3) Your
current email listed in the whois database may not have been valid or
functional.
4) A domain name cannot be transferred to a new registrar in
the first 60 days after its initial registration with the current registrar.
After 60 days has passed, the domain can be transferred to another registrar.
This applies only to “new” domain registrations – there are different guidelines
for renewals.
5) You may have made the transfer request after the
domain's expiration date. Domain names cannot be transferred from one registrar
to another if there is an outstanding invoice due for the domain. Once the
expiration date passes for domain renewal, there is an outstanding invoice in
effect from the current registrar (until at least a one-year renewal is paid),
which prevents the domain from being able to be transferred.
Many
registrars will retain the domain in a grace period 10-30 days after
expiration. After the expiration date, your domain is put “on hold” pending
renewal payment. Once you make the renewal payment during that time, your
domain name is updated with another year of registration. You can then transfer
the name to another registrar, but you will lose the one-year registration if
you transfer the name less than 45 days after the renewal date.
Another option is to try and re-register
your domain after it totally drops off, but this is risky because someone else
could register your domain.
6) Your current registrar may have a
registrar lock feature. Contact your registrar directly to turn this
off.
7) Your registrar may have refused to respond or release it. Call
and email your registrar to verify and confirm your transfer request. Your
registrar may have a minimum number of years to keep the domain before
transferring.
Q.
My transfer was not
successful - what can I do now?
- At this
point since your most recent transfer order was not successful, you can start
again and initiate a new transfer order.
You can do this only if it is
done prior to the expiration or renewal date. If the expiration date has
passed, you will need to renew the domain for one year with your current
registrar. You can choose to transfer the domain right after your renewal, but
if it is less than 45 days since the last renewal, you will lose that added year
of renewal registration from the
other registrar. After 45 days you will keep
the renewal year.
When you initiate a new transfer order, make sure to
check the email that is listed on the whois database record for the legal
registrant and/or the administrative contact. For security, one or more
autoverfication emails will be sent with a confirmation link to verify the
transfer request. ( You can check your whois database record quickly at
http://checkdomain.com ) If
this is an old email that you do not check or
have access to, you won't be able to confirm the domain and the transfer will be
rejected. You may need to update your contact record with your current registrar
to reflect a current email you have access to.
Write down the password
you enter during the transfer order sign-up process. When the transfer is
successful, you will be able to login to manage your domain with this password
from our home page.
Please allow 2-7 days for the transfer to be
completed. You will receive a status email at the end of this time frame to let
you know if the transfer is complete. You will not be able to access your domain
with your password from our home page until the transfer is successful and
complete.
FYI - Your credit card is pre-authorized when you initiate a
transfer order but it is only charged if and when the transfer is
successful.
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