What to do when the old host refuses to transfer domain control?

[Curt]

Originally Posted by craigdunlop

So as a domain reseller what is the right way to set up peoples' domains, should they be set up with the clients' contact details for registrar, billing, tech, admin?

This is obviously your choice, but as stated by several people in this thread, it feels terrible to be locked in somewhere, so personally I setup domains for clients with all of their own info and none of mine (nameservers excepted of course) because then they have total control if they ever feel they need it. It just seems like a good-faith thing to do. If they don't feel locked into my company, it keeps things more friendly, and because they could leave so easily, they know it's very unlikely that I would try to screw them over.

[craigdunlop]

Originally Posted by Curt

This is obviously your choice, but as stated by several people in this thread, it feels terrible to be locked in somewhere, so personally I setup domains for clients with all of their own info and none of mine (nameservers excepted of course) because then they have total control if they ever feel they need it. It just seems like a good-faith thing to do. If they don't feel locked into my company, it keeps things more friendly, and because they could leave so easily, they know it's very unlikely that I would try to screw them over.

I agree, this is what I think I'll do for clients also.

[keidsjedo]

It would be acceptable to be listed as the technical contact (if you really are). Otherwise it is definitely more comforting as a consumer to have complete control. Of course you could offer privacy options for a fee.

You may want to advise your customers, though, to lock their own domains. It helps to prevent some of the junk-deceptive-misleading mail that comes from the "sour grapes".

[etruitt]

I used to list the individuals on all sources, until one of my clients let thier domain name go, and it got sniped by a bulk name company. It ended up costing them 5000 dollars to get the name back. This was before the ICANN trademark rulings came through.

So since then, I add my name to the list so that I also get an email when thier domain is about to expire. Then as a service I bug them until they pay for another year.

Godaddy has definitly been the best Registrar so for for me. I would recommend them to anyone. Stargate was OK, but started to raise prices. For what you get, GD is worth the 8.95

[obj]

Originally Posted by craigdunlop

So as a domain reseller what is the right way to set up peoples' domains, should they be set up with the clients' contact details for registrar, billing, tech, admin?

Absolutely. The honest way is to at least make the customer the registrant (and probably billing too ). If things ever go bad, the customer can get his account back.

As far as Networksolutions is concerned: As long as you are the registrant of the domain name you can go through a tedious process to get control of your account. You need the domain transfer document and fax in documents that you are indeed the owner of the domain. That could be your drivers license if the domain is registered in a person's name or business documentation if it is registered in a business' name.

Be ready to make a lot of phone calls because they will loose your faxes, give you incorrect information, mix up your account number ect. But if you are insinstent you can succeed. May take up to eight weeks, though (in my case).

Another thing you may want to try is to make a ticket request to Vortech. Lindsey was once an angel in patience to help me transfer two domain names were Register.com held them hostage.

Good luck.

[TonyK]

I use the clients own info to setup domains but I make sure I check the Auto renew option at Godaddy, I don't know if the others have this option or not?

[mresell]

Yeah, I think they all have autorenew. That wouldn't help with this sit tho.

[TonyK]

I know mresell and right now it may be a bad idea. A host in Texas did this to me once I want it to move my domain to Godaddy and he didn't like this.
So I had this idea I w'll get the (.net)get my site at a different host and backorder the (.com) with domain alert service they have to snap the domain after it expires WRONG.
He renew the domain and then he told me the domain is for sell!!! It cost me to get back my own domain.

I wish it was a place for all the new webmasters to be, to read about this things so they don't get pushed around by scum artist.

[dtay73]

Originally Posted by TonyK

<--snip--> He renew the domain and then he told me the domain is for sell!!! It cost me to get back my own domain.

I wish it was a place for all the new webmasters to be, to read about this things so they don't get pushed around by scum artist.

You can file a complaint with ICANN and they can force him to give it up. They usually frown upon cyber squatting.

[sheptech]

Originally Posted by dtay73

You can file a complaint with ICANN and they can force him to give it up. They usually frown upon cyber squatting.

If only it were that simple. The Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy "UDRP" is what ICANN points to in cases like this - basically your only option is arbitration with an "approved" provider - all of which charge in excess of $1000.

I helped a customer recently purchase their desired domain name from a squatter for almost $1500. It would have cost that much or more to go the UDRP route and it would have taken much longer.

[tkraffty]

Turns out, probably the most effective thing I did when this all started was to contact GoDaddy and let them know the old host/registrar wasn't going to accept their transfer request, and asked if they might have their legal dep't look into it.

I'll never know what happened behind the scenes, but that problem with ReadyHosting, NetworkSolutions and my client's domain name is all fixed now. The domain switch appears to have magically skipped about a week's worth of beauracracy I was expecting to go through, has already been moved to GoDaddy, and my name-server changes were all resolved within about 48 hours.

My guess is GoDaddy didn't like hearing about illegal anti-competitive activities by the other guys I mentioned, and their lawyers most likely gave the old host a new orafice with a simple phone call

TK

[nelsonke]

Thanks for the update, another reason why we switched to Vortech and GoDaddy.

I had a client with the aforementioned hosting service, which seems not quite ready to provide good hosting service. They had significant service problems, and a really bad attitude from their support. When the client's agreement was up, they were more than happy to switch their hosting to us as well. Fortunately, they had registered their domain name themselves so control was not an issue.