Domain Philosophy

Transferred a Domain? Check the contact information, nameservers and other settings...

When new domains are purchased or acquired at auction the domain usually ends up in a different registrar account each time... which means if you want to keep track of all your domains you eventually have to transfer the domain to your main/preferred registrar account (usually after the 60 day waiting period).

One thing to add to your "to do" list once the transfer is completed and the domain is in your main registrar... is to verify all the Contacts (Registrant, Administrative, Technical, and Billing) as I have noticed many registrars are not following a standard Contact format. This results in name, address, phone, and/or email errors after the transfer... and this really needs to be kept accurate.

Another item is the nameserver settings. Lately, I have had several domains that kept the "old" nameserver settings (from the previous registrar) even though I specifically checked for this to be updated... and this meant the forwarding of the domains were going through the old registrar. It not only slowed the forward down... but I only realized it after a few months when the forwarding quit working!

So, immediately after a successful domain transfer to a new registrar be sure to verify and update the contact information, nameservers, and other settings to make sure the domain keeps working for you!

Ron

.WS Domains Cannot Be Transferred

Domains with a .ws extension (such as www.ROAT.ws) cannot be transferred to a new registrar. Most domain extensions can be transferred to other registrars but not the .ws. This is a rule set by the .WS Central Registry and not something being limited by the registrar.

So, be careful where you purchase your .ws domains... there are registrars that will sell the first year for very cheap and then the renewals will go up very high and since you cannot transfer the domain to another registrar you will be stuck.

About the only option (and one I wouldn't recommend) would be to let the domain expire and try to re-capture it with an expired domain auction site... but this could cost you if the domain name is desirable and the auction price goes high. The best action is to purchase your .ws domains from a reputable registrar and plan to keep it there forever.

Keep looking for that perfect domain name!

Ron

Cannot Update Nameservers When Transfer is Pending

If you are planning on transferring your domain name to a new registrar, be aware that you cannot make any modifications while the domain name is in process of transfer.

For example, let's say you made a request to transfer a domain name yesterday and the Admin Contact confirmed/approved the transfer. The domain name is then placed in a "Transfer Pending" state while waiting for registry approval. Then, let's say today you need to update the nameservers so the domain name points to a new server. You will find the updates and changes you make will not be saved or applied to the domain. Initially, it may look like the changes are saved but if you log out and back into the registrar the domain settings will be back to the original settings.

So, my recommendation is to make any updates, changes, and modifications to domain names before you submit a transfer request to move to a new registrar. Just be careful not to modify the Primary Account Owner information before making a transfer request... as this will then require a 60 day wait (before a transfer can occur) if you change this.

More domain philosophy soon! Ron