Domain Registrars Archives - Page 11 of 22

Change to Network Solutions Transfer Process Makes Domain Transfers Difficult

Domain Registrars
NameJet

June 3, 2013

Screen Shot 2013-06-03 at 12.59.02 PM

I’ve used Network Solutions sparingly in the past because I found the domain name renewal rates to be expensive. I generally keep NameJet auction inventory at Network Solutions until the domain names are sold or come up for renewal, at which point they are transferred away. It’s always been an easy process – a quick unlock and button check to request an authorization code, which was sent fairly quickly.

Well, it looks like the transfer process is now more like its sister company, Register.com, and that’s not a good thing from my perspective. Both companies were acquired by Web.com in the last few years, and they likely share internal learnings and processes.

This morning, I went to transfer a domain name from Network Solutions, and I encountered a number of questions the company posed before I could get to the final request page. I was asked where the domain name is being transferred, why I am transferring it, if I bought it at auction, and whether I have other domain names at NS. That was after a couple of button clicks and confirmation pages ensuring that I really want to transfer the domain name.

The questions aren’t such a big deal aside from their slight annoyance, but after making it through these questions, I received this notice:

Domain Registrars

Elliot Silver

May 8, 2013

Depending on the outgoing and incoming domain registrar, an inter-registrar transfer can take anywhere from a few moments to several days.When there’s quite a bit of money on the line, it seems that a domain name transfer can take forever. I’ve had some transfers take as long as a week to process, which to me, seems completely unacceptable for a process that should take just a few moments.

I want to share a tip that some domain registrars probably don’t want you to know. If you are able to speak with the right person at a domain registrar, you may be able to speed up the domain transfer. Instead of waiting for days, the transfer can be manually processed very quickly.

Some domain registrars say that outbound transfers take extra time to process as a security precaution. I think this is a fair point, but when I am selling a domain name and there are thousands of dollars sitting in escrow, I want

Domain Registrars

Elliot Silver

May 3, 2013

Blacknight is an Ireland based, ICANN accredited domain name registrar and hosting company. The company is celebrating its tenth anniversary by holding a drawing for a Google Nexus 7 tablet with Android 4.1 Jellybean.

It looks like visitors can enter up to 15 times each, and one random winner will be drawn in a couple of weeks. So far, there have been under 350 entries, so it looks like you may have decent odds to win (better than the lottery!). You can sign up via Facebook or with an email address, and no purchase is necessary to enter.

As with every type of giveaway, there are some terms and conditions, so check out the blog post and contest widget page for full details. Congratulations to Blacknight on its 10 year anniversary.

Dynadot Holding $2,500 College Scholarship Contest

Domain Registrars

Elliot Silver

April 25, 2013

I bet there are many high school-aged people who invest in domain names. Many are probably planning to go to college, and we all know that can be expensive. Dynadot is offering a $2,500 college scholarship, and I want to share information about it with you in case you’re interested or know someone who might have an interest.

Seniors in high school or college-enrolled students majoring or planning to majoring in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Graphic Design, Web Design, Digital Marketing/Communications, or a related degree are invited to apply. For high school seniors, the winner must be planning to enter college next fall.

Here’s what’s needed to apply for the $2,500 scholarship:

Domain Registrars
GoDaddy
Name.com

Elliot Silver

February 16, 2013

Go Daddy has tackled what’s become the latest Internet meme – the “Harlem Shake.” Looking forward to seeing Name.com’s take on this.

Dear “Valued Customer”

Advice
Domain Registrars

Elliot Silver

February 15, 2013

This morning, I was cleaning out my email spam filter when I noticed an email from a domain registrar I use. The email started out “Dear Valued Customer.”

Although I appreciate the fact that this company values my business :-), I think it would have been better if they identified me either by name, company name, or by the Whois registrant name to make it more clear that it’s a legitimate email and not spam. I don’t click links in emails as a safety precaution, but I think they could make it more clear that it’s an official communication and not a theft attempt.

In this company’s defense, the subject of the message included my account number, but many people probably don’t know their registrar account numbers so this could easily be faked. I suppose someone could also easily send personalized phishing emails with my name included in the copy, but that would take more time and effort.

I’ve seen this type of thing with other domain registrars so I am not going to identify the registrar that sent this, especially because they did have my account number in the subject. I reached out to the registrar to let them know and they’ve passed along my feedback to the appropriate party. It’s possible that because it’s an ICANN required email, they must adhere to set standards.

Banks and other financial institutions do this as a safety precaution, and I think it’s something that domain industry companies should consider adopting.