
September 05, 2008

Member BBB, Connecticut

Domain Name Registrar Transfers

We welcome the opportunity for Web Design By Cookie (WDBC), a Dotster dotReseller, CentralNIC Accredited Registrar, and Better Business Bureau member to serve as your new domain name registrar.

When you transfer a domain name to WDBC, you receive all of our value added services and extraordinary customer support at highly competitive prices! Transferred domain names receive all time remaining on a registration term plus 1 additional year added for just $8.89. That's $6.00 off our low 1 year domain registration and renewal price of .com, .net. org, .biz, .info. and .us domains! You can also transfer .mobi, .bz, .cn, .hn, .sc, and .vc domains at our regular 1 year registration/renewal price.

No risk! You're not charged until domain transfer is successfully completed. If for any reason your domain name transfer fails, you will not receive a charge of any type. However, if you are truly serious about transferring your domain name's registrar sponsorship, review our domain transfer checklist before submitting a transfer order so it proceeds quickly, smoothly, and successfully.

Transfer Checklist

Perform whois search on a domain name you want to transfer and review this checklist. Keep the whois browser window open since items 1-4 refer to your domain's whois information.

Domain Name is at least 60 days old with your existing registrar and has not been previously transferred within the past 60 days.
Domain in ACTIVE or OK status with your current registrar.
Domain Name is NOT in LOCKED status.
Administrative contact's email address is correct and you can access messages sent to it.
For .COM, .NET, .ORG, .BIZ, .INFO, or .US Domain Names, obtain transfer authorization code from current registrar.

1. Ensure domain name is not within 60 days of initial registration or a previous registrar transfer. Domain names that have not been registered for at least 60 days with it's current registrar cannot be transferred. Check domain's "created on" date in whois. If it's not more than 60 days old, you can't transfer the domain name. Transferred your domain within 60 days? You can't transfer it again until 60 days pass. Domain name transfers can be performed anytime outside this waiting period.

2. Domain name is in ACTIVE / OK status. To successfully transfer a domain, it must be in active status. Check the status field in your domain's whois record. Verify domain's status is listed as ACTIVE or OK. If domain status is ON HOLD (e.g. non-payment or dispute) or REDEMPTION PERIOD you cannot transfer your domain. Expired domains not on hold or in redemption can be transferred, but the window between expiration and these statuses is extremely short (usually one day). The administrative contact (see item 4) for an expired domain must authorize a transfer before these statuses become effective. We recommend submitting your domain name transfer order at least 7 days before an expiration date.

3. Domain is NOT LOCKED. Domain names in "LOCKED" status will not transfer. Often registrars provide a feature in your domain account to protect or lock a domain against unauthorized transfers. Lock is often enabled by default. Look at the whois record status field for your internet domain. If it does not say LOCK, TRANSFER PROHIBITED, REGISTRY-LOCK or REGISTRAR-LOCK you can transfer it. If your domain name is locked, you must disable the lock within your current registrar's domain management interface. Consult our Registrar Specific Instructions for Unlocking a Domain.

4. Administrative contact's email address is correct, up to date, and you can access messages sent to it. Domain name administrative contacts must authorize transfers. During a transfer, an Authorization for Registrar Transfer is emailed to the administrative email address. Review the existing Administrative Contact's name and email address in whois. If this address is inaccurate or inaccessible, update it with your existing registrar before submitting a domain transfer request. If a current registrar, domain reseller or hosting company is listed as your domain name's administrative contact, change it or ask them to change it to your email address.

5. For .COM, .NET, .ORG, .BIZ, .INFO, or .US domains, obtain domain authorization code from current registrar. The .COM, .NET, .ORG, .BIZ, .INFO, .NAME and .US Registry's require an Authorization Code (also sometimes called AUTH CODE, AUTHINFO, AUTH or EPP Code) to approve domain name transfers. Obtain this code from your current registrar before submitting a domain transfer in these zones. Consult our Registrar Specific Instructions for Obtaining Transfer Authorization Codes.

Domain Transfer Process

Domain transfers normally complete in 7-10 days. A domain transfer order's status may be monitored at our secure Registrar Transfer Status page. Domain transfers automatically progress in accordance with ICANN's Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy as follows:

Customer submits domain transfer order.
Once transfer order received, we attempt to retrieve domain's Administrative Contact email address from whois record. If captured, we email an "Authorization for Registrar Transfer" to Administrative Contact of the domain within 2-4 hours. This transfer authorization e-mail from do-not-reply@registerapi.com contains a unique link to authorize the domain registar transfer.
After sending domain transfer authorization email, we check the domain's status. If locked, we update registrar transfer status page to say "LOCKED". You must remove domain's lock with current registrar and retry your transfer request from the registrar transfer status page. Removing domain lock before transfer submission avoids this minimum one day delay. Consult our Registrar Specific Instructions to Unlock a Domain.
If unlocked and we received transfer authorization, a transfer command request is sent to Official Registry for approval within 5 days. Registry contacts both registrars involved in domain transfer. Current registrar may send a Confirmation of Registrar Transfer Request. If you wish to proceed with registrar transfer, you need not respond to your Current Registrar's transfer message. Unless Current Registrar legitimately denies the domain transfer or you tell them to stop it, the transfer occurs within 5 days. It can occur sooner if you or current registrar confirms the transfer before 5 days, however registrar confirmations and approval times vary. If they fail to respond, the domain transfer occurs by default 5 days after registry request.
If successful domain transfer, our system receives domain, your credit card is charged, and the transferred domain is placed into your WDBC account. You will then see the following statement in WHOIS record for domain name:
```
Domain Services Provided By:
         Web Design by Cookie (WDBC)
         http://domains.wdbc.com
   			
```

Submit a Domain Transfer Request

Made all appropriate adjustments? Submit an Inter-registrar domain transfer. It takes 5-7 days for a transfer to time out if you don't receive the transfer e-mail we send and authorize the Internet domain transfer. We cannot terminate a domain registrar transfer once an administrative contact authorizes it. Your credit card is charged only upon successful transfer. Progress can be monitored (and transfer messages resent) at our Registrar Transfer Status page.

Remember, authorize the transfer via email and check registrar transfer status page often to avoid processing delays.

Enter a domain name you would like to transfer (please do not include http://www). Domains must already be registered with another registrar and be valid domain names. Eligible domain extensions for inbound transfer include .COM, .NET, .ORG, .INFO, .BIZ, .US, .MOBI, .BZ, .CN, .HN, .SC, and .VC.

Domain Name: