question Domain in my name, but in another account. What rights do I have?

[draco]

I purchased a .ai domain. The Registrar has a two step process for moving the domain to another account. The owner has to first change the Registrant information to mine, which they did. So, I'm listed as the Registrant for the domain.

They're then supposed to contact the Registrar and request the domain be moved from their account to mine. They haven't done that, and they have stopped responding to my messages. The platform I bought the domain on has also not been able to contact them.

Is there any way for me to legally take possession of the domain, other than a lawsuit?

A support agent from the Registrar told me I could do an account recovery and specify I just want the domain. But I'm concerned about the Seller claiming I tried to hack their account and that I stole the domain.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[alcy]

what's the damage?

 

[alcy]

is this alsays the process?
then its bad if can be so easily hacked and corrupted no?

but yet I never heard of such corruptions. why?


or this process is for .ai only on this registrar? if so then the registrar is corrupt for allowing such easily corruptible processes.

therefore u must force registrar to fix their corruption and dumb process.
until they do.

u can decide if u may want to threaten registrar lawsuit... for easily corruptible processes supported by them. which lead to such dumb trrible situation as this.

 

[draco]

what's the damage?

I'm just trying to see if there's a legal way to take possession of the domain without a lawsuit. The money is held in escrow by the sale platform, so I'll get that back if I don't get the domain.

It's just this Registrar's difficult process. I've purchased other .ai domains elsewhere and it was a simple push.

The domain isn't worth the expense of a lawsuit.

 

[alcy]

I'm just trying to see if there's a legal way to take possession of the domain without a lawsuit. The money is held in escrow by the sale platform, so I'll get that back if I don't get the domain.

It's just this Registrar's difficult process. I've purchased other .ai domains elsewhere and it was a simple push.

The domain isn't worth the expense of a lawsuit.

ah ok

well u know.. I meant how much about.. see if worth lawsuit and all..

 

[jberryhill]

I purchased a .ai domain.

The process seems a little hazy. You paid someone money before they transferred a domain?

 

[draco]

The process seems a little hazy. You paid someone money before they transferred a domain?

The money is in escrow on the domain sale platform. If the Seller doesn't complete the move / transfer, I'll get my money back. But I'd prefer the domain.

 

[jberryhill]

But I'd prefer the domain.

Everyone wishes for something. I could use some warmer weather.

You might want to look any of the applicable platform terms with which the seller is supposed to comply, and see if you can get any traction that way.

 

[alcy]

so u get money back

not bad

Seem to me u left the most crucial part of fact untold

I was slowly tearing for u

 

[draco]

Everyone wishes for something. I could use some warmer weather.

You might want to look any of the applicable platform terms with which the seller is supposed to comply, and see if you can get any traction that way.

I'm in Minnesota. Tell me about it.

The sales platform can't do anything. They're escalating the issue to management. Based on previous experience, all they can do is suspend the seller and refund my money.

The Registrar's change of registrant agreement mentions the confirmation email. It doesn't say anything about the additional step to move the domain after the registrant has been changed. They did change the registrant. I guess technically they met the agreement terms. The stupidity of it aside.

I've reached out to the head of domains and the head of legal at the Registrar on LinkedIn. Maybe they can help.

I was wondering if there was some policy that actually governed this situation.

 

[nicenic]

You might try documenting the registrant change and asking the registry to validate control based on that.

 

[vincew]

You might try documenting the registrant change and asking the registry to validate control based on that.

Yeah.

draco, if you're the registrant and all the contact info is yours then you're the owner. Kinda strange situation. I'd tell your registrar that you're the owner (show them screenshots) and tell them to put the domain in your account.

I'd also tell them that you're the only person who can legally change the contact info from what it is now, no one else can do so.

 

[jberryhill]

I'd tell your registrar that you're the owner (show them screenshots) and tell them to put the domain in your account.

Can you imagine what it would be like if registrars actually did that?

How would you propose to "tell your registrar you're the owner?"

As a practical matter, there is not a registrar on this planet who is going to move a domain name from one account to another account on the basis of someone telling them "I'm the registrant of that name" through any channel other than logging into the account and authorizing a transfer.

Because if registrars actually did that, then that's all they would get, all day long, is emails saying "I'm the registrant of xxxx, please move it to my account." And, sure, the emails would include pictures of government ID's which the registrar can't verify and all kinds of "proof" they are really the registrant.

 

[draco]

Can you imagine what it would be like if registrars actually did that?

How would you propose to "tell your registrar you're the owner?"

As a practical matter, there is not a registrar on this planet who is going to move a domain name from one account to another account on the basis of someone telling them "I'm the registrant of that name" through any channel other than logging into the account and authorizing a transfer.

Because if registrars actually did that, then that's all they would get, all day long, is emails saying "I'm the registrant of xxxx, please move it to my account." And, sure, the emails would include pictures of government ID's which the registrar can't verify and all kinds of "proof" they are really the registrant.

Even if I'm actually listed as the registrant?

I did hear from the Registrar. They asked me to send a copy of my government ID and another photo of me holding it.

Before I could send it, the Seller actually told the Registrar to move the domain to my account. I don't know if it had anything to do with me contacting the Registrar (I did tell him). But I finally have the domain!

 

[Future Sensors]

Congrats @draco

 

[jberryhill]

the Seller actually told the Registrar to move the domain to my account.

...which was the end of it.

No, I don't want my registrar to move domain names out of my account merely because someone sends them an easily-faked photograph of someone holding a government ID and saying they are me.

So, a bunch of people you don't know within the registrar now have access to a picture of your ID and a picture of you holding it. In the event their system is ever compromised, then a whole lot of other people will have a picture of your ID and a picture of you holding it. If the standard for proving identity is "Here's a picture of my ID and a picture of me holding it," then in the future how would you distinguish between yourself or anyone else who can also provide a picture of your ID and you holding it?

 

[vincew]

Can you imagine what it would be like if registrars actually did that?

How would you propose to "tell your registrar you're the owner?"

As a practical matter, there is not a registrar on this planet who is going to move a domain name from one account to another account on the basis of someone telling them "I'm the registrant of that name" through any channel other than logging into the account and authorizing a transfer.

Because if registrars actually did that, then that's all they would get, all day long, is emails saying "I'm the registrant of xxxx, please move it to my account." And, sure, the emails would include pictures of government ID's which the registrar can't verify and all kinds of "proof" they are really the registrant.

Yes I can imagine his registrar actually doing that. Apparently only his contact info was in the whois data. It doesn't matter if every Tom, Dick, and Mary sent fake IDs to the registrar - only he had the correct email address and phone number.

Of course, if his contact info was not the info on record then that's a totally different story.

 

[vincew]

Congrats draco!