Help! Administrative contact won't cooperate

[dirigible]

Hi, I use my domain name for professional email and my professional website. I advertise these on business cards, yellow pages, etc. Accordingly, I need to protect the domain name. Professional and financial ruin is the worst case scenario.

I originally registered my domain name through a local mom and pop dialup ISP, who in turn registered it through tucows.com. Originally the ISP hosted the website and email. The old ISP became unreliable and seemed to be going broke, so I moved the website and email to a new host. I closed my account with the old ISP.

The "technical contact" and "administrative contact" remain with the old ISP. My "registrant address" is obsolete. I want to change it to my current address.

The old ISP allowed my registration to expire. They didn't notify me. They did renew it, thank God.

I have repeatedly asked the old ISP to change the "technical contact" and "administrative contact" information to the new host, and to update my "registrant address." They are unresponsive.

The new web and email host says they are powerless to help, unless the old ISP cooperates.

Because I advertise my email and website I cannot change domain names, except gradually, over a period of years. Also, my domain name is about the same as my professional name. I.e., www.doctor<my first and last name>.com

What recourse do I have?

Thanks in advance.

Tim

 

[flamewalker]

Sounds like you might need to get a lawyer involved in this mess :/

 

[Kate]

If you had access to the admin E-mail you would be able to transfer the domain and regain control of it. Everybody should be in control... never rely on a webhost or some other party.
Perhaps you can try to negotiate with tucows submitting proof of identity so they will demote the non-cooperative contact. Good luck.

 

[dirigible]

Thanks Flamewalker and sdsinc

Anybody else?

Tim

 

[weblord]

what method have you used to reach your old isp admin and tech contact? i advise that you drop by personally to your old isp's office and meet in person with those 2 persons to change it to your current email, bring along id and proofs that you're the owner of the said domain.