registrars ICANN shuts down Alpnames domain name registrar

[aliweb]

Domain name overseer ICANN has shut down registrar Alpnames after the registrar seemingly went dark.

I received an email from a customer about a week ago complaining about not being able to log in to his account. Kevin Murphy at DomainIncite has done a good job tracking the situation at Alpnames.

The termination will be a good test of the mechanisms ICANN put in place after RegisterFly was shuttered many years ago. Yes, other registrars have been terminated, but Alpnames is fairly large in terms of domains under management. It is the ninth-largest registrar for new top level domain names. At one point it had some common ownership with Famous Four Media, which offered its domains at cut-rate prices.

It was also shut down without warning.

Let’s hope that Alpnames was properly escrowing its domain ownership data.

Just last year in February, the company put out a press release stating that “Iain Roache has increased his ownership of AlpNames a leading domain registrar and web hosting company by acquiring a further 20% of the Company’s share capital for a consideration (including combined costs) of £3.9 million with a view to growing the business into a Tier 1 registrar.”

That didn’t work out.

The demise of Alpnames is another reminder to choose a domain name registrar you trust to be in it for the long haul.

https://domainnamewire.com/2019/03/14/icann-shuts-down-alpnames-domain-name-registrar/

 

[ET76]

AlpNames domain names are being transferred to Moniker.

https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/bulk-transfers-2017-10-06-en

Yup, and I just got email from Moniker about an hour ago

 

[ET76]

Part of the process is arranging the transfer of the names into our management. Please be assured that we are working closely with the relevant domain registries to restore access to the domains as quickly as possible. We ask customers for their patience as we complete this process, we will only be creating the customer accounts once the domains have been transferred. Customers that own ccTLDs with Alpnames and require assistance in accessing and transferring these names please get in contact.

We will send a further email shortly with information on how to access your account at www.moniker.com, where all domains previously managed via Alpnames will be migrated.

A dedicated email address, [email protected] has been set up, where our support team can assist you. Our team will also be present on forums and blogs to answer questions.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Thanks @ET76 so that seems to say Moniker will also handle the country code names (I doubt many were at Alpnames, but don't know).

 

[ET76]

@Bob Hawkes I guess so and they will split between three registrar (to their own group) for this case. I already have an account with Moniker and DD24. If they creating and transfer to my new account I will simply push all domains to my previous account. I like DD24 and Moniker, their GUI are user friendly and very easy to manage.

As you may be aware ICANN has made the decision to de-accredit Alpnames as a registrar and has ordered the transfer of Alpnames gTLD portfolio to the CentralNIC Registrar Group, with the domains to be split between three of its ICANN accredited Registrars – Key-Systems GmbH, Key-Systems LLC and Moniker Online Services, LLC

 

[Jv1999]

I had 2 domains at alpnames ^_^. finally I've gotten an email from Moniker telling me the last one was safely in their clutches.

Looks like the alpnames fiasco turned out not to be as bad as it would've been!

Every1 telling ppl to fear "shady" registrars -- oh well! Trust the system. If it fails, ICANN is there.

jk, it's still scary. But I think some of us got lucky. Ppl with expired domains... I hope ICANN figures out what to do with that :/

 

[Jv1999]

IS ALPNAMES BAQ?? Just got this email


AlpNames Limited,



Your orders are expiring soon.
Renew them now.


Some of your orders are expiring soon (or have already expired.) Please renew them before they are deleted to avoid loss of data.


Order ID Product Expiry Date Deletion Date
82332759 Domain Registration
Domain: hey.taxi May 24, 2019
41 days left. June 29, 2019
77 days left.

 

[exyzed]

I am receiving emails about my expiring domain name from Both Alpnames and Moniker.
From where should I attempt to transfer/renew?

 

[Bob Hawkes]

I am receiving emails about my expiring domain name from Both Alpnames and Moniker.
From where should I attempt to transfer/renew?

Moniker. The Alpnames system seems to be sending automated messages as though they were still in operation, I get them regularly too. If you use Whois it will confirm who registrar is (i.e. If transferred will show Key Systems or Moniker).
Bob

PS While most of mine bulk transferred some time ago, I still have some .top it seems not transferred. Is that so for others?

 

[Jv1999]

I am receiving emails about my expiring domain name from Both Alpnames and Moniker.
From where should I attempt to transfer/renew?

Moniker.