Should I insist on Domain Certificate?

[cj550]

I've had a web site designed my a small web design company( two people). I need to pay £100.00 per year to host the site. When I asked for the Domain Certificate I was told dont worry they look after all that?

But surely if I dont have the certificate then I have no proof that the site belongs to me? If the web design business closes or perish the thought if the two people who run it die in a car crash- how will I be able to renew the Domain name, I dont even know where it is registered? any thoughts appreciated

 

[RJ]

Yes, your mistake was in having your design company be responsible for your domain registration.

You really should insist on taking control of the domain, and perhaps even transferring the registration to your preferred registrar. I'm not sure what you mean by 'Domain Certificate', but the domain name should show your information in the WHOIS.

You can find out where it is registered and in who's name by checking the WHOIS. This depends on what TLD the domain is (.co.uk or .com?) but you might try a public whois system like www.iwhois.com to check.

I have heard countless horror stories of web designers and hosts holding a domain name hostage when they go out of business, or when their client decides to go with another hosting or design provider. If the domain was registered in their name and not yours, there is not much you can do to recover the domain.

 

[Kate]

I've had a web site designed my a small web design company( two people). I need to pay £100.00 per year to host the site. When I asked for the Domain Certificate I was told dont worry they look after all that?

But surely if I dont have the certificate then I have no proof that the site belongs to me? If the web design business closes or perish the thought if the two people who run it die in a car crash- how will I be able to renew the Domain name, I dont even know where it is registered? any thoughts appreciated

Hello, not sure what you mean by 'domain certificate', well maybe you are talking about a country domain like .at or .co.uk. There is no such thing for .com etc.
First check in the whois that the domain was registered under your name. You can find the registrar as well.
I think it is a good idea that you keep control of the domain, unless you trust that company. Of course nobody lives forever so make sure you have your own plans as well in case of accident etc. Leave a list somewhere.
I've helped clients recover their domains which were held hostage by their ISP etc. It's not fun

 

[cj550]

Domain Registration

Thanks for that info- I've looked into my site registration through WHOIS and it turns out my site is registered to the home address of one of the partners in the Web Design company. I am now going to get this sorted but not sure how to go about it.
I'm going to get the Domain put in my name and address, but will this effect the 'host', 'server' that has been set up for the domain name- (sorry i dont know much about the background to websites)

Can the website company replace their details with my details or should I ask them to delete the domain account- and should I set up my own.

If the company says they cant do this were do I stand? The site has been created but no money has changed hands and nothing has been signed - but I'm very happy with the website! Also they have offered me a software package to be able to make small changes to my site for £50.00(one off charge)- should I, maybe I can get it free on the net?

Any further info greatly appreciated

 

[RJ]

Ownership change of a domain name does not effect the host or server that is setup for the domain name. Whoever controls the domain can specify what nameservers the domain uses. This information is provided by your host.

For example, NamePros.com domain uses dns1.name-services.com and dns2.name-services.com

It's unlikely they can delete the domain name for you to re-register it. They can however push the name to you. That process and cost varies at each different registrar. If you told me where it was registered at (according to WHOIS) I can be more specific.

 

[cj550]

Thanks for that Ron, here is the info-

' Registration Service Provided By: Vibus.net
Contact: domainsvibus.net
Visit: http://vibus.net/'

is that what you were looking for?

all the best

 

[Kate]

Thanks for that info- I've looked into my site registration through WHOIS and it turns out my site is registered to the home address of one of the partners in the Web Design company. I am now going to get this sorted but not sure how to go about it.

That sucks. They should correct this, the domain is not their property but they are doing as if.
It's one good reason to regain control of your domain name.

Thanks for that Ron, here is the info-

' Registration Service Provided By: Vibus.net
Contact: domainsvibus.net
Visit: http://vibus.net/'

is that what you were looking for?

all the best

Vibus is probably a reseller for a certain registrar.
You can use this tool to find who the upstream registrar is:
http://www.internic.net/whois.html

 

[RJ]

The "Registration Service Provided By:" looks like they are probably an eNom reseller. The WHOIS might make mention of eNom as well, but if not, you can ask them if they are.

eNom ownership transfer is super easy. You just need an eNom account of your own, then ask them to push the domain to your eNom username.

You can create your own eNom account here,
http://www.namepros.com/enomsignup.php

Once the domain is in your own account, it will be safely under your control forever (as long as your renew).

RJ

 

[cj550]

Great info again Ron, I've set up an eNom account- does the person who currently has my website registered in their name also need to set up an eNom account? I've looked into it and as far as I can make out I have to spend at least $200.00 to buy a domain name on eNom (www.enomcentral.com) - is this correct? Could you let me know how to make an eNom ownership transfer? thanks

 

[RJ]

If my guess is correct, the person who has your domain name already has an eNom account. (You can PM me with the domain name, and I can tell you for sure.)

What's this $200 minimum? If you used the link I gave in the post above to create an account, you can register a domain with eNom for only $8.88. And it doesn't cost anything to push a domain to another eNom account.

 

[JBebbington]

Ok,

what you have to do is create a free enom account at enom central. Tell them your username and ask them to push the domain on transfer of the funds. They are not going to want to lose out on cash for all of the hours of work they have put in, so you should ask to make it a condition of sale that you will only pay if you get the domain transferred.

 

[THE KOALA]

hullo?

Hi, sorry am new here, just looking for work really, can someone explain what this whole conversations about as i dont understand?

thanks
koala