Transferring Yahoo! Domain

[kashif]

Can someone tell me how can I transfer my domain registered with Yahoo! to Godaddy? I heard that Yahoo! does not allow such transfer, is it correct?

 

[Chef Patrick]

this should answer all of your questions.

https://products.secureserver.net/guides/transfer_domain_yahoo.pdf

 

[Ms Domainer]

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Can someone tell me how can I transfer my domain registered with Yahoo! to Godaddy? I heard that Yahoo! does not allow such transfer, is it correct?

According to ICANN, registrars are required to allow for the transfer of a domain, unless you are leasing it (for example, .tv premiums). But they don't have to make it easy for you.

With Yahoo! be prepared to jump through hoops. Theoretically, you should be able to unlock your domain and acquire your auth code directly from your Yahoo! user panel.

However, Yahoo! is in the middle of a major meltdown, and their functions are often offline, so you will probably need to call the customer no-service department: 800-318-0783.

After about an hour on hold, you will be connected to a rep who is 12 time zones away, who speaks barely passable English, and who will have to confer with his manager for just about every question you ask.

He will then tell you that you will need to cancel your service before you can unlock your domain and acquire your auth code, but DON'T DO IT. If you cancel your service, YOU WILL LOSE THE DOMAIN. Canceling your domain will result in your domain being released into the registry, no matter how much time you have left on it.

Instead, get aggressive and tell the rep that you need only three actions from him: to unlock the effin', domain, give you the auth code, and the case number for this particular transaction.

Once you have the auth code, go ahead and start the transfer process at GoDaddy. You will know if your domain is still locked because GoDaddy will let you know that they cannot proceed. (In that case, you'll have to call and do battle with Yahoo!again, I'm afraid.)

The transfer will take anywhere from 2-5 days. Once the transfer is complete, GoDaddy will let you know via email. Verify by actually checking your GoDaddy panel.

Then check your name servers panel and make sure that your name servers are set to domaincontrol (or your hosting company, which is, hopefully, not Yahoo!) and not Yahoo's.

Your next step is VERY important: Once your domain is safely in the hands of your new registrar, you will need to go back to your Yahoo! account and CANCEL your service. Otherwise, at your old renewal time, you WILL BE CHARGED $35.00 for a domain Yahoo! no longer controls. Once they have their greedy hands on your money, they will NOT give it back. So bite the bullet and do this immediately, before you forget and end up with a nasty surprise.

If you're lucky, you will be able to cancel from your Yahoo! panel. But, alas, if you can't, it's another call to customer no-service (and another hour on hold).

Just be glad you're disengaging from this nasty company--they are, by far, THE worst business I have EVER dealt with.

I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone.

Good luck!

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[napa]

Good instructions from Ms Domainer, Yahoo is a hassle.

 

[matthew462675]

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He will then tell you that you will need to cancel your service before you can unlock your domain and acquire your auth code, but DON'T DO IT. If you cancel your service, YOU WILL LOSE THE DOMAIN. Canceling your domain will result in your domain being released into the registry, no matter how much time you have left on it.
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Wow! Yahoo has changed since I last did business with them a year ago. They were able to retrieve the authorization code for a domain I canceled, but still had reg time left.

 

[Ms Domainer]

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Last year, I transferred 250 domains from Yahoo for two reasons: cost and flexibility.

One of their nasty customer no-service managers informed me that according to their TOS, domain owners were not allowed to resell domains, that that was THEIR job. So I immediately started the transfer process. It was just a business decision on my part, and I still had hosting through Yahoo. I was not happy having to do this, but I was pleasant about it.

At that time, the transfer process was relatively easy; I had access to my panel and was able to retrieve my auth codes and unlock the domains.

I transferred all but one domain (the one hosted through Yahoo).

However, one transferred "shadow" domain remained in my account, and I couldn't get rid of it, no matter how many times I tried. I then forgot about it.

Around "renewal" I get this email saying that Yahoo would be charging my card $34.95 for renewal. I got on the horn, where I was placed on hold for 40 minutes. Once on the line with a rep, he kept insisting that the domain was in my account and that I would have to pay the fee. I said, "Check the Whois--you'll see that it's at another registrar."

He had to confer with his manager, who came on the line. I had to explain it all over again. She insisted that since the domain was showing in my account I would have to pay the renewal (???).

After much arguing back and forth, they finally got the domain out of my account, but they all acted as if it were somehow my fault that there were glitches in their system.

January 2008. Yahoo changed its hosting platform to something that is absolutely archaic and ruinous. Most of my pages already online ended up garbled, with missing files and pictures and strange symbols. I could not fix the existing pages or upload new pages, no matter what instructions I followed. The tool just didn't work for me. In essence, they took a streamlined and easy platform and complicated it to the point where a user would need a degree in computer science to figure it out. So I decided to cancel my hosting plan (which I had since 2001).

Okay, so I call to cancel; the first thing the rep does is try to upsell my service and try to convince me how "wonderful" the "new" Yahoo was going to be in a few months (as if that would explain why it sucks now). Now, I'm not in the mood to discuss any future sales--I just want to cancel.

But I wanted to keep my domain name (which, BTW, was supposed to be part of the hosting monthly fee, but, in fact, I was being charged $35.00 a year--yes, I should have been paying closer attention to my bill--water under the bridge). Somehow, hosting and domain name were intertwined, so a huge to-do was put into motion as rep and manager worked on this problem. To make a long story short, I had to renew my domain for another year (why, I don't know), but I made sure it was at the $9.99 rate (this was shortly before the big increase).

Fast forward to about three weeks ago. I decided it was time to transfer the domain (not due to expire until 2010, but I wanted to do this while this is still fresh in my mind). What I described in my last post is what actually transpired: Hour on hold and a rep who had no idea what to do; he couldn't get my domain locking and auth code panel to come up either. A TWO-HOUR ordeal!

Here's another suggestion: NEVER do business with companies who automatically bill your credit card and who do not offer the option of renewing service manually. Extricating yourself from automatic billing will cause you headaches.

Years ago, on some old Yahoo email accounts I "upgraded" (big mistake), I put two credit cards on file. Both expired in 2004, and I never updated the info. But guess what? They continued to charge me. Someohow, they were able to get my current info and use it. I have tried to cancel my service, but when I go online and try, all I get is a blank page.

Now I'm going to have to call again and battle with these idiots, but then this will be it.

Take my advice, don't do business with these sharks, and if you already do, CHECK your cc statements CAREFULLY.

I swear this true story is NOT an exaggeration.

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[kashif]

@Ms Domainer & Chef Patrick :
Thank you for your instructional tutorial and pdf guide. My domain has more than 5 months left in expiry. I will start this process soon.

 

[kashif]

As per your advice, I have initiated domain transfer. I have successfully completed 1st phase i.e. unlocking domain, getting Auth Code and providing required info to GoDaddy. Now in my control panel I am showing following:

Status: Pending Current Registrar Approval
Recommended Action: Accept transfer at current registrar


How much time will Yahoo! take to release this domain? Can Yahoo! reject this transfer? If it reject, what shall I have to do?

 

[himiZ]

8-X
agreewithu

 

[inway]

Its very simple. Get the Auth Code from Yahoo and Transfer to any registrar

 

[kashif]

I have successfully unlocked domain, got Auth Code and provided required info to GoDaddy. Now in my control panel I am showing following:

Status: Pending Current Registrar Approval
Recommended Action: Accept transfer at current registrar


Now my questions are:
1. How much time will Yahoo! take to release this domain?
2. Can Yahoo! reject this transfer?
3. If Yahoo! rejects this transfer, what shall I have to do?

 

[Ms Domainer]

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Standard message from GoDaddy.

It looks like your transfer will go through, probably withinn 3-5 days.

If not, you'll have to call Yahoo and GoDaddy.

Once your transfer has been completed (domain safely tucked into your GoDaddy account), don't forget to cancel it at Yahoo; otherwise you'll be charged for a domain they no longer control.

Good luck!

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