Domain name ownership

[fishstick]

Need help with domain name (website) ownership issue

I currently have a online business which I run in Thailand, I run this business from 6 websites. All the websites were built for me by a Thai website builder who also registered the domain names from me. (he renews the domain registration for me each year) Most of these sites have been running for more than 7 years

My issue is that if this website builder disappeared or met an untimely death in a motorbike accident. What will happen to these domains? I guess I will not be in any position to claim them! If so what do I need to ask my website builder to do to protect me from such a circumstance?

I am not worried about the content of the website as I do have copies of the website downloaded on my hard drive. I also know that it will not be a big issue setting the websites up on a new domain but the main success of my business is due to the ranking of the current domain names on Google search and other search engines for very strong key words.

Any help or advice will be very appreciated.

[Farma]

The EPP password already sent to you is what you need to transfer your domain to a different registrar.

This process needs to be initiated from the gaining registrar.

This is what I received from my domain registrar when my web provider went bankrupt a couple of years ago.

I contacted the registrar when problems occurred. The process to change providers took a couple of days.

[finy]

You desperately need him to give you the domain names.

As you said, content is nothing because of backups.

The domain names are everything, but I suspect you'll need to give him some 'cash'.

If you get an account with the same domain name provider he can push them over to you and you can lock them in.

You can also get them sent to another domain name provider and I'd go with someone like Moniker or NameCheap.

[Farma]

You desperately need him to give you the domain names.

That's what I discovered when I had my problem. My bankrupt host had control of my domain name. I then took control of it and retain ownership via the registrar.

[finy]

You desperately need him to give you the domain names.

That's what I discovered when I had my problem. My bankrupt host had control of my domain name. I then took control of it and retain ownership via the registrar.

It's not just about a bankrupt host.

The guy literally has him by the balls and whether he realizes it or not the website builder actually owns his business.

The website builder could easily turn around and say give me 100K or your websites are gone.

But yeah, if you're worried about hosts go with Moniker because they're ICANN registered and your domain names will be safe. You can even add extra security with Moniker so someone would need your personal details (passport), a phone call answering personal questions you set, and absolute proof it's you.

It's too easy for someone to hack into somewhere like GoDaddy and transfer your domain, so don't let it happen if you value your business.

[stoli]

You have kind of lost me on this one. It takes about 4 minutes, at the start, to select a domain name, and have it registered to you. How you checked WHOIS? This will tell you if the domain, as it should be, is on your name. You need to find out if you, or someone else, owns your domain. Go to GoDaddy.com, and check their WHOIS. It will tell you who owns it. Hopefully, you do.... Good luck.

[PhilsterBKK]

You have kind of lost me on this one. It takes about 4 minutes, at the start, to select a domain name, and have it registered to you. How you checked WHOIS? This will tell you if the domain, as it should be, is on your name. You need to find out if you, or someone else, owns your domain. Go to GoDaddy.com, and check their WHOIS. It will tell you who owns it. Hopefully, you do.... Good luck.

Yes, relax and slow down a bit. Stoli is correct. The ownership of domains is public knowledge. You can also go to whois.net and look them up too ...

[Farma]

What I discovered was the domain was registered in my name. You have the main registrar controlling domain names. The host company I bought my domain through was a reseller.

This is where things got complicated. The host company organised and controlled everything even though my domain showed as registered to me.

My host company didn't give me the control password to the actual domain. The host company only gave me access to my domain through them.

When the host company went bankrupt I had no access to my domain. I had to research and contact the domain registrar explaining the situation. The registrar then gave me the main domain access password which allowed me to take control and move the hosting to another company. Prior to that happening I had no real control over my domain even though it appeared as if I did.

As finy suggests he needs to get direct control over the domain as he may be in a situation where the host company may demand payment before allowing him to change hosts.

[finy]

Also, don't forget the site builder doesn't actually need control of your domain names.

As long as your domain names (in your personal domian registrar account) DNS are pointing to your hosting account the website builder will be able to do everything he needs.

If you're lucky he maybe just controls your domain names to save you hassle and so he looks like he is providing more value for what you're paying him. Some builders will offer a complete package because it makes things easier for non-tech people to just concentrate on their business.

But set up your own account and get him to transfer them over to you asap.

I'm not sure I agree with the people above mentioning WHOIS.

Sure, your name might be the one registered on the account and it will show up in WHOIS (if domain privacy hasn't been added), but this doesn't mean you own the names unless they're physically in your own account.

At the end of the day you might end up with the names back after a lengthy legal battle because you do actually run the websites, but the builder could shut down your sites while this is all taking place.

I'm not trying to scare you by the way (well I guess I kind of am), but I just want you to transfer the names to your own account so you don't end up getting screwed in future.

[SheungWan]

OK, this is what you do.

You find out which registrar is being used by the developer to register your names.

You open an account with that registrar in your own name.

The developer than transfers the names to your account. There should be no cost involved.

At some later stage afterwards you might transfer the name to Namecheap.com who are inexpensive and efficient.

[fishstick]

So if I am the registered owner under the ICANN register I should not have a problem?

I called my website builder today and my name, company name, email address, telephone number already appears on the ICANN register for some of my sites but there are still 2 which are not. He said he will change the registration today.

This raises another question. If my website guy can change the registration from him to me what can stop him changing it back?

Thanks for the advice so far! any further info or advice would be appreciated.

[finy]

Listen to what the last guy posted above your comment.

You actually need the domain names sitting in your account.

It's not about your name being on the registar. It's about who has access to them.

[SheungWan]

If you transfer the names to your own account you need to bear in mind that there are certain domain name settings that need to be attended to on the registrar's site and if you are not knowledgeable of how this works then you are stopping the developer do his job in the fastest way possible, so it may be better to lets things be. I might be more concerned if the domain name had some resaleable value eg ABC.com but I am assuming not in this case. One recommendation I would make is to keep the domain name registration separate from the hosting service. It can make a difference if you want to change hosting. The other is never use 1and1.com for either name registration or hosting.