Domain Name Transfers ...

What does transferring mean?

You may not even know who or what your domain name registrar does for you.  Your registrar is responsible for protecting your domain name.  They also ensure that you, and ONLY you have access to make changes to your domain name.  Transferring your domain name means that a new registrar takes over the protection and control of your domain name access.  

Why transfer?

Two reasons: cost and simplicity.  The cost to maintain an annual registrar relationship can be as high as $50/year.  Using our registrar allows you to take advantage of volume pricing - taking the annual cost down to $25/year.  While the cost benefit is important, especially over a few years, the real reason to transfer is for simplicity.  We will "hold your hand" through the transfer process.  We will allow you to specify the authorizing email address, OR we will provide (for free) a unique email address that will not expire, move, or otherwise become inaccessible.  We also monitor the domain expiration date and make sure that we receive a positive response from you when expiration notices are delivered.    

What is an authorizing email address?   

When you originally selected your domain name you provided your current email address.  Probably unknown to you at the time was the importance that this email address would play.  In order to make ANY changes to your domain, like pointing your domain to a new website, changing the authorized email address or setting up new email accounts, you MUST be able to receive and send email from your authorizing email address.  If you've cancelled your email account, your ISP has gone out of business or changed your email address, this becomes impossible.  

What happens during a transfer?

Transferring your domain requires two separate approval processes.  The first request, sent to your authorizing email address, asks for your approval to begin the transfer process.  This message comes from dotregistrar.com, our registrar and protects them against unauthorized transfers.  You must reply to this message within 24 hours after receipt, or they will assume the transfer request is denied.  The second request will come from your current registrar.  Sometimes this is in the form of an email message that you reply to, sometimes it is an email with a web link attached.  In either case, you are authorizing your current registrar to "give up" your domain name.  This request also is time sensitive and should be approved within 24 hours.