Trying to untangle the web

How to I gain control of my name?

[Robin_reala]

So, history. Back in 2002 I registered a name and bought hosting through a small UK hosting company <snip>) that I subsequently left due to a combination of a cracking attack and near-nonexistent customer service. Moving hosting was fine but moving the name a different matter. I ended up paying them some cash upfront to move my name; unfortunately it transpired that all I was paying for was the ability to manually admin some parts of my name (i.e. the nameservers it points to and the registrant information). This administration is done directly on the site they buy their name services from (onlinenic.com).

Now, it's past time to renew my name but mail to <hosting company> is bouncing and their telephone drops through to an answering machine. I've just sent a mail to Onlinenic in the hope of resolving the matter with them directly and I'm going to open a support call with host, but based on past experience I'm not very hopeful of either method working. What I'd really like to do is move my name the a reputable third party that's not connected to either my current hosts or host/Onlinenic. Has anyone got any ideas on how to forcibly remove my own name from a host/registrar that won't talk to me?

[edited by: Webwork at 2:02 am (utc) on July 18, 2006]
[edit reason]
[1][edit reason] Charter [webmasterworld.com] [/edit] [/edit][/1]

[unperturbed]

If it's a .co.uk try [nominet.org.uk...]

[Robin_reala]

It's a .net, otherwise I would have gone to them already.

[cerebrum]

Just open the domain lock and order a domain transfer from godaddy or any other registrar. See that your email is listed as administrative contact and you are done!

[wmuser]

Do you have control over domain admin info/domain lock/unlock?

Even if you dont have it you can contact OnlineNIC directly and most likely that they will let you manage the situation.

Once you take control over your domain you could move to a third party registrar,OnlineNIC was a reliable company some time ago untell they have made changes into their support and then had a support team which has messed things up

[Robin_reala]

wmuser: nope, no control over admin info and locking. Mail to Onlinenic is going unanswered (because I don't technically have an account with them?) and still no reply from <host>...

[edited by: Webwork at 2:00 am (utc) on July 18, 2006]
[edit reason]
[1][edit reason] Tidying up. Please, no hosting drops out here. [/edit] [/edit][/1]

[Robin_reala]

Slight turn up for the books - turns out I'd misread the info and I do have control over the admin information, just not the registrant info. Doesn't help me in terms of not being able to contact people though. I had a sticky advising me that I sign up for an account with Onlinenic and get them to transfer the domain to that one, but that seems to require sending over credit card information and filling out postal forms. That's a route I'll go down if I have to, but before I do that is anyone reasonably friendly with Onlinenic and could send them a quick email asking them how it would be best for me to contact them? Thanks.

[stu2]

Cerebrum has given you the correct advice if you have control over the domain. Just make sure the Admin Contact email address is yours and working. If not change it to one that works. Also unlock the domain. Then go to your registrar of choice and request a transfer of the domain to your account at that registrar.

[Robin_reala]

Thanks stu2, I did this last night by signing up with Moniker and actioning a transfer. As far as I can tell the domain isn't locked to my current domain admin so here's hoping this goes through.

[Robin_reala]

Guys, thanks so much for all the advice :) My domain is now adminned by Moniker and hopefully I can look forwards to no more problems!

[stu2]

It's good to see that sometimes things turn out for the good. Congrats!