| Let me ask you some questions that may sound | | | | submit a hosting transfer request and your technical |
| "obvious" but can have downright scary answers. Did | | | | contact (not you - someone at the business you got |
| you buy your domain name from a service? Do you | | | | your domain name from) does not respond to the |
| know who is in control of your domain name? Have | | | | message? Your domain name is trapped! Worse case |
| you done a "Whois" search to find out? The answer | | | | scenario
your site is down for days or weeks |
| may very well shock you! | | | | because your Web site lives at one place, and your |
| Buying a domain name is a very easy thing to do. But | | | | domain name lives somewhere else. |
| if you buy a domain name without any knowledge of | | | | And finally, the billing contact. At some point it will be |
| "ownership" vs. "control", you could very well be | | | | time to renew your domain name registration. Most |
| headed down a bumpy road. | | | | registrars send a notice to the billing contact 30 days |
| Unfortunately, most Web site owners are unaware | | | | before the payment is due. For whatever reason, the |
| that "ownership" does not equate to "control." Just | | | | person listed as the billing contact does not contact |
| because you paid for your domain name does not | | | | you about the renewal. You just lost your domain |
| mean you have access or authority to make | | | | name due to expiration! |
| changes, transfers or other necessary functions. But | | | | Your Domain Name Is Being Held Hostage |
| if not you - the owner - who does? | | | | When a domain name registration company forces |
| There are 4 components to a domain name: | | | | itself into the contact fields of your registration |
| 1.Registrant: you - the person who registered the | | | | records, it's commonly know as being "held hostage." |
| domain name | | | | I personally know of countless horror stories of |
| 2.Billing Contact: could be anyone | | | | online business owners who have fought tirelessly to |
| 3.Technical Contact: could be anyone | | | | "free" their domain names and regain control. They |
| 4.Administrative Contact: could be anyone | | | | will be glad to tell you the woes of losing control of |
| The registrant is you. You might assume that items | | | | your URL. So what do you do about it? How do you |
| two, three and four are also you. A natural | | | | get back full control of your business? |
| assumption. Guess what
most of the time they | | | | Steps To Take |
| are not! THIS is where you get into trouble. | | | | Make sure when you register a domain name that |
| Who's In Control? | | | | the registrant, administrative, technical and billing |
| So whose names are listed in the "control" spots? | | | | contacts are in your name. Just as soon as you |
| Nine times out of ten, it is a person within the | | | | receive confirmation and access information, log in |
| organization you purchased your domain name from. | | | | and change any "forced" contact information to your |
| Any inquiries about billing, technical issues and | | | | name. |
| administrative questions are sent to this arbitrary | | | | Use a contact email address you will always have. A |
| person. The domain name registration company has | | | | good one is the one associated with your domain |
| FULL control over your URL. What does this mean? | | | | name. The email address on record must match the |
| Even though you are the owner, and you make a | | | | email address you are sending a request from. If you |
| request for changes, the confirmation request will go | | | | use an email associated with your ISP (@hotmail.com, |
| to the administrator for verification. This person has | | | | @rr.sc.com, @earthlink.com) and later change ISPs, |
| the full authority to approve or reject changes to | | | | you'll have to make contact information corrections |
| your domain name. | | | | prior to making any transfers, etc. |
| The Dangers | | | | And lastly, if at all possible, register with a company |
| Keep one thing in mind, domain registrars can, and | | | | that provides you with a management or control |
| do, go out of business. They get bought and sold | | | | center. This is - without a doubt - the safest way to |
| just like other organizations. They are not legally | | | | go. |
| required to notify you of any changes within their | | | | ·You won't have to wait for someone else to make |
| firm. This fact alone can cause unlimited problems | | | | needed changes. |
| with renewals, changes, sales or transfers. But that's | | | | ·You won't have to ask anyone for permission to |
| not all. | | | | make changes. |
| Let's say you put in a domain transfer request. A | | | | ·You will never be denied the changes you need to |
| time sensitive confirmation will be sent from the | | | | make. |
| registrar of your domain name to the administrative | | | | ·You won't lose your domain name because the |
| contact. This confirmation must be answered within a | | | | company listed as "contact" closed or was bought |
| certain timeframe. Now, if the administrative contact | | | | out. |
| is someone at the business you purchased your | | | | ·You won't lose your domain name because you |
| domain name from we could have a serious problem. | | | | weren't notified of the renewal date. |
| That person might be on vacation, sick, fired, or | | | | ·You WILL be in full control of the most important |
| even under orders not to respond. In any case, your | | | | part of your company - your domain name. |
| transfer will be denied. Think it doesn't happen. I'm | | | | Take back control of your domain name today. Make |
| horrified to tell you it does - every single day. | | | | the necessary adjustments to the contacts on |
| What does the technical contact control? Basically, | | | | record so that your URL can never be held hostage. |
| where your Web site "lives." What happens if you | | | | |