[ga-review] Expired Domains, Transfers

[Joop Teernstra <terastra@terabytz.co.nz>]

One interesting variation on the scenario.(true story)

Registrant J has a nonprofit.com and a non-profit .org name, registered by 
SECONDREGISTRAR and seeks the cheapest registrar for it. He has already 
opted out of the automatic renewal scheme.

He finds the website of a mom'npop cheapo registrar and initiates a 
transfer procedure. He is informed that there are NO refunds for failed 
transfers.

He goes ahead anyway and asks mom'npop registrar to start with the transfer 
of his nonprofit.com

After 5 days, reply comes back that  SECONDREGISTRAR refuses to transfer 
the name. Reason: too close to expiry date or name has already expired.

Registrant J decides to abandon the .com name, and loose his 
transfer/registration fee, but retain and transfer the .org

He initiates the transfer of the nonprofit.org from SECONDREGISTRAR to 
mom'npop registrar.
He gets an email back from mom'npop registrar:
*************
Your transfer request for the following domain name has been initiated:

NONPROFIT.ORG

Please allow up to 5 business days for the transfer to be completed.

**If your domain name is currently with SECONDREGISTRAR.com, please note the
following**

SECONDREGISTRAR.com will be contacting you via email requesting approval 
for the
domain name transfer.  You must respond to this email by scrolling to the
bottom of the email then clicking on a link which takes you to
SECONDREGISTRAR.com's website.  You will see a white box.  Please type "Yes, I
agree to this transfer."  Failure to respond within 3 days to
SECONDREGISTRAR.com's email will prevent the domain name transfer from
processing.  Please be sure to update your contact email address at
SECONDREGISTRAR.com in order to ensure a successful transfer.

*****************

Registrant J waits  5 days, two weeks, a month for this email, and waits......
(here lies the rub, of course. The registrant is completely dependent on 
the good faith of the LOSING registrar)

After one months he gets worried that his second domain also gets close to 
expiration and he takes action again. He emails both mom'npop and 
SECONDREGISTRAR

Mom'npop sends back am automated email that nonprofit.com's transfer failed 
and that nonprofit.org is  in the works and that he should get his 
important email from SECONDREGISTRAR within 5 days.
Registrant J emails mom'npop back that he got nothing for a month and then 
gets a reply that both transfers will be re-initiated.

SECONDREGISTRAR sends a non-comprending email back, stating: your website 
is accessible and we are your registrars, what is your problem?
J emails again, a bit irritated and makes it clear that it is the transfer 
away from SECONDREGISTRAR that is his problem.

Finally, after more than one month and with the expiration of nonprofit.org 
looming closer, the email is sent that give access to 
SECONDREGISTRAR's  website to allow J to ACK the transfer. The usual dire 
warnings are delivered via the website.

The rest of this story will follow. It seems that mom'npop has some 
stringent identity requirements, such as a copy of a photo ID or drivers' 
licence, to be sent by snailmail.
The transfer is not yet completed, but the website is now offline.

More later.




--Joop Teernstra LL.M.--
terastra@imachination.com
http://www.imachination.com

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