Web Hosting Talk







View Full Version : who should OWN the domain name? WHOIS info


liamrw
01-02-2003, 04:13 PM
I'm a new and inexperienced Web Master of a small ISP, and I just learned that when we set up a domain for a customer, all registration info is put in our company's name.

In my experience, both with my own personal domains and with browsing hosting sites, it seems that while the technical contact info is generally the ISP's or host's, the owner or admin contact info is the customer's.

What's the norm? And why? I mean, personally I feel the owner should be the customer and the 1st section of a WHOIS should list the customer's info...so, if I go to my boss to suggst it be changed to that as a practice, what are good business/industry reasons? Aside from, in my opinion, common decency?

Thanks!!
Liam
<<MOD NOTE: Please set up a signture in your profile, danke.>>

SoftWareRevue
01-02-2003, 04:58 PM
I believe that the Administrive contact/Registrant should be the person, or entity that actually owns the domain.

Frankly, I don't know why some insist on maintaining control over that aspect. But, if it's the way the company you work for prefers to do it, maybe it's best to ask them why they feel they need it that way. Do they tell the registrant, up front, that the ISP will hold control over the domain?

ATST
01-02-2003, 05:05 PM
If that isn't your name in the admin / registrant feild, then that isn't your domain. Might want to find out why your ISP insists on owning their customers domains.

ljprevo
01-02-2003, 05:14 PM
Originally posted by liamrw
[B]I'm a new and inexperienced Web Master of a small ISP, and I just learned that when we set up a domain for a customer, all registration info is put in our company's name.

<snip>


Should not be this way, your company should only be listed as the tech and possibly the billing contact (If the company is paying for it on behalf of the customer)

Host usually do this to "Hijack" the domain and force from leaving, very bad and unethical practice in my book.

I have had conversations with some host that say they also do that to stop the customer from skipping on payment, either way it is a low ball and should not be done, keeping things under the carpet from your customers is not cool.

DotComster
01-02-2003, 05:31 PM
putting your own info in another person's domain is just looking for trouble - legal to. You did not mention what registrar you are useing - but their support can advise you how to set it up so that the customer's info is entered directly - Much easier and simpler than doing it yourself.