Hi,

One of our new Clients want complete control over their domain name, which was registered for them by the Company who designed their website.

This seemed straightforward enough: Just set up an account with e.g. Freeparking, then request transfers in for the names on their site.

However there isn't an option to set the name servers and there's also a warning that the name servers might revert to Freeparking's after the transfer.

Having queried this Freeparking have said that if the .co.uk IPS tag was updated to their tag prior to transfer then the name servers 'should' stay the same.

Is this normal practice, e.g. once a domain name has been registered with a registrar there's no way to change that registrar without risking two or three days of downtime to update the name servers again if they change?

Thanks,
Mark

There is usually no downtime when doing registrar transfers.

That's what I would have thought - a transfer should keep all of the details the same.

However when going through the process you're asked if you want forwarding enabled for the new domain, and so forth. This rang alarm bells as I wouldn't have imagined you would be asked this, since all the details shoudl stay the same and then you could always change them post transfer.

I really can't tell the Client that "they have said it ought to be OK, but if it isn't then your site might go down for a few days".

Maybe it's just Freeparking - we usually use Network Solutions but they don't support .co.uk names - any other ideas?

You can't have complete control over a .uk domain unless you are a tagholder, or you registered the domain direct with the .uk registry (Nominet) at their retail price of GBP 80.00 plus VAT (compared to the GBP 5.00 that they charge tagholders)

The Nominet web site (www.nominet.org.uk) explains how it all works.

One of our new Clients want complete control over their domain name, which was registered for them by the Company who designed their website.

This seemed straightforward enough: Just set up an account with e.g. Freeparking, then request transfers in for the names on their site.


to transfer a .uk domain between one Nominet member/tagholder and another you have to get the *existing* tagholder to change teh IPSTAG to the new tagholders IPSTAG

it's *not* like .com transfers where you initiate it from the new registrar end.

changing tags moves the it to the new company who you are effectively asking to manage the domain for you , it doesn't change any of the details on the domain except for the TAG - i.e. which company can make changes to the domains administration.

no idea how the freeparking system works in regards to "adding" it to your domains list after the tag-transfer as we only seem to take domains from them not give them back ;) but i woudl imagine they have a set procedure ... best to ask them.

Lubeca is it possible to move it from other TAG holders to your own TAG directly with nominet ?

for clarification ...

there are 2 ways of changing tags on .co.uk domains
1. ask your existing tag holder to do it (they may charge)
2. pay nominet to do it - takes 2 to 3 weeks, various forms and costs £15+vat

thats it. all detailled on their site under the "changing registration agent" information.

it doesn't matter if *you* are a tag-holder or you've simply requested a new host or whatever, your contract is with Nominet through the existing tag-holder and they are the people you deal with for transfers. there is no "transfer-in" procedure like with .coms, it is a "transfer-out" methodology

Originally posted by Bashar
Lubeca is it possible to move it from other TAG holders to your own TAG directly with nominet ?

Already covered in Othellotech's answer (i.e., yes, you can - there is a web form, and it will cost you GBP 15 plus VAT).

The standard procedure is to ask the existing tagholder to change the tag - which is a one-minute job for them, all they need to do is send a two-line PGP-signed message into Nominet's automated system. Under the terms and conditions of their agreement with Nominet tagholders MUST comply with instructions to release the tag - but they are allowed to charge for it, and some charge rather a lot.

Getting Nominet to change the tag, on the other hand, is far more complicated - it involves filling in a lengthy online form and waiting for Nominet to post or fax a paper copy for signature. It is really meant as a last resort (i.e., in cases where the existing tagholer is uncooperative, or has ceased trading).