Hi everyone, first post for me :)

Im in the process of developing a website for a client, who previously had a site with a fasthosts based reseller.

The client in question would like to use the current domain name with a new hosting plan and site, and this obviously requires me to have control over the DNS listing for the domain.

The domain in question has been purchased through a fasthosts reseller who is no longer contactable - all of the websites asociated with the original reseller are offline, and real world attempts at contacting them have also failed.

To make matters worse, the client has lost proof of purchase for the domain, which I assume invalidates the fasthosts resolution procedure.

The domain is due to expire in a few months from the reseller, I am not sure if that gives me/us any further options.

Anyone have an ideas for a nice way out of this situation?

I havent done anything yet, as I wanted to see what my options are before I charge down a potentially wrong path - In all honesty this is the first time ive had to deal with this kind of domain issue, so any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers,
Andy.

Sadly you could be out of luck :(

"catching" the domain on might be your only method of resurrecting it

If you want to PM /email me the domain name I might be able to provide specific advice, but FH/UKREG quite rightly cant just hand a domain over, even if the account holder is uncontactable with out soem proof of ownership

Sadly thats pretty much what I figured - I take by catching you mean I re-register at expiration?

Do you know any specifics on this RE: fasthosts? Reading fasthosts TOS it looks like they deal with expiration on an "opt out" basis, although I cant tell if this applys to the reseller or the end customer.
If its opt out to the reseller, then its a no hoper as I can assume they wont respond to the email and get the domain re-registered to themselves.

If its opt out and my client gets the mail, then maybe this will all be easy (yeah right! ;) ).

If it comes down to the line and the domain expires, can you suggest an organisation that is handy with this kind of re-registration?

yes fh is an opt-out as long as fh have credits on file or their card details it'll get auto-renewed

You don't actually mention whose name the domain is registered in - your customer's, or that of the reseller?

Also, is it a .uk or a GTLD domain (com/net/org)?

If it's registered in your customer's name and it's a .uk there should be no problem whatsoever in getting control.

If it's registered in your customer's name and it's a GTLD domain it'll be slightly more hassle but again your customer should be able to get control without too many problems.

If it's registered in the reseller's name then, as others have already said, your chances of getting control are probably not all that good.

Thanks for everyones replies, sadly its a .com and its registered, through tucows, through fasthosts, and then in the name of the reseller.

Think this means im fat out of luck!

Im leaning towards our only option being to try and buy it when it expires, what is the likely procedure for this?

Apprently the only contact my client has had with the reseller she offered to sell it back, but for an insane amount of money - way over the value of the domain. This seems to be a cash grab since all the resellers sites are currently offline with a "you havent paid the bills" style message, so this all doesnt paint a rosey picture!

Your best bet for snatching up the domain on expiry is to use a backordering service - others will be able to give you more expert advice than I can as it's not something I've done very often.

As for the other issues... I wouldn't just let the reseller get away with this. I don't know if complaining to Fasthosts will get you anywhere (depends who you get to talk to - I am distinctly unimpressed by their frontline support people, but some of the people higher up are quite helpful IF you get through to them). I'm also wondering if a complaint to Trading Standards would be appropriate (assuming this is a UK company).

Unfortunately it is far far far too easy to set up a domain selling/hosting business... just sign up for a reseller account, download some domain name site template which makes your site look really professional, and away you go. I've heard of domain name/hosting sites run by schoolchildren...

Yeah, I can well imagine!

Im debating calling up fasthosts, but i can appreciate that from there perspective I may look like someone trying to cheat my way into someones account - I have no proof what I say is true.

Might be worth a call (after all, the reseller isn't paying the bills ;))

As for trading standards, as far as I can tell from what my client has told me and the registration information for the personal domains of the reseller, the reseller is based in spain (as is my client) - not much scope there ;)

I really think that a backorder service is the way to go now, its certainly going to the backup plan, if not the only plan for getting this domain back.

I have been looking around on the net, and snapnames seems to be mentioned quite a lot. Any pitfalls I need to be careful of, or anyone have any personal recommendations for a good backorder service to go with?

Also, does anyone know fasthosts specific process here - assuming the reseller doesnt repay her domain fee, what happens then? Does it go through a period of being locked? How long? Cant find anything on the fasthosts site that tells me this....

Thanks for the help again.