Hello :) I'm hoping someone here can offer some advice about a transfer that seems to be taking a long time.

After hearing quite a few not-so-happy things about GoDaddy, I decided to transfer my domains to Namecheap. Also wanted to take advantage of a special offer they're running right now.

I started the transfer on Dec 10. As of today (dec 15) it's still in progress. Does it usually take this long? I've done several transfers over the past 10 years (from host to register.com to godaddy) and it's never taken more than a few hours. Is five or more days acceptable?

I've emailed support at Namecheap twice asking about the delay. Both responses come fairly quickly, but it seems like they haven't actually read my questions. The first response is cut-and-paste, just the general directions for transferring a domain, and that transfers could take 5 or 6 days. No help there.

In the second email, I mentioned what steps I'd already done, including getting and submitting the EPP/authorization code. The second response provided instructions on requesting the EPP code from the other registrar (which I'd just told them I'd already done), and that transfers can now take 8 days.

To me, it smells like BS, and I think I might be better off staying at GoDaddy.

Is this a normal wait time for transfers? I'm not 100% sure what to do now, although my first impulse is to cancel the transfer and get a refund.

Thanks in advance for any help! :D

as per ICANN rules it takes 5 days for a domain to get transfered between registrars

you could speed things up if you login to your godaddy account and approve the transfer on the pending transfer requests though :)

Ah ok ... thanks for the info on the transfer time!

There's nothing from/at GoDaddy to approve, though. From what I read at Namecheap, if the new registrar needs the EPP code (and gets it), they don't bother with email verification. At any rate, I've not gotten anything from GoDaddy about the transfer one way or the other. I just get the feeling something has gone wrong somewhere *shrugs*

I guess I'll just wait a few more days and watch what happens. :)

there isn't a link that says something like:
pending account change / pending domain transfer

i remember they do email just to notify you someone requested to transfer out and they try to keep you with them IIRC

Nope, there's no link, I didn't get any email. Nothing looks any different from GoDaddy's end at all.


:confused:

Goodluck, I'm in the same situation as you, trying to tranfer from Godaddy to Namecheap both support haven't responded to e-mails and this is my second attept at tranfering. Renewal is coming up and I think GoDaddy is purposely holding my domain to try and get me to renew it with THEM but it isn't happening like that, I'll let it go before I go that route.

OK. Let's clarify what you've done.

You have requested the domains Auth Code from GoDaddy? Yes/No.
You have unlocked the domains at GoDaddy? Yes/No.
You have a valid email address in the Admin Contact at GoDaddy? Yes/No.
You have initiated the transfer request at NameCheap using these Auth Codes? Yes/No.
You have approved the transfer away request from NameCheap? Yes/No.

If you've done all that then the domain will usually transfer in 5-10 days. As Bashar said. You can expedite the transfer at GoDaddy, by authorizing the transfer at GoDaddy using their Pending Transfers link.

I did all that twice trying to transfer the domain and it keeps saying the transfer was cancelled. The domain IS unlocked and I requested the EPP/Auth code from GoDaddy enter it at Namecheap and it's my understanding that if you enter that code then you don't need to verify anything via e-mail but my last transfer failed because it said I didn't verify the transaction. It does smell like BS but I think GoDaddy isn't letting the domain go so I will have to re-register with them by 12/30. Might as well mention that I checked the "pending transfers" link and there are no domains listed in the list.

The transfer approval comes from the gaining registrar, not the losing registrar. So, if you haven't received (and consequently approved) this transfer approval request from NameCheap, it is most likely either a) You don't have a valid email address in the domains Admin Contact at GoDaddy, or b) The transfer approval request has been caught up in your spam filters. You should check them.

So now you agree there is a Pending Transfers link? Before you denied it's existence.

I don't see how you can blame GoDaddy or any of this :confused:

You should also be aware that the Auth Code changes at GoDaddy every time you request it. So make sure you are using the latest version when requesting the transfer.

My Bad.. :blush:

I guess I won't be able to tranfer, just got a reply back from Namecheap..

"Your transfer current status is:

Auto verification of transfer request initiated

It means that verification email was sent, but was never responded to.

FYI, please check GoDaddy Terms of Service. According to them:

- you will be not able to transfer out domain with whois privacy enabled;
- once you'll disable whois privacy, you'll be not able to transfer away for 60 days, because of Registrant change."

Guess I'm in a bind. :rolleyes:

So now you agree there is a Pending Transfers link? Before you denied it's existence.

I never denied the link was there.

Yep. sorry that was paige :blush:

OK. So you don't have a valid email address because you have privacy enabled. The simple solution is to disable privacy and initiate the transfer again.

The simple solution is to disable privacy and initiate the transfer again.

After 60 days. :(

Day 8 and same situation...

OK. Let's clarify what you've done.

You have requested the domains Auth Code from GoDaddy? Yes/No.
You have unlocked the domains at GoDaddy? Yes/No.
You have a valid email address in the Admin Contact at GoDaddy? Yes/No.
You have initiated the transfer request at NameCheap using these Auth Codes? Yes/No.
You have approved the transfer away request from NameCheap? Yes/No.

If you've done all that then the domain will usually transfer in 5-10 days. As Bashar said. You can expedite the transfer at GoDaddy, by authorizing the transfer at GoDaddy using their Pending Transfers link.

YES, got the Auth Code from GoDaddy.

YES, unlocked domain.

YES, valid email address, my ISP addy I use for everything.

YES, initiated the transfer request at NameCheap using the Auth Code.

There was no transfer away request from NameCheap.

There are no domains listed at GoDaddy under Pending Transfers.

Also disabled privacy on this domain.

NameCheap still has "domain transfer initiated" on the "Domain Transfers in Progress" page.

Other than cancel the transfer and try again later, not sure what else to do. :confused:

Well I'd suggest 2 things.

1. Make sure the contact email address *really* is correct by copy/pasting it into an email and sending it.

2. If you have a spam trap on your email, is there a folder of spam mails you can check to see if the authorization emails ended up in there?

Good luck!

As Stan mentions. Disabling privacy triggers the 60-day hold at GoDaddy (which I'd forgot to mention), so if your domain is about to expire, you will have to renew it first and wait out the 60-days.

If you didn't get the transfer away email, then it's either a) or b) in my previous message. I don't think the gaining registrar even contacts the losing registrar before getting that approval.

Thanks to everyone and their answers!

GoDaddy replied with the same information (about the privacy protection and the hold), so that's the plan: renew now and try again in the future.

NameCheap says they can't cancel the transfer or refund the fees (or do anything really) until they get an official response from GoDaddy one way or the other. I hope to get the fees back at some point, but if I don't, it's a good lesson about researching what I'm getting into. :)

Thanks again!

I'd be surprised if NameCheap charge you for a transfer which isn't completed.

NameCheap says they can't cancel the transfer or refund the fees (or do anything really)

Please specify WHO personally at NameCheap told you this (please copy/paste WHAT EXACTLY they replied)? Because this is pure nonsense, as Stu duly mentioned.

The entire quote was this:

NameCheap says they can't cancel the transfer or refund the fees (or do anything really) until they get an official response from GoDaddy one way or the other.

GoDaddy did finally refuse the transfer, THEN NameCheap credited the account.

I tried again with a different domain (no privacy features), and from beginning to end, it took only 20 hours to completely transfer. That's the same experience I've had over the past 10 years, which is why the previous 8 day wait was troubling.

Glad it's all over now.