Domain Diary

I was continuosly explaining to people on the various boards about how GoDaddy’s transfer policy differs from ICANN’s Policy on Transfer of Registrations between Registrars. GD put the following restrictions in their domain transfer policy:

Go Daddy may elect to accept or reject your domain name transfer application for any reason at its sole discretion. Rejections may include, but are not limited to: The current Registrar rejected the transfer. The original registration took place less than sixty (60) days prior to the transfer request. The domain name has been placed in a locked status by either the Registry or by the losing registrar. The domain was transferred to Go Daddy less than sixty (60) days prior to the transfer request. The domain name expired but was not renewed. The domain name expired and was renewed during the forty-five (45) day grace period, and the forty-five (45) day grace period has not yet passed. The Domain Name Registrant was changed less than sixty (60) days prior to the transfer request. Any pending bankruptcy of the current domain name holder. Any dispute over the identity of the domain name holder. Any situation described in the Dispute Policy. Transfer orders over thirty (30) days old.

Please pay attention to “The Domain Name Registrant was changed less than sixty (60) days prior to the transfer request.” This directly contradicts with ICANN policy, which states the following reasons as adequate to deny gaining registrar’s domain transfer’s request:

Instances when the requested change of Registrar may not be denied include, but are not limited to:

• Nonpayment for a pending or future registration period
• No response from the Registered Name Holder or Administrative Contact.
• Domain name in Registrar Lock Status, unless the Registered Name Holder is provided with the reasonable opportunity and ability to unlock the domain name prior to the Transfer Request.
• Domain name registration period time constraints, other than during the first 60 days of initial registration or during the first 60 days after a registrar transfer.
• General payment defaults between Registrar and business partners / affiliates in cases where the Registered Name Holder for the domain in question has paid for the registration.

Beware… ANYTHING you’ll change at registrant (email, name, address, phone, etc etc etc) will start GoDaddy’s 60-days countdown in which you will not be able to transfer your domain away. Please especcially note that by removing whois privacy (or Domains-by-proxy, GD’s-style) for the domain, automatically you’re changing the registrant! Also, please note that you will NOT be able to transfer domain which has private whois. All this is learned by me the hard way…
Frankly, I still hold some domains there, but only because of the need, not by choice.