Many companies buy domains from various sources. Some buy them from their web designers as a package with their design fees, some people buy from their hosting providers, some people buy it themselves online. There are also those who buy it from their hardware vendor or maybe even a yellow pages directory service. But what happens if one of these resellers or companies closes? Who will process your domain renewal? Will you lose your domain if the company closes or stops responding? This article tries to explain how you can avoid losing your domain when your domain provider or reseller closes.
Keep your WHOIS information up to date
The most important factor in determining domain ownership is the WHOIS information stored with the Domain Name Registrar. We often buy domains from intermediaries or resellers of the domain registrar. While resellers may offer you an exceptionally good price, they may not give you control of your domain name. This means that you are at your mercy for everything to do with your domain. One thing is to make sure, whoever you are buying the name from, that the domain must be registered in the name of the true owner or the person authorized by the true owner. This authorized person could include an officer or agent of a company, the CEO, or even an IT manager. But it should definitely not be the web designer, a middle man, or even an employee of the provider. This will ensure that when you want to control your domain name or transfer it at any time, if you send mail from your registered email address and are in control of it, the registrar will help you take control of your domain name. If you are not in control of your domain name and your provider closes, it will be quite difficult for you to prove that you are the owner of the domain name.
Keep domain control in your hands
As soon as your domain is registered, or shortly after that, you should insist on having the Domain Name Control Panel details. This should include the login name, password, and URL from where you can login. As soon as you receive these details, you need to test them and check if your domain can be managed with those login details. You should also change your password for that dashboard and only share the details with those you trust. It is not necessary for the web designer or hosting company to have access to the domain control panel, unless you want them to manage the account. If you want to make changes to your domain name’s DNS entries or pointers, they can always guide you on how to do it. You can also enlist the help of your domain name provider for guidance on how to make the changes.
Domain registrar to the rescue
If you end up having no idea about your supplier, or if your supplier is unresponsive or has closed the store, there is still hope. You can always contact a higher authority, that is, the domain registrar. The Domain Registrar receives a license from ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) to sell domain names. These registrars, in turn, designate resellers or vendors, from whom you may have purchased the names at retail. In the rare event that a registrar goes out of business or closes a store, all of their domains are automatically transferred to a new registrar and all domain owners are informed about it. This means that your domain will always be under a registrar no matter what. The Registrar is obliged to follow some rules and standards and will cooperate with you if he can prove that he is the true owner of the domain. Usually, if you want to make changes to the domain name’s WHOIS records, but have lost access to the control panel, you can always fax your proof of identity to the registrar and get access to the domain control after some formalities. . If the domain registrar becomes difficult or unresponsive, you can escalate the matter in the form of a complaint to ICANN. This way, you know for sure that your domain name will never be lost if you take the right measures.