Before you request a domain transfer to us, you'll need to check the following:
Valid admin contact email address
Part of the transfer process involves an automatically generated transfer approval email, which contains a link that you must click to approve the transfer. This email can only be sent to the administrative contact email address listed on the domain's whois information. Check your domain whois information at http://whois.domaintools.com, or any whois information lookup site, and look for the admin contact information. If the address listed is not valid, it will have to be changed to a valid email address with the current registrar, before you order a domain transfer with us.
Also ensure that, if possible, you have whitelisted, or added to your trusted senders list, both mediaserve.com and enom.com, so that the approval email will come through and not be filtered by a spam filter.
If you have a whois privacy protection service on your domain whois information, it will have to be removed or turned off in order for the transfer to succeed, as the registry will be unable to determine the proper admin contact email address for the domain approval email.
Unlock the domain
Most registrars provide the ability to lock your domain against unwanted transfers, and many apply this lock by default when you register a new domain. It's usually referred to as a Registrar-Lock, i.e. the domain is locked at the current registrar and cannot be transferred away. You must ensure this lock is removed before submitting a transfer request, or the transfer will fail. A whois query will generally reveal whether the domain is locked.
Obtain the transfer authorization code
Most popular domains now require a transfer authorization code, also known as an epp key, to validate you as being authorized to transfer the domain. This is in addition to the automated transfer approval email process.
You must obtain the authorization code from the current registrar, and submit it during the transfer order when our system requests the epp key.
Domain was registered or renewed less than 60 days ago
If you registered or renewed your domain name with another registrar less than 60 days ago, you won't be able to transfer it to us. Wait until 60 days have elapsed before transferring. ICANN, (the governing body for domain registration), mandates this. If you end up submitting a transfer to us before 60 days have elapsed, the transfer will fail. If this happens, we can refund the transfer fee and have you re-submit after 60 days, or simply re-submit the transfer for you once 60 days have elapsed.
Performing the transfer
Handling the above items properly will ensure a smooth transfer process. Once those issues are taken care of, begin the transfer process, enter the authorization code when prompted for the epp key, and then be on the lookout for the transfer approval email sent to the administrative contact for the domain. Once you've received the approval email, clicked the link inside, and have approved the transfer, you're all set!
We'll send you an email once the transfer completes. The transfer process will take anywhere from a few hours to, at most, a week.
