Hi,

What steps can a host legally take to handle registrar changes for their hosting clients?

For example, I have a client who has a domain registered through AAAQ.com. He wants to change the nameserver information to point to his hosting account on my servers. However, AAAQ's site is...somewhat less than helpful. Even when I dug through the Hostway documentation to try and find out how to change his nameserver information, the option to update the domain info didn't even exist through his control panel.

I can vaguely remember in 1997/1998, when a host could request a nameserver update for the client. I don't know why this stopped, but I'm guessing that part of it is tied in with the sudden explosion of registrars and resellers, plus added security concerns (ie, Verisign/NetSol's foo-bar-boo-boo with the $ex.com domain).

Aside from having directions on updating their own nameservers, what can a web host do to handle the nameserver information updates for their hosting clients (if we still can)?

So did I stump the panel with this one?

Have you contacted the company?

One thing I have done is have them contact the domain registrar and have them list me as an administrator on the account if they prefer to keep it registered where it is.

Thanks for the feedback, gang. I was starting to wonder if I maybe hadn't showered that morning or something - or if I was picking up my traditional forum role of "Conversation Stopper".

To give you a little bit more background:
My client wants to add one of his domains to his hosting account with me (as a pointed domain). The domain was registered with AAAQ (the registrar owned and operated by Hostway.) The client is not what you would call web-savvy. They're an intelligent person, but the Internet is not their zone. The fact that AAAQ has absolutely no online controls of any sort, and very little contact information on their site, makes things even more confusing. Hostway's directions on how to update one's nameserver information may or may not work - but the nameserver information does not appear in the Hostway control panel. (I also worry about this client still being charged by Hostway for a hosting account, but beyond advising themm to double- and triple-check their credit card statements, I don't know what else I can do there.)

I've logged into the Hostway account using the information given to me by the client, but there is no option to update the nameservers for the client's domain. I've tried contacting the registrar using the WHOIS information, but wasn't able to get a human. I tried contacting Hostway, but received no answer.

I did advise the client to switch to GoDaddy, simply because they offer telephone assistance with domain transfers and the client would be able to talk with an actual human being rather than navigate through a series of (potentially confusing) menus.

Freckled, thanks for the note about being asked to be the administrator. When clients do ask us to register the domain, we list ourselves as the administrator and technical contact, with the client as the registrant and billing contact.

Anyone have any tips or tricks for dealing with AAAQ?

I have never delt with AAAQ before Lesli, however I had a similar problem with a domain registrar. I had the client contact their registrar and had them authorize me to access the account with a simple account password which they setup with the client. I was then able to call into the registrar and have them manually set the IPS of my nameservers in.

Once that had been done, my client decided that it would be in his best interest to have me manage the domain as the techincal contact. I run all my domains through namecheap.com. I then transfered his account to my account on namecheap... since I already had access to his account with his password... the process went pretty easily.

As long as you are professional about the manner and have authorization from the client to change settings on his domain, most registrars will work with you.

Thanks, Jon. I'll see if that works. It could be tricky, though, seeing as how the client is essentially leaving Hostway for my company, and I don't know the exact nature of the business relationship between AAAQ and Hostway - or actually, how they deal with registrar-only clients.

I'll let everyone know what happens.

SO Hostway purchased the domain for your client??? Or he purchased it from AAAQ and had it point to Hostway?

You may want to read through the TOS for Hostway in that case to see if the domain is even transferable, or if they consider it to be their property... which you are allowed to use as long as you are a customer.

If not just tell them I will hunt them down and DOS their servers until they give up

LOL Jon!!

The client had apparently purchased two domains through Hostway at some point - maybe it was bought through one of Hostway's "specials", I don't know...and asking the client is a bit like asking me to diagnose a transmission problem. You may get a befuddled look, and that's about it.

One domain has been successfully changed to point to Scribehost's nameservers, though the person who did it is on leave until August (dangit!!!) so I don't know how it was accomplished...but it was.

Looking at the WHOIS for AAAQ and reading through older forum posts at other forums, I think that AAAQ just acts as the frontspiece for Hostway's registrar business. If you visit the AAAQ site, though, there's not even any way for individual consumers to purchase domains.

Sounds like AAAQ is the 'middle man' to help filter stuff out for Hostway. I hate crap like that. I always want to go right to the source... good luck to ya Lesli. My DOS offer still stands.

Was the issue regarding AAAQ/Hostway and the domain name being switched ever resolved? Neither Hostway nor AAAQ are responding to my emails. My site on Hostway has not worked properly for a couple of months. The problem is with Cart32. When orders are placed the message: "This site is not authorized" appears and the order cannot proceed. This is after a couple of years of good operation with Hostway. But since they can't resolve the problem and their support is lousy, I'm trying to switch to XO for hosting because they use PayPal. But I can't get my domain switched and XO says they can't help me. What to do?????