Transferring Domains - Day 6

I heard back from Network Solutions support this morning, so I was able to login to the primary account for ranchero.com and request a transfer authorization code.

I now have two codes pending, one for each domain.

I wrote back to to the support person, thanked her for her help, and also asked if there’s any way to speed up the code generation so I don’t have to keep waiting.

She replied a few minutes later that she would try to get me the codes sooner.

I’ll update this post if anything else happens today.

Update 1:30 pm: The support person wrote back: the two codes have been emailed. I don’t have them yet, but I assume I will soon. Also: she removed the Security Transfer Locks that were automatically placed on the domains as a result of my making several changes at once.

Update 6:00 pm: Support emailed me the transfer codes.

I initiated a transfer of inessential.com. I went through the directions at Hover. It entailed what you’d expect: creating an account, making sure contact info is correct, paying ($10) with a credit card, pasting-in the transfer code. (I believe I get an additional free year with that $10, which is cool.) Easy stuff.

I also approved the transfer on the Network Solutions site. Hover helpfully provides an ETA for the transfer to be complete: February 2.

I couldn’t initiate the transfer of ranchero.com, because I couldn’t turn off private registration. The option just doesn’t appear for some reason, even though I’m logged in with the primary user ID.

So I sent another email to Network Solutions support — hopefully the last one. I expect to hear back tomorrow morning, and I should be able to initiate the ranchero.com transfer then.

My one worry is that my domain name server settings won’t transfer. (They point to Dreamhost’s DNS servers.) Hopefully I’ll be pleasantly surprised that they transfer automatically.

PS Last week a number of people asked me why I hadn’t transferred my domains away from Network Solutions just because they cost more. (Setting aside everything else.) This saga is the answer: the difference in cost is nothing compared to the cost in my time to do things like transfer domains.

I’m no fan of these kinds of tasks. While they can be necessary, and they can feel like progress, they’re not the same as making things.

PPS Moisés Chiullan:

The first guest on “Thank You For Calling!” will be domain registry trauma victim @brentsimmons.

I think this will be some time next week.