GoDaddy.com offers way to remove 60 day lock on domain transfers after certain registrant changes.
Update: Read more about Go Daddy’s new transfer lock policy here.
Ah, the dreaded 60 day lock.
Go Daddy has taken quite a bit of flack over the years for rejecting transfers to other registrars if you changed certain registrant information within the previous 60 days.
But under a new policy, customers will have a formal way to request the sixty day hold be removed. Go Daddy will review the account for certain suspicious activity before removing the hold. If it removes the hold, Go Daddy will first change the registrant name back to what it was before the change was made that resulted in the 60 day lock.
“We understand our 60 day lock has been controversial,” said James Bladel, Director, Policy Planning for Go Daddy. “What is boils down to is, while it’s a very good tool for intercepting and preventing hijacking…we recognize that our efforts to address that problem shouldn’t be a hindrance to legitimate users of domain names that want transfers to be a little more simple.”
A new inter-registrar transfer policy goes into effect for all domain registrars today. It requires registrars to make an emergency contact available in the event of urgent transfer issues. Bladel said this should make it easier for registrars to work on reversing domain hijackings. Previously, half the battle was getting the other registrar on the phone, Bladel said.
The title should be: GoDaddy finally ‘Gets it’.
Good for GoDaddy for stepping up in the game.
“Go Daddy will first change the registrant name back to what it was before the change was made that resulted in the 60 day lock.”
That doesn’t make a lot of sense if you just bought the name from another registrant, had it pushed to your account, and then re-sold it or want to transfer it out. If the Whois info changes back to the former owner, you’d lose the name.
Nice, just as I purchased my first domains today 🙂
Here’s another idea 4 GoDaddy
I’m all revved up
Any company or agency who has long term contract with intuit (Bob Parson’s Technology) or Godaddy (Bob Parsons other technology), should by right be able 2 make that contract null & void if that vendor(GoDaddy or intuit) is found 2 have caused intentional harm to their customers, & or by Breach of Fiduciary Duty
i.e. A credit union with X years contract remaining with intuit…(Bob Parsons Technology) should be allowed to end that contract immediately & find a new banking services vendor
Perhaps this might not only help keep consumers information safe, it’s also prudent 4 Credit Unions, & banks not to get ripped off themselves, or compromise their own customers private, confidential information via shady dealers
Just my thoughts
GuN
Of course this has nothing to do with the ICANN’s 60-day transfer lock, does it?
@Joe
No, it doesn’t. This one’s a different thing.
Hey guys — some good valid questions here. I’ve gone back to Go Daddy for more info. You can read more here:
https://domainnamewire.com/2012/06/04/more-details-about-changes-to-go-daddys-60-day-lock/
Agree with Elliot. WTF?
This must be wrong.
1. Changing back will either change to old owner or old email address so nothing but hassle for everybody.
2. How can GoDaddy have the power to change ANY whois for ANY reason? I don’t want GoDaddy changing my whois info EVER.
@ Rob Sequin –
regarding #1, they don’t change the email. Just the registrant name.
#1: What Rob Said
#2: Why does this even require a process.
(if they revert your Whois info then who will get the epp code and the transfer out authorization request)
GoFigure
2 GD incidents last week:
A guy complained an image he owned was posted w/o permission. Godaddy didn’t take down the image, they suspended all the person’s 18 web sites. http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/25/1744246/photographer-threatened-with-legal-action-after-asserting-his-copyright
They had a domain that used an old nameserver of mine and I asked it be removed. it took 17 days, more than 15 e-mails, and several complaints to ICANN. They they changed it to: SUSPENDED-FOR-SPAM-AND-ABUSE publically accusing their own customer of spam and abuse even though they did neither.
I louth GoDaddy. Largely because of this rule.
I quoted DNW today, in requesting a transfer out (name registered 2009 but won recently in an auction), ie so I could benefit from the process you refer to above.
Same old cut-and-paste crap, back, ignoring the request:
hank you for contacting Online Support. You can not yet transfer ________________.COM from Go Daddy to your other registrar. Newly registered domain names are locked for 60 days per ICANN policy, during which the domain name cannot be transferred. This lock applies to all domains and all Registrars, not just Go Daddy. The domain was moved into your account 5/16/2012 and would not be able to be transferred away until 60 days from that date.
I think any registrant can call and ask to have the lock removed. Ask for an executive account if you have a lot of domains and they should take care of you.
I’ll have an update on this story by Monday.
@ Nic – the transfer policy forbids a 60 day lock on domains transferred between accounts at the same domain registrar. It only allows a 60 day lock for an inter-registrar transfer. So you won it in a GoDaddy auction?
Andrew,
First, many thanks for engaging with your commentees. (Me.) Appreciated.
Second, I seem to recall some ICANN clarification as to support of Godaddy’s interpretation of ICANN policy. But if I recall correctly I don’t know how they formed that view. Moreover I don’t know what you mean when you say the policy “allows a 60 day lock for an inter-registrar transfer”. Perhaps you are referring to GoDaddy policy.
I am referring to (and GoDaddy is relying on, in it’s response to me – see above) *ICANN* policy.
Has this ground not been covered over and over? And over?
++++++
http://archive.icann.org/en/transfers/policy-12jul04.htm
The Registrar of Record may deny a transfer request only in the following specific instances:
1. A domain name is in the first 60 days of an initial registration period.
2. A domain name is within 60 days (or a lesser period to be determined) after being transferred (apart from being transferred back to the original Registrar in cases where both Registrars so agree and/or where a decision in the dispute resolution process so directs).
++++++
GoDaddy transferred an expiring Godaddy name to me that was a) registered in 2009 and b) was not transferred from another registrar. (Would only be a new reg for the purposes of UDRP).
I know no one transferred it to GoDaddy within 60 days, otherwise it would have been extended a year and not have expired. Right?
Next step, is that that they insist I call them from Australia. Nope. I wont spend one cent calling them. It’s painful. Why should I call them (spend several dollars) to enjoy a right afforded to me under ICANN policy? Is it not clear as day? (Apparently not.)
Yeah, the 60-day lock policy was always about protecting GoDaddy customers.
Or maybe capturing them.
I don’t understand. Can I transfer the domain name to another registrant and keep the same registrar, before 60 days has passed?
@ Cameron – yes, you can transfer to another person if you keep the same registrar.
@ Andrew. Thanks for the info
I should have known this long ago. Better late than never 🙂
Does it work?
yes of course once you can try
i can try ones
It took me about 30 minutes over the phone to customer support to finally get them to divulge the address to mail. If you need it unlocked contact – review60@godaddy.com
In order to unlock the account they require verification. Now here’s the kicker and a lesson to all. One of the domains I set my WHOIS data under my company details. I sent them a mail asking to unlock a few domains I won under closeouts.
Here’s the response they sent, could they put a little more red tape in front of me? Perhaps they may also want to know what I had for breakfast this morning.
Customer service act like they know nothing about this, needless to say I have better things to do than to furnish Godaddy with all this information. As soon as the locks expire I’ll be transferring out all my Godaddy domains to namesilo. They don’t put all these stupid measures in place in a veiled excuse that it’s for security. There’s a million other ways they can prevent hijacking, Godaddy’s system is clearly self service and designed to do one thing, keep the domains with Godaddy for as long as possible.
Here’s what they requested from me….
1. A completed 60-Day Lock Removal Request Form (attached).
2. Photo identification. Acceptable photo identification is clear, readable, and issued by the government. We must be able to clearly identify the pictured person, name, signature, and expiration date.
3. Government-issued business identification for the organization listed as the current registrant, x. The following are considered acceptable business identification (if not based in the United States, please provide a Certified English translation of your country’s equivalent documentation):
– A copy of business license
– Tax certificate (number alone is not acceptable)
– Doing Business As documentation
– Fictitious Name documentation
– IRS 501(C)3 “Determination Letter” (You may request a copy of this letter by contacting the IRS at 1-800-829-4933)
– Government issued certificate of tax exemption showing charitable status
You may scan or take a digital photo of the information and include it with your reply to this email.
Once we have received the documentation, we will further review your request.
While I’ll continue to use their auctions, I’ll have to plan around this 60 day lock. It’s so frustrating though, one domain I bought i already have a buyer for, so as a stop gap I’ll have to negotiate forwarding DNS to their server until the lock is removed.
Go team GoDaddy.
hi thank for writing this helpully article.
I am still in doubt. I just want to sell the backorder domain at GoDaddy, but I see the status of the domain was “transfer lock for 60 days”, there is no problem if the domain sold, then I push to other GoDaddy account? and whether that status (60 days lock transfer) will apply to the new owner too?
thanks..
Horrible experience I just had with GoDaddy.
Bought a domain, had to choose between auth code or godaddy push.
Chose the latter, then discovered the domain was expiring in less than a month, so I tried renew and it asked me the sum of 18$ (the worst price ever seen!).
So I tried to move the domain away and … 60 day lock. I had to pay the 18$.
Immediately moved avay all my remaining domains I had with them, will avoid them in the future. period. Scary.
I had no idea that changing one little detail to update my contacts would trigger this, and then a few days later, decided that GoDaddy’s renewal prices had gotten ridiculous, so took advantage of a deal from another registrar that I’d had very good luck with.
Used the email address as soon as I realized the domains were locked down. After verifying a couple of things they asked, they stated that they had removed the locks. They lied.
One of my transfers failed today, due to the lock.
If I ever go back to GoDaddy, someone poke me in the eye with a very sharp stick!