We have transfered in hundreds of domain names over the years, sometimes the previous website designers take a bit of time to get back to their clients to supply the code and to start the trasnsfer, sometimes its all done in a few minutes but the following demonstrates a 6 month ‘nightmare’ domain transfer where the old website design company seems to go out of their way to stop the transfer happening. I hope I never have to deal with this company again.
[Website Designers] Can you get your old website designer to give you admin access to the website / registration and / or get them to unlock the domain and give us the transfer code (EPP code)?
[Old Web Company to Client] To be honest, I was a bit stunned by this. You did not provide me with enough detail to finish your website, then you seemed to lose interest, now you come back to me wanting to move. I am currently overseas so won’t be able to do anything about this until I return home. To be honest ti would be cheaper and easier to setup your new site on a new domain and I would point your old site to the new domain, It is a pain to transfer as all of my domains are on my account / login which I never give out. Chat to your new website design company and let me know the new domain name.
[Website Designers] That’s not a good suggestion at all, I wont comment on why they are saying this but they ‘ideally’ need to send you the website files (but I have got these already so not really necessary but its professional courtesy to do this)
[Client to old website designers] Had no contact from you for about a month. Could you tell me what’s happening with the codes. We sent all details for you to send to your hosting company ages ago. We have tried to contact you to find out what’s happening with no reply. I know you are busy, I know you run a business and know you have a great family you spend time with.
I have been really nice about it, You have deleted me off Facebook and I get the message.
You also know I am a nice bloke that wants to try my best for my family. All I want is to be updated with what’s happening with the codes as I have promised my staff I will keep them updated.
I understand a few of them know you, they have families and want to be earning money for their children,
All of them are on my back and I have been telling them every week where we are, I tell them the same thing. Sent the documents 6 weeks ago so they should have the code back in 5-7 working days. Even if you don’t have them yet please keep us informed and updated. My friend tells me you have been on Holiday this week so hopefully you can reply on Monday. Look forward to your reply
[Client to New website design company] So, I have tried, tried and tried again to get in contact with the old website design company. I have been as nice as possible even told him your my mate and doing it for free thinking it wont hurt his feelings. The guy will not respond also deleted me on Facebook. So I will have to give up on him. Will pass details onto yourself to see if you get any joy, good luck!
[Old Web Designers] I have no idea why this is not already complete. I recommended putting a re-direct on the domain name at the outset and this would have sorted you immediately. Your web guy did not want to do this so you are still waiting – this wait was not necessary, you could have got another domain for close to nothing and been up and running on that day. I told your web guy that was a pig to do – I have tried before and it is – I was not being an idiot, I was trying to help. The delays were 100% avoidable or were you not being told that? All your staff would have been up and running, it was strange that your web guy would not implement a tacticle solution with this being such a big rush. I will take a look this week to see what the hold up is and come back to you.
Re our ‘friendship’, this ended long ago – if there ever was a friendship. Once your ‘website’ (if you can call it that – you never provided all the content) was up and running, you hardly ever made contact with us. Before that, you were on the phone and or over our place. The only time you ever contacted me was when your site was down. Trust me, I got that message.
And guess what? You contacted me when I was on business to renew your domain and I did this from abroad. Then you tell me that you want to transfer. See it from my side. Anyway, I am wasting my holiday time on this email. I will look at this during this week and come back to you.
[New Website Designers] His comments are just silly. Yes you could have got a new website but that would mean you lost all the ‘SEO power’ from your existing one and would mean loads of hassle and confusion over both domains as you have been using the website for some time and have it on your social media / marketing / flyers etc. He could have pointed the domain to our hosting but long term do you really want him involved / trusted in anyway in your business? I suggest not seeing he decided to host it in Singapore and has spend 2 months avoiding doing 2 minutes work to facilitate this transfer, he says this was a ‘pig’ to do, I would say a pig could probably have done it by now as any competent person could do this in 2 minutes. We simply need to wait for ‘EPP code’ / transfer code from him now
[Client] Love this message. We will get them by the end of the week I think. The guy has obviously taken it personally, bless him. Tried to be nice to him but he has taken it to heart. What an idiot.
Just got this from our ‘friend’
The hold-up is due to the fact that when I set up the domain name, I registered it for you at my address. I have put a request in to change the address to your address and once this is done, the request to release the code will start. I will revert.
He is obviously incompetant, What can I do now James, just wait I suppose. Any other idea?
[New Website Designers] I am currently away on business, I will check this when I return at the end of the week but as I said previously if your new website company had agreed to me putting a divert on your domain (as I stated in the first email). All this wasted time would have been avoided, its crazy. I spoke to the help desk at the domain host and they said the same thing.
Just wondering why your website was still pointing to my server and showing the content I designed? Was a bit shocked to see this.
Just for information, I am reducing the server space with my provider so your website content (designed by me) will be deleted. I am told this will happen over the weekend so you need to ensure that your website guy puts a holding page up today or your website will cause a 404 error and this would not be good for business. Just wanted to let you know this was happening. Can you email me back to confirm you have received this message please.
[New Website Designers] Be assured that this is not correct. The site is 100% transferred and 100% not pointing to his server. You can verify this with the link I will sent but rest assured all is good with your website / email / registration and feel free to ignore the ‘warning’ above by the website designer of the year!