Do You Own Your Domain? Are You Sure?

Think about all the advertising and promotion you have done for your website domain. It is on all your signs, ads, cards and may even be splashed on the side of a bus or loom large on a billboard or bus bench. Can you imagine if you found out tomorrow that you do not own that name and that you could very well lose the ability to use it for your website? This situation becomes twice as volatile if your email address is also associated to that domain name!

Finding out that you do not own your own domain usually happens at the most inopportune time such as when you are making a change in your web provider. Don't wait to find out the status of your domains!

Many people have relied on others to secure their company and personal domain names. This was a common practice a few years ago as web providers assisted their clients in the start up of new sites. The web provider, with very good intentions, purchased the domain under their own personal account. So in essence, the web provider owns that domain not the broker or agent. This may or may not be a problem. If you are on good terms with this provider they will gladly transfer the name to you...if not...you may be facing a nice battle. Battle or not, do your best to get it transferred to you.

The other situations I see are when employees of the company or well intentioned friends buy domains for you and put their contact information on the domain account. You may still own the domain but all alerts and information about that domain such as impending expirations, transfers etc. will go to that person's email, phone and home address. If that employee is no longer with you or your friend has made changes in their contact information, you risk the chance of not get these alerts and your domain could expire and be bought by someone else.