Website designer wants domain transferred over to them

[Brother D]

They say they'll leave me as registrant but all the other aspects will be managed by them...

They insist it necessary because they want everything to originate from website hosting and because of that it 'simplifies the php mailing system used for forms so that confirmation emails can be sent from the hosting server'

I have no issue updating the DNS to use their nameservers at their hosting company. Just they desperately want to have me transfer my domain over to them...

And also they want to set up a new gmail account for the business to which 'they let me be a manager' that all emails will go through.

Any advice..?

[silobass]

There will be more qualified people than me that can answer but there's no way I'd be handing over my domain name. Personally I wouldn't want a gmail email account associated with it either, it's not that professional, just set up a new one.

[jjlynn27]

Brother D said:

Any advice..?

Yes, find new developers.

[Brother D]

They have been used by friends I know who recommended them in the first place, and they seem reasonably happy with them. Have already spent quite a bit with them for the development before this really came up. If am kept as registrant, then can recover the domain fairly easily right?

[deckster]

Brother D said:

They have been used by friends I know who recommended them in the first place, and they seem reasonably happy with them. Have already spent quite a bit with them for the development before this really came up. If am kept as registrant, then can recover the domain fairly easily right?

It's more their motivations for wanting to take it over. There's no reason I can think of why they should.

The gmail thing is dead fishy as well. Why would you hand over your business email to somebody else? What possible reason could they have for wanting it?

Ask them for detailed reasons why they need to do this and post them up as at the moment it's all sounding a bit dodgy.

[Brother D]

deckster said:

It's more their motivations for wanting to take it over. There's no reason I can think of why they should.

The gmail thing is dead fishy as well. Why would you hand over your business email to somebody else? What possible reason could they have for wanting it?

Ask them for detailed reasons why they need to do this and post them up as at the moment it's all sounding a bit dodgy.

Their reason for emails is 'so that emails will originate from the same server as the hosting' and will 'simplify the php mailing system used for contact forms'.

Currently the primary mail account is hosted separate to the existing website. It's never been an issue with the existing supplier.

[deckster]

Brother D said:

Their reason for emails is 'so that emails will originate from the same server as the hosting' and will 'simplify the php mailing system used for contact forms'.

Yeah, I read that. And on the face of it is utter tosh.

Bottom line, there are significant downsides to you yielding control of your domain and email account and therefore they need to have equally significant and compelling reasons for you to do so.

[ging84]

jjlynn27 said:

Yes, find new developers.

+1

Very unlikely there technical reason they need the domain to be actually transferred to them, and even if there was there would probably be plenty of other ways to solve it.
Either they don't know what they are doing, or are looking for a way to tie you in as a customer.
Don't do it

[dmsims]

Run away

[boxedin]

I wouldn't even bother wasting your time asking them why. Just stop doing business with them and find someone else.

[JonV8V]

You can assign control and take it back whenever you want if you do it the right way. I own a couple of valuable domain names and have rented them out this way and when the company folded I just regained control.

I'd need go ask my tech guy how he did it but rest assured it is possible

[bitchstewie]

As everyone else has said, there is absolutely no technical reason whatsoever for this.

Every part of what you would typically do with a domain name can be done independently of the other parts.

For example:

• We have our domains registered with one company
• We have our primary and reverse DNS hosted by a totally different company
• We have our website hosted by a different company
• We have our email hosted somewhere else

It may make their life easier because they won't need to ask you to do stuff, but it's not like you should be adding/changing DNS records on a frequent basis.

There literally isn't a single technical reason for them to be asking you to do this - none.

[JonV8V]

Just had a look - pretty sure you just need to change the name servers for the domain to theirs. They can do what they want then but if you ever fall out you can change them again to wherever you want.

ps anybody want to rent a great shop url?

[GuyW]

Run away now, find a different company quick.

[king arthur]

Complete and utter tosh. If they're trying to pull the wool over your eyes with something like this, I wouldn't trust them to be honest about other issues down the line. Tell them to go fk themselves.

[GetCarter]

As above. It's nonsense.

I've been offered $10k for my domain (due to the traffic I get)... so you can see why people want to own them...

[Brother D]

All, very much appreciate the responses and confirming my thoughts - told them that there's no way would be moving the domain over to them and they are sort of ok with it...