Domain name advice please
Domain name advice please
Author
Discussion

WAVman

Original Poster:

222 posts

81 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2020
quotequote all
The owner of the business my wife co-manages died recently, so she is taking on more day to day stuff she hasn't had to do before.
One of these is the business website, which they will be updating soon, but we are unsure about the domain registration.
The domain is registered until April 2021, through 123-reg, which we believe the current website host renews annually for them.
What happens if they change site host?
Presumably they just contact 123-reg and pay for another year themselves?
Thanks.

andyb28

1,025 posts

135 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2020
quotequote all
Sounds like your dev / host is holding the domain for you. Check your old invoices from them to see if it included a domain name.
Whilst this keeps things simple, you really should be hold your domain name in your own account.

We have had to rescue domains for companies where their host has gone out of business and the domain was left to expire.

WAVman

Original Poster:

222 posts

81 months

Tuesday 3rd November 2020
quotequote all
Thanks.
Maybe a call to 123-reg as well?

The Moose

23,429 posts

226 months

Wednesday 4th November 2020
quotequote all
Do you have emails or invoices from 123Reg relating to the domain name?

WAVman

Original Poster:

222 posts

81 months

Wednesday 4th November 2020
quotequote all
No. We have invoices from the current website designer / host.

akirk

5,775 posts

131 months

Wednesday 4th November 2020
quotequote all
It is not unusual for the website development company to manage the domains - we mange hundreds for our clients...
key point is that the name should be in the name of who owns it - not the dev. company...

If it is on a 123-reg account then it will either be:
- on the development company's account (in which case you would not gain access to it - so you need to choose to move it to y our own account (talk to the dev. company), or leave it there and let them manage it for you...
- on its own account - in which case you simply need to get the login details - again, the dev. company may have them

regarding how that affects site host - shouldn't be an issue, you simply set where the hosting is in the domain's DNS (A record) - so if you wish to move host, then a change of that record would point the domain at a new site host... (however, caveat - if the dev. company is managing both it might get messier!)

if you need help (gratis) then ping me an email and I will do what I can...

WAVman

Original Poster:

222 posts

81 months

Wednesday 4th November 2020
quotequote all
akirk said:
It is not unusual for the website development company to manage the domains - we mange hundreds for our clients...
key point is that the name should be in the name of who owns it - not the dev. company...

If it is on a 123-reg account then it will either be:
- on the development company's account (in which case you would not gain access to it - so you need to choose to move it to y our own account (talk to the dev. company), or leave it there and let them manage it for you...
- on its own account - in which case you simply need to get the login details - again, the dev. company may have them

regarding how that affects site host - shouldn't be an issue, you simply set where the hosting is in the domain's DNS (A record) - so if you wish to move host, then a change of that record would point the domain at a new site host... (however, caveat - if the dev. company is managing both it might get messier!)

if you need help (gratis) then ping me an email and I will do what I can...
PM'd. Thanks.