Regaining control of Domain Name

**voodooflux** · 1 December 2008, 12:45

Originally posted by oxtailsoup View Post

I have a Domain name registered to me and I show up as the registered owner on Nominet Whois.

The domain is used for a forum which is very popular.

About a year ago one of the forum members offered to host the website for us as my server was starting to strain under the increased usage.

So this person now hosts the website and has control of the domain.

Unfortunately without going into too much detail this person's conduct is inappropriate (he is sending other members abusive emails and locking their accounts if he falls out with them) and I am about to send him an email (again) asking him that I want to take control back and host the site somewhere else.

I need to be prepared for the fact this may well turn nasty. So I need to know if anyone has had experience of this before and how easy it will be for me to take control back of the domain name?

Thanks

When you say he has control of the domain, has it been transferred entirely to him? Do you have any access to the domain at all?

It sounds like you will also have to get a dump of the forum database from him?

**Incognito** · 1 December 2008, 12:49

Speak to these people (the experts), there's a helpline.

http://www.nominet.org.uk/disputes/drs

**oxtailsoup** · 1 December 2008, 13:00

Thanks,

I have no control over the database any more. The Whois still has me as the owner of the domain.

We are not too fussed about losing the database entries since he took over. It will be a pain but the other members would be glad to see the back of him and if we reverted to the last version I have I don't think they would mind at all. We have about 2000 members so its quite big.

I'll have a look at the dispute section of Nominet - thanks.

**NickFitz** · 1 December 2008, 14:18

As you own the domain, you can point it wherever you want by updating the associated DNS records. You should be able to arrange this through the registrar - probably the company you originally bought the domain from, though possibly not. You can find the name of the registrar using the WHOIS service at nic.uk.

Nominet (aka nic.uk) will usually just tell you to get the registrar to deal with the matter - they only get involved in cases where that isn't possible (e.g. the registrar has gone bust), or there is a dispute over ownership of the domain, trademark infringement, and so forth.

**badger7579** · 1 December 2008, 14:31

is the domain name

Forums.contractoruk.com

**BrilloPad** · 1 December 2008, 14:33

Originally posted by badger7579 View Post

is the domain name

Forums.contractoruk.com

Nope - it said 2000 members. Not 20 plus sockpuppets......

**NickFitz** · 1 December 2008, 15:06

Originally posted by badger7579 View Post

is the domain name

Forums.contractoruk.com

contractoruk.com

forums.contractoruk.com is a subdomain name

**voodooflux** · 1 December 2008, 16:01

Originally posted by NickFitz View Post

As you own the domain, you can point it wherever you want by updating the associated DNS records. You should be able to arrange this through the registrar - probably the company you originally bought the domain from, though possibly not. You can find the name of the registrar using the WHOIS service at nic.uk.

As Nick says (and I tried to allude to) ownership is the key point here - whether or not the domain has been completely transferred away to the other party.

Regaining control of Domain Name