Advice needed regarding problems with controlling a .com domain

[alex]

I am working with a client who is the registrant of a .com domain name.

She has a 1and1 account.

The domain is associated with a different 1and1 account belonging to a previous developer whom she is no longer in any contact with (and can't get hold of). However, the registrar isn’t actually 1and1.

She tells me that she does not have the auth code. Would it be with 1and1 or the actual registrar?

In an ideal world she would transfer the domain within 1and1 from her developer’s account to hers. Do you know if there is there a process to re-establish control?

1and1's response to my initial query was along the lines of "to transfer a domain you need the auth code, see our FAQ for the process of transferring a domain, if you have any domain dispute issues please contact ICANN" - not the most helpful reply.

Does anyone have any experience of this?

 

[Retired_member41]

Ah forget that I've just read it correctly.

 

[monaghan]

If she is the registrant and has any documentation (invoice / other sales document that releases the registrar from liability), then the current registrar may help or contact the account owner, if not, then you are probably stuck as anyone could claim they own the domain.

 

[PaulGregory]

She tells me that she does not have the auth code. Would it be with 1and1 or the actual registrar?

The actual registrar has the auth code. The association it has with 1&1 must only be for hosting - if they're not the registrar, they couldn't have any authority to transfer it from the registrar.

Did the developer actually register the domain name? You may need to ask your client. Clients can often forget crucial information. There is likely to be a clue in the WHOIS.

Actually, is your client named on the WHOIS?

If you have no access to the current registrar, how long do you have before the domain needs to be renewed?

 

[alex]

Thanks for your help. Sorry for not replying, I wasn't ignoring you, I was just waiting for a bit more info.

We do now have access to the auth code, it was a case of opening a ticket with the registrar.

Given that the initial advice from 1and1 wasn't entirely correct/helpful, we've now spoken to them and things are moving along.

It was just an unusual case (or possibly not) where neither of us seemed to have the info needed and someone else's account was in control.