Welcome Nosmo_King,
I'm sure your affiliate experience will be much welcomed here by many (including me).
All the best questions have been answered here in one form or another and it's worth searching or browsing for a while under the relevant categories. The search facility works best if you put a * to mean extra letters, so if you're looking for transfer(s) search for transfer*
(I haven't tried that search to determine whether you'll get what you want!)
With regard to your questions:
In particular, is there a waiting period between registering a domain and being able to transfer it to someone else. Also, what's the best route to transfer a domain.
You can legally transfer a domain the instant you win it, but it is the antiquated admin system that takes days and weeks to follow your move.
A typical transfer is as follows:
You advertise the domain preferably stating the BIN (buy it now) price, whether buyer or seller pays the £30 plus VAT (£35.25) Nominet transfer fees, who pays/how you are going to split the escrow fees (if any), if the price includes VAT (or if applicable) and how you are going to get the domain to them (i.e. push from your registrar [registrar name] to either their registrar or to another account at your registrar. (note that some registrars charge fees for transferral outwards, make sure prior to the sale that yours isn't one of them, or if it is who will pay the costs.)
Buyer agrees to purchase domain off you under those terms.
You accept the deal and agree a method to pay, probably best to confirm this deal by email as it is (more) legally binding than the bulletin board pm system.
You discuss whether to use escrow (e.g. escrow.com (not sedo)).
Typically people are 100% honest here though always wait for the money in your bank before transferring the domain.
See the "scams" section to know when not to accept money (e.g. if they have overpaid by a couple of thousand by "accident")
Paypal is common. Bank transfer is also common.
Bank transfer to same brand of bank is instantaneous, to another brand takes 3 or 4 days to clear.
Once all that is agreed and accepted.
You either a):
set up another account in a new name with your registrar and go into the registrars settings and "push" the domain name into that account.
Once it is in there you let the other party know the name and password of that account and they then have full control to change the password away from your grasp, though the domain is still technically yours.
or b) you "push" the domain to their registrar. They also initiate a "transfer request" inwards for that domain. Typically you agree to the transfer by responding to their automated email and away it goes. Buyer lets you know their registrar's IPS TAG address which you plug into the appropriate form on your registrar where it says something like "to which TAG would you like the details of this domain changed" when you are pushing it away.
Meanwhile, if it is just one domain, you send an email to Nominet (
[email protected] )
http://www.nominet.org.uk/registrants/maintain/transfer/
To ask them to send you the forms for transfer.
If it is more than 2 domains you send them a list and they send you a different form (and only charge you a fixed £70.50 for any further domains).
Once you get the forms in the post. You fill in your bits, add a letter saying it's ok on your company letterhead (or personal letterhead with a photocopy of your id) and send it (perhaps by registered post) to the buyer.
Buyer fills in their part, and the letter, and adds the cheque payable to Nominet and sends it on.
Nominet adjusts details on the domain and the transfer is complete.
If the seller has forgotten to change the IPS TAG, then the new owner of the domain can apply to Nominet to have it changed, though they tend to charge (approx £20) for this.
The new owner can't use it unless it is under their TAG.
Remember to delete the domain from any parking program with which you may have parked it (eg Namedrive) otherwise the new owner can't park it there.
It's a long winded post for a pretty simple process.
Best of luck.
-aqls-
