The Registrar can be a different company other than the hosting company. If you register a domain directly with HostGator, you should always contact HostGator for help, never eNom.
If you register your own domains, as an eNom reseller, then most issues are handled directly by eNom. You may still contact HostGator first to be sure.
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) regulates domain registrations and sets prices. Visit www.internic.net to learn your rights as a consumer.
HostGator can host any domain name as long as you can point the DNS to us, but we cannot register every domain. See the related articles.
Domain Name Renewals
Do this early, before the expiration date. Read the related article if you do not know how to renew your domain name.
Expiration
If you fail to renew, then your registration will be interrupted, and then your nameservers will be changed by the registrar. This means it will be a few days before you can see your site is down, and after you finally pay to renew, then it will be a few more days before you can see your site is up.
Redemption
The rules of redemption are different for every company. Here we discuss eNom redemption.
After 29 days of being expired, you enter the redemption period. Now eNom requires $90.00 plus the normal price to renew the domain name. HostGator will require you to pay this cost or register a different domain. (We make no profit on the redemption fee. The entire payment goes to eNom.) This redemption period can last until the next expiration date or until the registrar auctions the domain to a higher bidder, whichever comes first. The registrar may also release the domain so that it can be registered again, but they will not announce when they do this, and they cannot be forced to do this.
Transfers
You always initiate the transfer with the new company (takes 5 to 7 days). There are many obstacles that make a valid domain registration transfer fail.
- If the time with your current registrar is less than 60 days, then you are not allowed to transfer yet. Note, if you just renewed your domain, you may still transfer because you were with the current registrar for more than a year.
- Your domain status is "locked". This is for your protection against false requests; just ask your current registrar to unlock your domain.
- Your whois information is incorrect or private. You must have your valid email listed as the Admin Contact Email so you can receive a confirmation letter from the current registrar; you must follow the instructions provided in the subsequent letter.
- An invalid EPP code ("Auth key") was provided. This is required for most domain names; you must get the EPP code from the current registrar and provide it to the new registrar. If you change any contact information or name servers with the previous registrar, you must get a new EPP code, because it may have changed.
- Domain name is in redemption. You must pay the current company before you may transfer.
Normally, when you transfer your domain registration to a new registrar, you get an additional year added to your expiration date. However, if a domain expires, is renewed and then transferred between registrars within the first 45 days after the expiration date, the domain will not retain the original renewal year once the transfer completes (meaning your expiration date stays the same). This is a registry restriction and applies to all registrars.
Transfer a domain registration now. Visit hostgator.com/transfer.
