I've been thinking of moving for some time now (even before I watched this video). My question is: how?
They kind of own my domain names now, how can I simply change registrars?
They kind of own my domain names now, how can I simply change registrars?
It's simple! Just find the place in the GoDaddy UI to unlock your domains, then the other place to request the authorization code required to transfer the domains (you need to request this in an email per domain), then disable private registration if you have that enabled (but don't change your personal info, or you'll have to wait another 2 months), then wait for the correct registration info to propagate (wait a day to be safe, because if you do this wrong it really gets tricky), then start the transfer process at the competing registrar, and follow similarly byzantine steps with them.
At some point, GoDaddy will send you an email telling you that you can confirm the transfer, but they don't mention how. Instead, they give you the steps how to cancel the transfer. Follow those steps, if you can (make sure to click on the correct "My account" link or you'll never find the right forms) and just change the last step to say "confirm" rather than "cancel".
A few days will pass, and then your domain will be transferred!
Now, was that so hard?
Gandi: https://www.gandi.net/domain/transfer
1and1: http://order.1and1.com/xml/order/DomaininfoMove
NameCheap: http://community.namecheap.com/blog/2011/03/30/elephants/
Basically go to any registrars home page and either search for "Transfer" on the page itself or in their search box if provided. They will all offer it together with easy how to steps - and I am sure their support team will help as well. They want your business and will make it as easy as possible.
I've been using namecheap for a couple of years, and I'm very happy with them.
We had a bit of trouble with them on credit card billing... Also, we found it hard to use their interface to change configuration settings.
I paid and will avoid 1and1 for the rest of my life.
Another one to avoid like the plague imho is dotster - lost a domain via dotster, even though my payment was accepted and then returned a week later. Domain briefly showed up with whois information of the CEO, and then it changed.
http://blog.dnsimple.com/post/3167427271/preparing-domains-i...
Naturally I'd love if you used DNSimple, but this will work for transferring out to any other registrar.