How do I transfer my domain name to LA Serve?

If you already have a domain name registered and would like LA Serve to become the new hosts for this domain, you can transfer it to us.

All you need to do is contact LA Serve with the information listed below. Your current website hosting company should be able to provide all this information for you.

• Domain name
• Current host FTP ID or URL
• Current username
• Current password
• Any email address that are attached to your domain name
• Your current hosts contact detail

If you are struggling to get assistance from your current registrar or would simply like LA Serve to represent your company through-out this transfer we would be more than happy to help. However, this can occasionally incur additional costs depending on your current registrar’s transfer fee and administration charges, a good estimation would be between £25 and £50. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.

Should I start a transfer on a domain name that is about to expire?

A transfer request must be received by an LA Serve member of staff for a .co.uk at least 7 days before the current expiration date. For a .com a transfer request must be received at least 14 days before the current expiration date.

To be save it is best to try and start a transfer several weeks before the expiration date, in case of possible registrar rejections and other errors or problems that can occur during a transfer process.  

My domain name has already expired. Can I transfer to you?

If your domain name registration date has already expired, a transfer of this domain name must be done through Nominet, the UK registering authority, who manage the authoritative database of .uk Domain names.

A transfer through Nominet usually takes about 2 working days to complete once the registrar of the domain name has signed the transfer forms, provided by LA Serve.

It will cost £25 plus VAT, if we need to go through Nominet to transfer a domain name (this cost covers the Nominet  transfer fee and administration fee).

Will I need to confirm the transfer with my current registrar?

After a transfer request is made, your current registrar may ask for confirmation. However, we would usually just fax the relevant forms to you to be signed.

How long does it take for a domain transfer to take place?

It can takes anywhere between 2 and 14 working days to transfer a domain name.

Is there anything that could delay or prevent the transfer of my domain?

You may receive a verification / confirmation email, you need to check your email regularly during the transfer, as there is usually a time limit on how long you have to reply. If you fail to reply within this time frame the transfer request will be declined. It is important to notify LA Serve if you receive emails of any nature relating to your transfer.

If the email address for the administrative contact in the WHOIS database is invalid, you won’t receive the email and so will not be able to confirm the transfer. Please see the following support question for what you can do about this.  

The registrar losing the domain could decline the transfer for several reasons:

• The domain is not paid for: You have up until the day before your registration renewal is due to transfer a domain name. After this you would have to pay the renewal fee before you would be able to transfer the domain. 
• The Domain is less then 60 days old: if you purchased the domain within the last 60 days then you will be unable to transfer that domain name until these initial 60 days are up.
• The domain is involved in a legal dispute: If your domain is involved in a litigation matter, you will not be able to transfer it. 
• Transfer approval is at the discretion of your current registrar, however, they cannot deny it without a valid reason.

The current administrative email for my domain is invalid. How do I correct it?

Unfortunately, if your administration email is invalid it can be extremely problematic. It is important to make sure that the administrative contact email address for your domain is correct when you first register your domain and before you submit your transfer request or you will experience unnecessary delays.

However, if your administration contact email address is no longer valid but you wish to transfer your domain to LA Serve, please get in contact with us, I’m sure that we will be able to help. 

What will happen during my domain transfer to LA Serve?

Domain transfers are a multi-step process. After you complete the online form, the following happens:

• We will save your website using the FTP settings your current server provided (see first question).
• We then set up your account with DonHost (the hosting service we use).
• Once this is complete we will send you a transfer In Form by email, fax, post, or hand-delivery (where necessary).
• Once you have signed and returned the form to us, usually with a blank piece of your company letter-headed paper, we will contact your current hosting company and begin the transfer.
• While your current hosting company is transferring your site over to LA Serve, we will set up your email ready for when the domain transfer is approved. 
• Once your current registrar has approved the transfer we will be able to complete the transfer and your website will now be hosted by LA Serve.
• Finally a member of our technical support team will contact you to guide you through the changes required in your email setting.