Absolutely! We will be happy to have you transfer your existing domain or domains to our registry. Provided the domain is unlocked, has WhoIs Privacy turned off, and is among the domains we can accommodate (some international domains may not be eligible,) we will gladly initiate a transfer for you.
You need not have a hosting account with Black Chicken Host in order to transfer your domains to us.
To initiate the transfer, simply log into the client area with your Black Chicken Host username and password. Select "Order," then "Transfer Domain." On the next screen, type in your domain in the first box without the "top level domain," like .com or .org. If we were going to transfer newdomain.org to Black Chicken Host, we'd put "newdomain" in the text box and then in the dropdown, we'd select ".org."
Click the "Check Availability" option, and the system will automatically detect whether the domain is eligible for transfer. If it is, click "Add to Cart." On the next page, you'll be asked for an "EPP Code." This is a security measure to prevent unauthorized domain transfers and domain theft. To get your EPP code, log into your existing registrar and request the code be sent to you.
If you're not sure who your registrar is, you can in most cases find out by entering your domain into a free WhoIs service site, like InterNIC.
Our WhoIs lookup show the following information for blackchickenhost.com:
Domain Name: BLACKCHICKENHOST.COM
Registrar: ENOM, INC.
Whois Server: whois.enom.com
Thus, we see eNom is our registrar, and that's from where we would need to request an EPP code. Your registrar will usually send your EPP in an email. Once you have received it, you can place it in the EPP code on the order form.
Next, there are two options you can select: "DNS Management" and "ID Protection." DNS Management gives you the ability to make authoritative DNS changes via your Black Chicken Host client area, and is a free service. ID Protection is our Whois privacy protection, which prevents your personal details from being accessed via a WhoIs lookup. This service costs $10.00 per year.
Most Black Chicken Host customers should leave the nameservers fields alone. If the site is not currently hosted by Black Chicken Host, then you should change these fields to reflect the correct nameservers, as they will take effect immediately upon the domain transfer.
Domain transfers are a multi-stage process, with responses required from both you, the domain account holder, and your existing registrar. Again, the domain must be unlocked, not expired, and have any WhoIs privacy protection removed for the transfer to be successful.
When the existing registrar receives the transfer request from us, along with a valid EPP code, they will send an email to their account holder asking for permission to perform the transfer. This is another important layer of security to ensure your domain is not transferred without your permission. How soon the registrar sends the email will depend upon what processes they have in place for transfers. Some will send the email within a few hours, others may take several days.
When you receive the email from your existing registrar, it is important to respond as quickly as possible, as the transfer will be invalidated if you do not respond within the allotted time frame. Typically, that time frame is 24 hours, but it's a good idea to reply as soon as you receive the mail so it's not forgotten.
When the registrar receives your response, the ball is then entirely in their court - they will transfer the domain to us within anywhere from 24 hours to 7 business days. Typically, a transfer will be completed within 5 business days.
When the transfer occurs, your expiration date is extended by one year and your domain is now registered with Black Chicken Host.
