PrivacyAdvocate.org Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Whois record and where can I look this up?

A domain name's whois record generally has information about the registrant(owner), admin, billing and technical contacts associated with the domain. This will show first, last, and company name, postal and email address, phone and fax number, as well as information about where the domain is hosted, creation and expiry dates, and of course the domain's registrar.

I've used your contact form to contact a domain owner of a domain I want to buy and have not received a reply. What's going on?

The form you submitted via our web site has been sent to the domain owner. If you have not received a reply from the domain owner, that will be due to their choosing not to reply to your inquiry. That is their choice.

What is the difference between Whois Privacy Service and Whois Proxy Service

Can I transfer a domain with the privacy enabled to another registrar?

Maybe. If the gaining registrar needs to obtain the confirmation of the transfer from the administrative or registrant contact, with privacy enabled at confimation email will not be forwarded. It's always recommended to disable privacy while transferring a domain, and then re-enable this (if available) with the new registrar.

If you are transferring registrars, you will need to disable the service during the time your domain is being transferred. You should of course check with the registrar you are transferring to if they provide Whois privacy protection service, and at what cost. Fees generally range anywhere from free to $12.00 US per year. This privacy fee is in addition to the domain registration fee.

I have purchased a digital certificate. Do I need to turn Privacy off?

Yes. Often the provider of the digital certificate will send a confirmation email to the owner or admin contact in the Whois record. You can re-enable Privacy once the certificate has been verified and installed.

Can I enable or disable your privacy protection service?

That procedure will depend on the registrar for your domain. Your registar's website will likely have a Help section which will answer this question, or you can contact their support department for assistance.

How is my real contact information kept associated with my domain so I don't lose ownership of the domain?

Registrars are required by ICANN, the body that oversees the domain registration business and registrars, to maintain a database of their customer's contact information. The registrars are also required to keep this data in an off-site escrow account for safe keeping. In the event that a registrar would lose their accreditation with ICANN, this escrowed data is used to provide information about domains that would be assigned to a new accredited registrar.