There are several reasons that your transfer might be declined or rejected.  Please review below and then resubmit your request for a new transfer order if it is still before the expiration date.  (Please note that your credit card was not charged if the transfer did not go through)

Click here for a comprehensive list of FAQ'a regarding domain transfers and renewals.

My transfer was rejected - What could have gone wrong?   Top
 Please review below and then resubmit your request for a new transfer order if it is still before the expiration date.

1) You need to respond to one or more verification / confirmation emails. One is from us, and one may be from your current registrar. You need to respond to these emails within an allotted time period (Verisign / Network Solutions requires a response to accept/decline a transfer request within 72 hours, we require a response within 6 days - others registrars may vary or not require a verification email).

2) If your current registrar requires a verification email it would have been sent to the email listed in the current whois database. You may not have checked that email if it isn't an email address that you check on a regular basis.

3) Your current email listed in the whois database may not have been valid or functional.

4) A domain name cannot be transferred to a new registrar in the first 60 days after its initial registration with the current registrar. After 60 days has passed, the domain can be transferred to another registrar. This applies only to “new” domain registrations – there are different guidelines for renewals.

5) You may have made the transfer request after the domain's expiration date. Domain names cannot be transferred from one registrar to another if there is an outstanding invoice due for the domain. Once the expiration date passes for domain renewal, there is an outstanding invoice in effect from the current registrar (until at least a one-year renewal is paid), which prevents the domain from being able to be transferred.

Many registrars will retain the domain in a grace period 10-30 days after expiration.  After the expiration date, your domain is put “on hold” pending renewal payment.  Once you make the renewal payment during that time, your domain name is updated with another year of registration.  You can then transfer the name to another registrar, but you will lose the one-year registration if you transfer the name less than 45 days after the renewal date.

Another option is to try and re-register your domain after it totally drops off, but this is risky because someone else could register your domain. 

6) Your current registrar may have a registrar lock feature. Contact your registrar directly to turn this off.

7) Your registrar may have refused to respond or release it. Call and email your registrar to verify and confirm your transfer request. Your registrar may have a minimum number of years to keep the domain before transferring.

My transfer was not successful - what can I do now?    Top
At this point since your most recent transfer order was not successful, you can start again and initiate a new transfer order.

You can do this only if it is done prior to the expiration or renewal date.  If the expiration date has passed, you will need to renew the domain for one year with your current registrar. You can choose to transfer the domain right after your renewal, but if it is less than 45 days since the last renewal, you will lose that added year of renewal registration from the other registrar. After 45 days you will keep the renewal year.

When you initiate a new transfer order, make sure to check the email that is listed on the whois database record for the legal registrant and/or the administrative contact. For security, one or more auto-verfication emails will be sent with a confirmation link to verify the transfer request. ( You can check your whois database record quickly at http://checkdomain.com ) If this is an old email that you do not check or have access to, you won't be able to confirm the domain and the transfer will be rejected. You may need to update your contact record with your current registrar to reflect a current email you have access to.

Write down the password you enter during the transfer order sign-up process.  When the transfer is successful, you will be able to login to manage your domain with this password from our home page.

Please allow 2-7 days for the transfer to be completed. You will receive a status email at the end of this time frame to let you know if the transfer is complete. You will not be able to access your domain with your password from our home page until the transfer is successful and complete.

FYI - Your credit card is pre-authorized when you initiate a transfer order but it is only charged if and when the transfer is successful.