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Is it free to transfer a domain away form Dynadot? I'm not planning to do so but I want to know if you charge for this. Also, is it done by email like most registrars or would one need to fax a release like 1&1 does?

Yes, we do not charge you anything when you transfer a domain away from us.  Transfer away requests are done through email; you do not need to fax us anything.

I just came from a WildWestDomains reseller who'd adopted some policies I see as draconian (With WildWest's active support):

1) No outbound transfer of the domain may occur for 60 days after any change to the Registrant contact information.  Note that ICAAN rules require a registrant to keep their contact information current, so this amounts to a penalty that discriminates against people who must report changes beyond their control -- against service persons called to active duty and women who get married for example.

2) No outbound transfer of the domain may occur for 60 days after a domain renewal.  So if someone is on a 1 year registration with auto-renewal their domain will be held hostage for 1/6 of the time (two month a year).

Unlike the 60 day prohibition on transfers after a domain is first registered, these policies are not addressed or specifically permitted by ICAAN or INTERNIC.

What is DynaDot's policy on permitting transfers?

Thanks!

Pat

We do not have any additional bans for outbound domain transfers outside of the 60-day restriction on domains when they are newly registered.  As long as the domain transfer has been initiated before the domain has expired, you should be able to transfer your domain to another registrar of your choice.

We do discourage against transferring a domain within 45 days after its renewal if the domain was renewed right before it expired because of the 45-day Auto-Renew Grace Period.  The reason why we discourage this is because you may lose your renewal if you transfer within this 45-day grace period.  More information on this can be found in our FAQ:

My transfer was successful, but why wasn't my domain renewed?
http://www.dynadot.com/help/question.html?aid=34

Otherwise, you are pretty much free to transfer your domains out whenever you chose.

I believe imposing a 60 day wait after a renewal or similar transaction on a domain name is at the option of the registrar.  Put another way, there are cases where the registrar is permitted to limit the frequency with which it implements a domain leaseholder's instructions to one transaction every 60 days.

Some registrar's occasionally offer transfer discounts to attract new customers.  Usually a transfer extends the domain leas  by a year.

Without the 60 day delay an enterprising customer would be more likely to build up a long term lease by repeatedly taking advantage of discounted transfer offers.