Website ownership/renewel

dizbo

Hi, not sure if this is in the right section or not. Everytime i try to do a search on the topic i keep getting an error. So if in the wrong place, can a mod please move it.

I currently part own a website. The person who owns the other half of the website has a friend who builds websites. So he built are one. Now, he charges to upgrade the website and to do the renewel when its up (not half as much as professionals do), but i now have someone that will do it for the actual cost of renewel etc.. So basically for free.

What i'm wondering is how can i get my licence and how can i renew it without having to go back to my original guy. He's hard to get hold off so i can't ask him.

I don't know much about building sites or the language etc.... I know how to use the Admincp etc... but thats about it.

So if anyone knows how I can renew and update everything i'd be grateful or do i have to go and get logins etc from the orignal guy?

Tim M-U

I have a simular problem with someone down the street, he parked the domain and I dont wanna ask him for it.

You can find the expiry and the domain information, here.

If possible, ask the guy for the passwords so you can upload some pictures or something, then change the password in cp (and the billing, contact...!) and give the new password to the new guy... . Hopefully the domain was registered on the same account..:)

professore

Why don't you just explain to the original guy? Why all this cloak and dagger stuff? At the end of the day he has to give it to you and to be honest if I were him I would too as he doesn't need the hassle.

Also your 'free' guy might be a false economy ... if you're not getting paid for something you quickly get pissed off and make it your lowest priority.

dizbo

I have all the password to cpanel as i do all the backups etc.. and the guy who'll do it for free is a friend of mine.

I'm just unsure on how to renew the website and feel that if i tell the guy that we dont need his services there could be problems in the future

Webmonkey

If he is your friend surely you can just explain the situation.

Eoin

Webmonkey wrote: »

If he is your friend surely you can just explain the situation.

That sounds like the best plan to me - going behind his back shouldn't really be plan A. Especially if he has control of the domain name and can point it to another host.

dizbo

See, he aint really my friend, more of an aquaitance. He's a friend of the other guy who owns the site with me but we're not on the best of terms at the moment. This is why i need opinions incase he decides to do stuff (i've changed all passwords so they can't shut down the site or anything etc.... but when it comes up for renewel or an upgrade etc.. thats the problem

Eoin

If he has control of the domain name, then he can easily update the Name servers so the site is on a completely different host, meaning the account you have access to is totally useless.

dizbo

And how can i change it or take control??? Or is the only way to actually ask him for it?

Eoin

Not if he is the contact. If he is just the developer, and you and your friend are the owners, then one of you should own the domain name.

However, it's not unusual for someone who registered the domain on behalf of someone else to still retain control of it. This might be because the client doesn't want to deal with that stuff, but it means that they are trusting the developer not to act the tit. I have registered domain names for a few people, and they are happy to leave them in my control panel so I can easily do the billing, NS updates etc.

Go to this site: http://whois.domaintools.com/ and enter the domain name and see who the contact / registrant is.

dizbo

Yeah its him???? So I'd have to get that tranfered over to my name would it???

Eoin

Yep, he'll have to transfer it over to you. Can't remember how to do that off the top of my head, but if you go to any of the domain registration sites and look up "domain transfers", you'll get the process there.

I think they will send an email to him asking to transfer the domain name, and he has to approve it.

dizbo

And then how do i renew it an all... Since it'll all be in my name????

Eoin

Then you just pay by CC or whatever for the year through a control panel they should provide. You can choose to keep with the same hosting package but that will need to be paid for as well, or you can look to transfer the domain name to a company that does both.

dizbo

lol.. ok that much is over my head.... Right.. looks like i'm gonna have to go ask him so... Thanks for the help folks.. Admin/Mod can lock her up.

Eoin

Your domain registration is different to your hosting. Many, if not most, providers offer both services.

However, if you just register a domain name, then you won't have the service where your web pages are stored and accessed by everyone.

But you already have this service in place, so if you get control of the domain name, then you just need to make sure it points to the same hosting service that you're currently on, and everything should be fine.

PCPhoto

OP ...sounds to me like theres a dispute within the company and you want to gain control of the website (because at the moment your business partner and his friend have control of it)

you have to be really careful if this is the case - as you could end out annoying the other two guys which would aggravate your business relationship.

I can see this possibly becoming a legal issue - do you have anything in writing that states that you are part owner of the website ? if you attempt to ask partners mate if he will transfer ownership to you then he will most likely tell your business partner and things could get ugly !!!

Be careful !!