Domain Name Transfers

Whenever a user requests a domain name transfer, MaxMD must be excessively diligent to make sure that the request is legitimate in order to avoid the Second Worst Registry Error: domain name hijacking. The following document delineates the process for a MaxMD intra-registrar (ie, not registrar-to-registrar) user-to-user transfer.

User-to-User Transfers

Online transfer initiation (not available yet)

Transfer requests can be initiated on the MaxMD website by the gaining registrant. This will then cause an email to be sent to the current registrant, who will be asked to login to his account and either accept or deny the transfer request. If accepted, the transfer will then be executed automatically by the system without any further MaxMD administrative intervention.

Manual transfer initiation (email, phone, fax, etc)

Transfer requests initiated manually from an email to the MaxMD support box, a phone call to MaxMD employees, or any other method that requires a MaxMD employee to process the transfer should be redirected to initiate the transfer on the MaxMD website. If the reason that the person requested a manual transfer is because they do not have access to the managing account on MaxMD's website, then please see the instructions on resetting an account's password. If for some reason this is not an option, the request must be authenticated and legitimized first, after which the transfer can be executed manually. Please see below for the process to authorize a transfer request.

Note that NONE of the following constitute valid authorization:

a request coming from an authorized email address
a phone call where the person knows all the information that we have on record
a fax on company letterhead
a snail mail on company letterhead

Methods of Authorizing a Transfer Request

Note the following rules during the authorization process that apply to all manual transfer request operations:

the gaining registrant must accept the terms in the Registration Agreement prior to transfer.
an no point can ANY information stored on record be divulged to anyone. any information that is public via the WHOIS interface can be obtained via the WHOIS information, and should not be divulged in any other fashion.

Listed in most-preferred to least-preferred order:

Email authorization

An email requesting confirmation of the transfer is sent to the registrant and/or administrative contact. A copy of this email MUST NOT be sent to the gaining registrant. A reply to this email will then be sufficient to effectuate the transfer if and only if all the following items apply:

the email is a reply, NOT a new email
the email has a valid "References" email header to the Message-ID of the originating email
the email originates from the registrant and/or administrative contact email address
the email contains the original email (possibly in reply format)
the gaining registrant has accepted the Registration Agreement

Fax authorization

A fax of the Losing Registrant Transfer Agreement document is sent to the registrant and/or administrative contact listed on record. The contact must then sign and date the document and fax the document back to MaxMD.

Telephone authorization

If the email address of the registrant and administrative contact are both invalid, then the registrant and/or administrative contact may be called over the telephone. Note that it is unacceptable to receive the phone call. If the request is received over the phone, the MaxMD employee MUST hang-up, dial the phone number on record, and ask for the registrant/administrative contact and ask for transfer confirmation. If the contact confirms the transfer, it can then be executed.

Mail authorization

A printed copy of the Losing Registrant Transfer Agreement document is mailed to the street address of the registrant and/or administrative contact listed on record. The contact must then sign and date the document and return it via mail or fax back to MaxMD.

Online: The user selects the "Forgot My Password" function on the website, and instructions (as well as a special temporary reset code) is sent to the email address stored on record.
Fax: The user calls MaxMD (or contacts MaxMD via any other communication channel) and indicates the desire to reset the account password. The MaxMD employee uses the "Generate Account Reset Code" function on the https://admin.max.md website to generate a new account password reset code and instruction sheet, prints it out, and faxes it to the fax number stored on record for the specified domain name.