[ale] My experiences switching GoDaddy to GreenGeeks

[Lightner, Jeffrey]

The key to successfully moving off GoDaddy:
1) Be sure the Registrant email listed for the domain at GoDaddy is current.   (Note if you change it they'll lock you for 60 days - If your timeline is a few months out now would be a good time to change it.)
2) Be sure to "unlock" the domain for transfer at GoDaddy before doing anything else.  If they get a transfer request while it is locked they won't let you unlock it for 60 days.
3) Get the authorization (a/k/a EPP) code for transfer from GoDaddy.
4) Request the transfer at your new Registrar (i.e. not at GoDaddy).  
5) New Registrar will request the authorization code.  Give them the one you got from GoDaddy.
6) Both GoDaddy and new Registrar will send emails to the Registrant.   Be sure anything you click on is to "accept" the transfer.    

As noted by others here GoDaddy will immediately discontinue any services (web hosting, email etc...) associated with the domain when the transfer starts.   The only thing that goes through on transfers is your DNS servers (assuming you're not using GoDaddy itself for DNS - if you are using GoDaddy they'll point you to their parked page and all your records will go away.)  

-----Original Message-----
From: Ale <ale-bounces at ale.org> On Behalf Of DJ-Pfulio via Ale
Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2019 4:18 PM
To: ale at ale.org
Subject: Re: [ale] My experiences switching GoDaddy to GreenGeeks

I have a few simple rules about running websites.

* Keep the Registrar separate from the DNS and hosting.
* Keep the DNS separate from the Registrar and hosting.
* Keep the hosting separate from the DNS and Registrar.
* Don't let php web-apps be available directly over the internet.
* Stay patched, stay on supported software.
* Don't use commercial DBMSes (many more similar rules, but I don't want to name companies here).

Simple, effective.  I know many people will disagree on all or a few of my "rules."

With all that said, I've been with GoDaddy as a Registrar for over 20 yrs for some legacy domains. I renew 10 yrs at a time, so once every 10 yrs, 15 minutes of hassle. I'm planning to move the registrations this year and will begin 6 months before the deadline. I've heard horror stories about getting domains moved off godaddy, but those were mainly all-in-one bundles.  Unless they have a 50% coupon, which seems to happen when it it time to re-up.



On 2/26/19 3:41 PM, Brian Stanaland via Ale wrote:
> I worked for a company that had all the customer domains through AWS 
> but corporate was through GoDaddy. The corp accounts were set long 
> before we decided to use AWS. When we asked GoDaddy about migrating 
> corp to AWS, they gave us a "suggested actions" sheet and turned off 
> our domains. Like...immediately. No warning or anything.
> 
> On Tue, Feb 26, 2019 at 3:04 PM Neal Rhodes via Ale <ale at ale.org 
> <mailto:ale at ale.org>> wrote:
> 
>     Well, I cannot claim great planning, but my domain is registered with
>     A2, and I previously used GoDaddy for the mail and servers.
> 
>     This meant that I could do all the setup on GreenGeeks, then when they
>     were ready, and had already grabbed our mailboxes, I switched the A2
>     domain to point to GreenGeeks on a Saturday night, and voila.
> 
>     If things continue to work ok, I can turn off the Godaddy.  Or I could
>     even limp back to them.
> 
>     Had the domain been registered with GoDaddy, I don't think this would
>     have been so clean. 
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