First, find out who holds it
Before you message anyone, look the domain up. Five minutes here decides which route you take.
- .com: ICANN Lookup. Search the domain at lookup.icann.org. Most owner details are hidden for privacy, but you will see the registrar and the expiry date.
- .com.my: MYNIC WHOIS. .my domains are run by MYNIC, Malaysia’s registry. Its WHOIS shows the reseller holding the domain and, often, the registrant organisation.
- The registrant is what matters. The registrant is the legal holder. If it is your company, the job is getting a login. If it is the designer, the domain has to be handed over.
- Note the expiry date. If it lapses within weeks, act now. Once the grace period ends, anyone can register an expired domain.
Ask the designer — in writing
Most domains come back after one clear, polite message. Send it on WhatsApp or email so there is a record.
- Ask for exactly two things. The domain unlocked and its transfer code (also called the EPP or auth code) — or the registrant changed to your company name.
- Offer to pay the renewal. If they paid the last renewal, offering to cover it removes the most common reason for delay.
- Give a date. “By this Friday” gets a reply faster than “when you are free”.
- Change nothing else yet. Leave nameservers and hosting as they are until the domain is in your name, so the site and email keep running.
Moving a .com into your name
Once you have the code, a .com transfer is routine.
- Open an account at the new registrar. In your own or your company’s name, with an email address you control — not one on the same domain.
- Start the transfer with the code. Enter the transfer code and pay for one year’s renewal; the year is added to the existing expiry date.
- Approve the confirmation email. The transfer usually completes within five to seven days, sometimes sooner.
- Expect a 60-day lock. After a transfer or a change of owner, a .com usually cannot be moved again for 60 days. That is normal.
Moving a .com.my into your name
.com.my domains follow MYNIC’s rules and are handled by the reseller that holds them.
- Registered to your company?. Contact the reseller shown in WHOIS. With your SSM documents and IC, they can usually reset the contacts to you — even if the designer has gone quiet.
- Registered to the designer?. The designer has to request the change of registrant to your company. The reseller will ask for their consent and your SSM details.
- Then move reseller if you want. Once it is in your name, you can move the .com.my to another MYNIC reseller or keep it where it is.
- Keep copies of everything. SSM certificate, IC, the WhatsApp request. Resellers ask for proof; having it ready saves a week.
If they will not reply
Rare, but it happens — usually because the designer has closed shop, not out of malice.
- Watch a short expiry. If the domain lapses and the holder does not renew, you can often register it yourself after the grace period. Check it daily.
- Disputes are a last resort. If your registered business name or trademark is in the domain, .com disputes go through UDRP and .my disputes through MYDRP at the AIAC. Both usually cost more than a small business wants to spend.
- Weigh up a new domain. Sometimes a new domain, announced to customers, is cheaper than a fight. Your Business Profile and social links can be updated in an afternoon.
- Do not forget the website. The hosting login, WordPress admin and a full backup matter as much as the domain. Ask for all of them in the same message.
Making sure it never happens again
Once the domain is back, five minutes of setup stops the same problem with the next designer.
- Registrant is always your company. Whoever builds or hosts the site, the domain stays registered to your business. Designers get their own login, not ownership.
- Contact email you control. Use an address that is not on the domain itself — if the site or email ever breaks, renewal notices still reach you.
- Auto-renew on, two-year term. Renew for two years at a time with auto-renew on, and put the expiry date in the company calendar.
- Write it into the quotation. Any web design quotation should say the domain, hosting and logins belong to you. If it does not, ask for it to be added.
Questions
How long does it take to get a domain back?
With a cooperative designer, a .com takes about a week and a .com.my a few working days once the reseller has your documents. Without cooperation it can take months.
Will my website or email go down during the transfer?
Not if the nameservers stay the same. A transfer only changes who manages the registration — the site and mailboxes keep running.
Can my designer keep my domain?
If it is registered in their name, they are the holder on record — which is why the request to hand it over matters. If it is registered to your company, it is yours, and the registrar or reseller can help you regain access.
What does CST charge?
Moving a site and its domain into your name is RM 600 with CST’s moving & rescue service. Hosting with a .com domain is RM 390 a year.
What if the domain expired and someone else bought it?
You can ask the new owner to sell it, but prices are often high. If your registered business name or trademark is in the domain, a dispute may be possible. Often a new domain is the faster route.
Will a new domain hurt my Google rankings?
It resets some of them. If you still control the old domain, permanent (301) redirects to the new one carry most of the value across. If not, update your Business Profile and directories quickly.