Package deals Hosting + Domain, who owns the domain?
 

I am working with a mainstream company that purchased a domain name / hosting / design package from a company. I am completely against these set ups....

...nevertheless, after examing things, the domain is set:

Lock Status:
REGISTRAR-LOCK

And the registrant reflectst the outside company. They will not give the mainstream company access to change any info on the domain.

So, basically, correct me if I am wrong, but basically the outside company owns the domain?

The person operating the site (mainstream company) has no rights? Or can they swipe the domain back?

I have no experience with these setups. I have always advised against them for this exact purpose...any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

you sir, are correct

whoever has their name and email in that registrar page is the technical owner

now if the inside company used their credit card to register the domain there could be a nice dispute...but I doubt that it will go anywhere

Thank you, I pretty much thought so.

Also, would you agree setups like this are terrible?

I am planning to advise them to just start over....the place charges them for SE work,,,,crazy.

Depends. Is the domain registrant the company name (your client) or the hosting company name?

If they are the registrant, they own the domain and can fax in papers to have the site transfered.

Good luck.

I´d say your advice is very good.

Rather than building up an empire on a domain, that is basically owned by someone else, and could be taken over at any given time, it´ll be better to simply forget about it and start up on a domain that´s in their own secure hands.