Reclassifying tags

This section describes how to use Online Services to reclassify a tag.

Note: To update an existing tag, select the relevant tag in the ‘Your tags’ section and then select the option to ‘Update’. To apply for a new tag, log into Online Services, select ‘Apply for services’ and then select ‘Apply for an additional domain tag’.

To reclassify a tag to Accredited Channel Partner or Self-Managed status, log into Online Services, and on the home page, select the relevant tag in the ‘Your tags’ section and then select the option to ‘Reclassify the tag’

Saving the data in your submission

Your application will automatically be saved when you click ‘next’ so that you can come back to it later.  For security reasons a timeout is in place so if you leave a screen inactive for more than an hour it will timeout, and you will need to start your application again from the last save screen.

In order to give appropriate time and consideration to the application questions we suggest you prepare your answers initially in a text editor and then copy and paste them into the relevant sections of the online application.  This way you ensure you have a copy saved locally.

Submission screens

You will be taken through the following screens:

  • Overview – confirms the tag that you have selected to reclassify and high level instructions
  • Tag classification – select your chosen tag classification (Accredited Channel Partner, Channel Partner or Self-Managed)
  • Registry-Registrar Agreement (RRA) –  read the terms of the agreement and acknowledge that you have read and understood the RRA
  • Trading details – confirm/update your trading details including your company name
  • Public details – confirm/update your public contact details
  • Provide contacts – confirm/update the contact details Nominet holds for your tag
  • Compliance details – provide answers to the various compliance questions
  • Notifications – confirm/update your various email notification details
  • Additional information – provide any additional information you feel is relevant to support your tag reclassification application
  • Review and submit – review your application before you submit it to Nominet for processing

Processing your tag reclassification application

We treat each application on an individual basis, and we may need to follow up some applications with a telephone call or email to discuss certain elements and in some cases to ask for clarification or more information.  Our aim is to work with every registrar who wishes to apply for tag reclassification and to provide help and support to enable registrars to meet the requirements.

Completing the ‘Compliance details’ screen in Online Services

Please answer all the questions and provide an accurate description of the solution or process that you operate.  Where this information is already published on your website, please provide the URL and make sure you identify clearly which specific clause or section answers the question.

Information required

All tag classifications:

Accredited Channel Partners only:

Self-Managed tags only:

  • Details of names you wish to be treated as connected names for your tag

Complaints and appeal procedures

We ask that you publish details on your website of:

  • How a customer can make a complaint if they are not satisfied with the service they have received from you

Show how you make your registrants aware of your complaints procedures, e.g. by URL link, and demonstrate that you are committed to acknowledge complaints within the specified timeframe. For requirements see ‘benefits and expectations’.

Example

You might want to consider using something like this example, if appropriate for your business;

“We are committed to providing high standards of service to our customers but understand that sometimes things can go wrong.  If you are not satisfied with any part of our service then we want to know about it.   We will resolve your complaint as quickly as possible and if appropriate provide an explanation as to what went wrong and how we will seek to resolve the issue.

Please contact us in one of the ways listed (e.g., e-mail address, telephone, postal address).   We may call you back or write to you depending on the best way to resolve your complaint.

  • When we receive your complaint we will acknowledge it within (three or five) working days
  • We will then fully investigate your complaint and aim to respond within 10 working days
  • If the situation requires a longer investigation, we will contact you within 10 working days to inform you of this and let you know when you can expect our response
  • If you are not happy with the explanation we give you, you can contact our Customer Service Manager who will review your complaint and respond to you”

Making customers aware of Terms and Conditions

Show how you make registrants aware of your key terms at registration and renewal.

Show how you make registrants aware of Nominet’s key terms at registration and renewal, and how you ensure your resellers comply with our terms (state if the latter is not relevant to you).

Customer Service Level commitments

We would like your customers to understand what they can expect when they do business with you and how they will be dealt with.  Please provide information about your published service levels.  In particular how you comply with the requirement to acknowledge customer communication within the specified timeframe. For requirements see ‘benefits and expectations’. You might also show who your customers should contact for certain types of enquiry as well as when you are available to respond to customer enquiries.

This information should be published on your website; please provide the specific URL where this information is available.

Resellers

Show how you ensure that your Reseller contract is compatible with Nominet’s Registry-Registrar Agreement, in particular:

  • How you ensure that your resellers are aware of Nominet’s Terms and Conditions for Domain Name Registration
  • How you ensure your resellers adhere to Nominet’s terms and conditions in their dealings with registrants

Connections with other registrars

Disclose any connections you have with other registrars in the UK namespace or Nominet members.  This may include contractual, corporate or ownership connections.

Customer website

Provide the website URL where you make registrants aware of your contact details (address, telephone number, email address etc).  If you do not provide a public contact telephone number please explain in your application how you enable customers and people with enquiries to contact you. For requirements see ‘benefits and expectations’.

Abuse contact

Please provide the website URL where you publish an appropriate contact method to which abuse complaints can be directed.  We expect you to monitor abuse complaints that are sent to you, acknowledge them within 5 days and deal with them appropriately.

Insurance details – Accredited Channel Partners

We have not taken a prescriptive approach in terms of the insurance policies and level of cover that Accredited Channel Partners should have. The appropriate insurance will vary depending on the location, type and size of each registrar’s business. Please provide a statement to outline what insurance you have in place to cover yourself and registrants in case anything goes wrong.  Please include the time period this insurance is valid for.

Appropriate insurance may include:

  • Public liability insurance
  • Employer’s liability cover
  • Professional indemnity

If you don’t have one or more of the above types of insurance, please state why you don’t need them.

Business continuity – Accredited Channel Partners

We expect Accredited Channel Partner tag registrars to have clear regard for protecting the interests of their customers, including in the event of something going wrong. A business continuity plan that sets out how you will ensure your critical services will continue to run and/or be restored is a vital part of this. Please see creating business continuity plan for suggestions on how you might do this. At Nominet we have developed business continuity plans and an appropriate business continuity statement.  You are welcome to adapt elements of it to suit your own needs.

As part of your application, please provide a business continuity statement. This should set out how you approach business continuity and what continuity measures you have in place.  The statement does not need to be exhaustive; we are looking to understand what plans you have in place and to be confident that these are appropriate to the type of services that you provide to registrants. We recognise that the detail of any such plan will vary considerably dependent on the type and size of business you are running.

You may wish to include brief statements that cover the following areas:

  • Overview of your business continuity arrangements
  • Business continuity objectives
  • Scope of your business continuity arrangements e.g. which locations and/or services do they cover
  • Business recovery arrangements
  • Training and awareness arrangements for your employees (if appropriate)
  • Exercises and testing e.g. how often do you test your business continuity arrangements and to what extent

Data quality – Accredited Channel Partners

We need to receive a statement setting out your auditable process for how you intend to validate registrant name and address details for data that Nominet has been unable to validate.  See the Data Quality Policy section for full details on what is required and examples of sources you can use

This should include:

  • Any actions you will take to correct registrant data
  • How you plan to validate name and address data for both business and individuals e.g. how you plan to use your own information such as billing information, whether you plan to use any 3rd party validation tools etc.
  • Confirmation that you will apply the data quality lock to suspend domain names after 30 days for any cases where you cannot validate the registrant data.
  • A brief statement on how you plan to use the Accredited Channel Partner facility to delete domain names suspended for poor data quality.

Transferring expired domains – Accredited Channel Partners

If you intend to transfer expired domains into your own name, state how you ensure you have explicit consent from the registrant to do so.

Also state how you meet the obligation to send an expiry notice to registrants for all expiring domains.  The mandatory minimum requirement is to provide an advance notice of pending expiry to your customers within 30 days of expiry.

For more information see ‘benefits and expectations’.

Connected names – Self Managed tag

If you wish, provide up to 5 registrant names that are closely associated with your tag account name that you wish to be treated as connected names for your Self-Managed tag.

For more information see ‘benefits and expectations’.

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