Registrar is non-authorative for domain

[reefoid]

I have a contact who wants to move their hosting. They're currently hosted on a local web design company's hosting but they've been mucked about by them with regards to a new site and they are now trying to charge £300+ for a year's hosting.

Previously when I've moved people's domains, I've just logged into their registrar's account, changed the nameservers (usually to TSOHost nameservers), uploaded the website and setup their email accounts.

However, their current hosting company is saying the registrar is not authoritave for this domain and I need to change DNS through cPanel.

I understand what non-authoritave means, but can someone advise on the cPanel bit? My contact wants to move completely away from this company and I'm concerned that by just changing the DNS entries through cPanel this isn't a complete break. For example, wouldn't it mean they would then have two cPanels, the old one and the new one? Or can I just change every DNS entry in the old cPanel to the new IP and the old cPanel then becomes redundant?

Or is this a case where I'll need to update the IPS tag and move the domain registration as well?

Any advice would be welcome. The current hosting company aren't being very forthcoming with assistance on this.

Thanks

 

[Steveocee]

I have a vague grasp of this but by simply logging into current registrar cpanel and changing DNS entries, the current registrar is still "holding" the domain. All you are moving away is the hosting and using their tool to point the DNS.

I *think* you would need to get the IPS tag and move it away completely to break from them.

 

[Coji]

It sounds like you have the correct procedure in mind and the current host is trying to be awkward.

I'm going to assume from your description that the local company registered the domain on behalf of your contact through their own registrar? If this is the case then they will need to update the IPS tag for you (assuming .co.uk domain) as you've described.

If they refuse you can either check who the registrar is (1) and then approach them about misconduct from one of their resellers or go directly to Nominet and file a dispute (2). In my experience simply informing the party who holds the domain that if they don't comply with the transfer in a timely manner that you're going to file a dispute, is enough to get the cogs moving.

[1] http://www.nominet.org.uk/uk-domain-names/about-domain-names/domain-lookup-whois/whois-tool
[2] http://www.nominet.org.uk/disputes