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Frequently asked questions

  • I am looking for a domain name registrant. Where can I look it up?

    The Whois is an easy-to-use tool for checking the availability of a .nl domain name. If the domain name is already taken, you can see who has registered it.

    On the page looking up a domain name you will find more information about what a domain name is, how the Whois works and how the privacy of personal data is protected. Alternatively, you can go straight to look for a domain name via the Whois.

  • I would like to transfer my domain name to another registrar. What is the procedure?

    To get your domain name transferred, you need the token (unique ID number) for your domain name. Your existing registrar has the token and is obliged to give it to you within five days, if you ask for it. The procedure for changing your registrar is described on the page transferring your domain name.

  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date. How can I get them updated?

    To update the contact details associated with your domain name, you need to contact your registrar. Read more about updating contact details.

  • Why is my domain name in quarantine?

    When a domain name is cancelled, we aren't told the reason, so we can't tell you. You'll need to ask your registrar. The advantage of quarantine is that, if a name's cancelled by mistake, you can always get it back.

    One common reason is that the contract between you and your registrar says you've got to renew the registration every year. If you haven't set up automatic renewal and you don't renew manually, the registration will expire.

  • Ik heb een klacht over mijn provider/registrar. Kan ik daarvoor bij SIDN terecht?

    Wanneer je een klacht hebt over of een geschil met je registrar dan zijn er verschillende mogelijkheden om tot een oplossing te komen. Hierover lees je meer op pagina klacht over registrar. SIDN heeft geen formele klachtenprocedure voor het behandelen van een klacht over jouw registrar.

  • What conditions do I have to meet as a registrar?

    Would you like to be able to register domain names for customers or for your own organisation by dealing directly with SIDN? If so, you can become a .nl registrar. Read more about the conditions and how to apply for registrar status on the page becoming a registrar.

More frequently asked questions

RDW case illustrates the extent of domain name abuse

Thousands of internet users conned by scam websites

Dutch registration certificate
  • Wednesday 9 September 2020

Suppose you need to pay your annual car tax. You do a search for 'RDW', the authority that handles that kind of thing in the Netherlands. And 'rdwservice.nl' pops up in the results. Clicking the link brings you to a site with the RDW's familiar colour scheme, logo and style. It doesn't cross your mind that anything might be wrong. So you pay the tax and… hear nothing more. Because, like thousands of others around the country, you've been conned. Sadly, as the police recently confirmed on RTL News, such scams are commonplace.

Just the right side of the law

Getting scam sites shut down often isn't easy. In the example above, a .nl domain name was used, but the server was in Germany and so was the bank account that took the victims' money. So everything came under German jurisdiction. Another complication is that some scammers manage to stay just the right side of the law. Rather than providing no service at all, they simply submit a document to the real RDW. And the small print says that what you're paying isn't your car tax, but a referral fee.

Immediate detection of abusive registrations

What can you do if scammers abuse your organisation's name? Half the battle is making sure that you know about abusive registrations straight away. SIDN BrandGuard can be really useful for that. SIDN BrandGuard immediately flags up registrations that resemble a brand or trading name, so you can act quickly to prevent abuse. Sometimes even before the malicious website goes live. The sooner you know and the faster you act, the less time the site is active and the less lucrative the scam becomes.

Notice and Take Down Code

But how do you actually get a scam site shut down? The most direct approach is to follow the Notice and Take Down Code. Within the Netherlands, the Code can be used to take action against websites that are clearly breaking the law. However, while it's the quickest way to get something done, the criteria are quite strict. In cases like those described, the sites often aren't clearly breaking the law.

Dispute Resolution System for .nl Domain Names

An alternative approach is to use the Dispute Resolution System for .nl Domain Names. The system allows you to get control of a domain name that infringes your trademark, such as a lookalike name used for a scam. The Chamber of Commerce recently got a result that way in a similar case. The drawback is, of course, that you can't go on indefinitely taking control of more and more domain names to stop them being used for scams.

Google T&Cs

If a scammer ever uses your name in a fraudulent internet ad, you have the option of asking the search engine operator to intervene. Scam sites tend to have a short lifespan, so the crooks often use search engine advertising (SEA) to lure a lot of victims quickly. It's therefore worth seeing whether a problem site breaches the applicable terms and conditions. If you think it does, you can complain to Google or the search engine operator in question. That approach is used by the RDW and others.

It pays to act

Unfortunately for organisations like the RDW, stopping scams isn't easy. Many distasteful con tricks don't strictly break the law. Following up and seeing what, if anything, can be done is often time-consuming and expensive. Action is nevertheless usually worthwhile, because the image damage caused by a scam can be even more costly.