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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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

SIDN's services get the thumbs-up

  • Tuesday 28 November 2017

Customers are very pleased with the services we provide. That's the bottom line of two recent surveys. Registrars gave us 8 out of 10 for our .nl services (8.1 in 2016), while customers using other services gave us 8.8 (up from 8.5 in 2016). Naturally we're pleased to get such positive feedback, and the survey results show us how we can make our services even better.

Our services get the thumbs up!

About two hundred respondents

In October, the Mediatest market research agency invited our customers to take part in a satisfaction survey. We've been polling registrars' opinions since 2005, and last year we started a similar survey of customers using other services, such as the Domain Name Surveillance Service and our registry services. In total, about two hundred customers responded this year. Mediatest additionally organised two registrars' focus groups to explore relevant points in more detail.

Very knowledgeable personnel

Positive perceptions owe a lot to the quality of the contact between us and our customers. We're seen as an accessible, friendly organisation with very knowledgeable personnel. Almost all aspects of customer contact (e.g. support and account management) got scores higher than 8.5 out of 10.

Hardly any production faults

Another big plus point is the reliability of our services. There were hardly any production faults in 2017 and we rarely needed to take services off line for scheduled maintenance. Whereas years ago, faults and maintenance were significant sources of frustration for registrars.

Increased security hasn't boosted satisfaction

As well as all the positive feedback, the survey provided plenty of suggestions. Further streamlining of certain processes and enhanced reporting are both high on the wish list. And increased security, e.g. two-factor authentication, has proved unpopular with some application users.

Our mail doesn't always reach the right person

Something else we need to look at is the frequency and relevance of our communications. For a couple of years now, customers have been able to nominate different contacts to receive different types of communication. However, many of them still have all mail sent to the same person. As a result, that person often feels swamped, while our messages don't reach the people they should.

Aiming for progress in 2018

We'll be repeating both the surveys in Q3 of 2018. Before then, we intend to work on the points highlighted above, with the aim of at least matching the satisfaction levels recorded this year.