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Frequently visited

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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Want the chance to win a PlayStation 4? Just give us your details…

  • Friday 27 January 2017

It's increasingly common for internet users to be tricked by e-mails and websites that look as if they come from or belong to well-known, reliable companies. So how can you spot phishing and reduce the risk of your website being hijacked for phishing? Businesses use all sorts of clever techniques, such as prize draws, to get hold of your details – and not always for innocent purposes. That was one of the findings of our survey Trends in Internet Use. In 2016, 72 per cent of consumers and 80 per cent of businesses reported coming across phishing.

SIDN at Webwinkel Vakdagen 2017

Fictitious webshop

With the aim of highlighting this form of cybercrime and the dangers of sharing your details on the internet, SIDN set up a playful phishing scam during the Webwinkel Vakdagen (Webshop Trade Days) on 18 and 19 January. The trick revolved around a fictitious game webshop, Onlyforgamers.nl. To promote the new webshop, we gave away a PlayStation 4 with GTA 5 on each day of the show, in exchange for a few personal details. Two people from SIDN walked around the show hall to see how easily they could get people to part with their details in order to have a chance of winning that PlayStation. To see how easy it was, watch our video (in Dutch)…

Terms and conditions

To have a chance of winning, people had to agree to a specially prepared set of terms and conditions. The T&Cs explained the whole competition, including the fact that our webshop didn't really exist. Hardly anyone bothered to read the T&Cs; all the rest agreed to them blindly before giving us their details. SIDN's Marketing Manager Michiel Henneke revealed the truth about the competition when presenting the prize, and then went on to describe how criminals often abuse information such as we had been given. The moral of the story is that you should always be cautious about parting with your personal details, because nothing is quite what it seems… Of course, we did genuinely hold a draw and give a PlayStation to each day's winner. Think of it as the one and only time that being a victim of phishing actually worked out well. :-)

Phishing game

Visitors to our stand at the show were able to play a phishing game to test their skills. We also gave out tips and tricks for spotting phishing. What lots of webshop proprietors wanted to know was "What can I do to minimise the risk of my webshop being hijacked for phishing?" Many of them had never heard of SIDN BrandGuard: a monitoring tool that notifies you straight away if someone registers a domain name similar to your brand name or your own domain name. The notifications enable you to take action straight away and minimise the harm.