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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Webshop Trade Days 2019 focus on platforms

No app, no sales

On 23 and 24 January, Utrecht's Jaarbeurs exhibition centre hosted the thirteenth Webshop Trade Days. Businesses in the e-commerce sector form an important target group for .nl, so we visited the event on both days. The extensive programme was dominated by a single theme: big platforms and what they mean for the future of the Netherlands' 100,000-plus webshops. Will the Dutch e-commerce landscape soon be dominated by a handful of powerful retail platforms? And, if so, which ones?

Shared on-line storefront

An e-commerce platform is an on-line storefront, through which retailers offer their products and services to a wide audience. Customers are served directly by the individual retailers, with the platform taking a commission. The retail platforms best known to the Dutch public are Bol.com, Ali Baba and Amazon. A platform's development often involves a prominent player giving other sellers access to its e-commerce software. The piggyback sellers then don't have to build their own storefronts, while the prominent player expands without getting involved in fulfilling the extra orders. In many countries, platforms already dominate the internet economy. In China, for example, it's almost impossible to trade successfully on line without using a platform.

Keynote speaker from Bol.com at the Webshop Trade Days

More brands offering platforms

So, what does this trend mean for the Dutch e-commerce sector? On the opening morning, nu.nl predicted that by 2025 the landscape would be dominated by a handful of players. In keeping with that forecast, the Webshop Trade Days returned to the subject of platforms again and again. Existing platforms showed off what they could offer, and big brands announced plans to start Dutch platforms of their own. Later this year, for example, Zalando's site and app will be opened up to Dutch fashion retailers. And it won't have been coincidence that a Zalando executive was one of the event's keynote speakers. Others included people from Uber and Bol.com.

Almost impossible for independent apps to compete

Platforms are benefiting from a number of technical developments, including the rise of the smartphone. Our recent survey of trends in internet use found that the number of apps people have on their phones isn't increasing. As a result, it's almost impossible for new internet retailers to get their apps widely adopted alongside those of giants such as Bol.com and Ali Baba. And, without an app on the user's home screen, you can't compete for their business, because consumers increasingly prefer apps to websites for browsing and for on-line transactions. No app, no sales.

Going under

The choice of final keynote speaker at the Webshop Trade Days could not have been more appropriate. Proceedings were concluded by Tom Coronel, former racing driver and CEO of the Create2Fit webshops, whose e-commerce operation went into receivership at the start of the month.

Article by:

Michiel Henneke

Michiel Henneke

Marketing Manager