When Buying, Selling or Trading Domain Names;                                                                                          
Check to make sure the information you present or that is presented to you is correct and current.
Do your homework                                                                                                                                        
Sometimes claims are made in domain listings that turns out to be incorrect, some of the claims regarding
basic information such as expiration date, registrar etc. 
In many cases it is nothing more than just an error on the part of the seller. 
In other cases however, it is a blatant deception  meant to make the domain name appear more appealing or more valuable.

AS A BUYER                                                                                                                                                           
As a buyer, there are ways to make yourself as immune as possible to such misinformation.                               
*Always check WHOIS records for accurate information on a domain.                                                               
You can find information about the age of the domain, the registrant,  the servers it is hosted on                      
(or pointing to) and perhaps most importantly, the expiration date and  the registrar.
- Check at least two different providers for WHOIS information, as some WHOIS websites update slower than others. 
WHOIS information is easily found by doing a simple search. WHOIS access is free and open to the public.                                                                                                          
* Our Picks for WHOIS sites that do not require membership are:   Internic   &  Whoisn                              
*There are other websites offering more comprehensive WHOIS look-up.  Most of these require membership.

Another erroneous claim a domain seller might make (whether inadvertently or blatantly) is regarding                
DOMAIN TRANSFER.
There are two main issues that affect domain transfer:                                                                                        
1) How much time has elapsed since the domain was registered  or renewed                                                        
2) The REGISTRAR where the domain is registered.         

TIME :                                                                                                                                                                   
ICANN rules prohibit domain transfer away from the registrar within the first 60 days of registration.           
* A domain name CAN be transferred from one person to another if they both have accounts with the registrar.
* After the 60 day period, one can usually transfer the domain to  any registrar of their choice.                         
- Generally speaking, transferring a domain from one registrar to another will  incur a FRESH registration fee.
Usually the new registration is added to the remaining time (if any) on the domain.                    
This seems to be widely understood and accepted.
THE REGISTRAR:                                                                                                                                               
With MOST well known registrars, transferring domain names from one member to another (both of whom have accounts with that registrar) is free.                                                                                          
This  is usually referred to as a "FREE  PUSH"                                                                                                     
 It is a great concept and conducive to business for both buyers and sellers!

Many sellers and buyers simply take it for granted that this applies to all registrars.                                        
IT  DOES  NOT.
The fact is, NOT all registrars support FREE transfers.                                                                                 
Many people do not realize this until they find out first hand, after the fact.                                                       
There are registrars that charge a FULL registration fee to the new domain name registrant ...upon transfer. 
This fee is charged regardless of whether the domain name was freshly registered the day before by the original registrant,
or whether the registration is soon to expire.                                                                                      
The premise is that ANY transfer constitutes a "new registration".

The wording in the user agreement may leave the new registrant unclear about this fee until they notice it on their credit card statement.                                                                                                                                      
* In fact, many sellers questioned, do not seem to realize that this is the case at all.  This is probably because the charges
tend to processed some time AFTER the transfer (eg.  30 days later),long after the buyer and seller may have considered their transaction complete.

Apparently, some buyers who get high value domain names at a steal,  consider this charge to be insignificant.   However, for those who do mind the
fees, the (eg. $6.99 per each .com and varying prices for other extensions)  might be a great inconvenience!               
Consider the significance of such a fee, per EACH domain transferred in the case of LARGE domain portfolios, for instance.
$6.99 for 100 domain names would mean nearly $700 charge to the registrar!                                                
That's on top of what was paid to the seller!

Be Sure To Check WHERE A Domain Name Is Registered
*If you plan to sell a domain, check with your registrar on policies that could affect pricing, such as this.
*If  you purchase an aged or "pre-owned" domain name (many sell on eBay and elsewhere on a daily basis),  
 
 Registrars such as Enom, Go-Daddy, Namecheap, Dotster and Moniker support FREE  transfers("pushes"  from one registrar customer to another).
This is perhaps one of the reasons they are very popular among aftermarket domain sellers and domain buyers/investors general.in general.     
There are other registrars, not named here that also support  free transfers.                        
                           
*Also, the RESELLERS of these registrars usually offer FREE pushes within their company.                    
Most of these are strictly within their own company and NOT between the resellers company and their sponsoring registrar.  

BEWARE  ... OF THOSE THAT CHARGE !   
Finally, let us address the issue of the registrars that charge even when the domain stays with them...
There are registrars who DO NOT support FREE transfers.
At present, we are only aware of one registrar that charges a "re-registration" fee every time a domain name transfers from one member to another,
or from one package to another;
 1and1 (One and One).                                                              

*They reserve the right to change their policies, be sure to contact them directly (phone call recommended) and ask in very specific terms, if doing business.
 
No matter which registrar you plan to do business with, if you are considering selling your domains at some point, be sure to ask the registrar,
(among other things)whether domain names can be transferred freely from one member to another(without incurring charges for either buyer or seller).
It is best to get this in writing (e-mail, perhaps) in order to avoid any misunderstandings, so do follow up with an e-mail as well.

AS  A SELLER                                                                                                                                                    
When advertising or selling be absolutely certain that if you claim "Free Transfer" or "Free Push", it is just that...even 30 days after the  transfer.
Rather than stating anything you are unsure of,  you are better off asking your customers to do their due diligence.

AS A BUYER                                                                                                                                      
 Know your facts!  . Nothing can replace knowledge.   Arm yourself with it!    . Do not rely on someone else's word;                                                                                                                      
... A sellers may have nothing but good intentions, but still have incorrect information in their listing.        
 Human beings are prone to error.
*Do your own research...your due diligence     * Double check everything    * Do not be afraid to ask questions     
Be  a savvy buyer.
Buy wisely.
Happy Domaining.
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