Transfer requests: GoDaddy does it faster

I keep a sizable portion of my domain portfolio at GoDaddy.

This is due to acquisitions that occurred while the domain was already there, registrations that were made at a discount – or maybe because I’m simply not 100% efficient.

I already knew that domain transfers out of GoDaddy are exceptionally fast; GoDaddy releases the domains within an hour or so of the gaining registrar sending out the request and auth code.

Yesterday, while transferring a domain away from Tucows, I discovered that GoDaddy is also fast with inbound transfers.

The domain’s seller unlocked it and gave me the authorization code, and when I initiated the transfer to GoDaddy, I discovered that the WHOIS still displayed the seller’s contact info.

In other words, the seller received the transfer request email that GoDaddy sends outs to the registrant. I emailed the seller, asking them to provide me those codes so that I could complete the transfer.

As the domain was expiring, I decided to jump the gun and initiate a transfer from Fabulous as well, knowing that they do not need additional communication, other than a correct domain status and the authorization code.

Several hours passed by.

In the meantime, the seller sent me the codes, and I initiated the transfer process at GoDaddy as well. Worst case scenario: I would be given credit at either one of the registrants.

So who won the transfer race?

Despite having a handicap of more than three hours, GoDaddy won. I received credit at Fabulous, that seem to be batching such requests, sending them out at specific time intervals.

So keep that in mind, if you are pressed for time to transfer a domain away from its current registrar: GoDaddy does it faster.