Understand Escrow Hold for Enom Auction Domains

When you try to transfer a domain recently won in auction, you may see the error Access Control Violation - Escrow hold. This auction lock is placed on domains won from NameJet. This article explains the auction lock, why it is applied, and what you can and cannot do while a domain is in this status.

The NameJet agreement states that you are bound by the registrar's registration agreement. Both the FAQs and the Auction Amendment note an escrow holding period, known as an auction lock, that prohibits the transfer of the domain. This provides time for the previous registrant to file an "expiration recovery" request to Enom's Legal department for evaluation.

What auction lock is and why it is applied

When Enom supplies a pre-release domain name, the domain enters an escrow holding period known as an auction lock upon receipt of your auction payment. This holding period lasts approximately 45 days following the completion of the auction. The following conditions apply to any domain in this status:

• The domain cannot be transferred to another registrar.
• Pushes to another Enom account are not allowed.
• WHOIS information can be updated to reflect the new registrant's contact information.
• Updates to nameserver and host records are also permitted.

Managing a domain during auction lock

You can set a domain password from the control panel and ask your buyer to visit the Access Domain Management portal. There, they enter the domain and password and can update the password, their contact information, and DNS and hosting records at any time.

Once the auction lock has expired, you can push the domain, or unlock it and send the EPP code to transfer the domain away.

Next steps

• Domain locking
• Pushing domains between Enom accounts
• Preparing your domain for transfer

Questions? Contact Enom Support.