Network Solutions Should Ditch Registrar-Transfers.com

Network Solutions uses an unbranded domain name for at least a few important confirmation functions. When I need to confirm my email address at Network Solutions or approve a transfer away from Network Solutions, I am directed to different pages on the Registrar-Transfers.com website. In my opinion, Network Solutions should shift the functionality to its own NetworkSolutions.com website because customers are more familiar and comfortable with that domain name and using an unbranded domain name isn’t a good idea.

Every so often, I receive an email from Network Solutions alerting me that I need to confirm my email address. The subject has a strong call to action: “Alert: Keep Your Domain Active“. Within the email is a bit of account detail, but I see nothing private that could not be gleaned from Whois records. There is a button to click, and the underlying link is for NetworkSolutions.com.

The issue for me is the final landing page: Registrar-Transfers.com. I think Network Solutions should keep customers within the safer confines of its NetworkSolutions.com domain name and website.

The same thing goes for domain name transfers. Here’s text from a recent email from Network Solutions after starting a transfer to a different registrar:

“If you wish to cancel the transfer, please contact us before [redacted]. EDT by: send an email to registrar@networksolutions.com or go to our website https://www.registrar-transfers.com?h=[redacted]”

I am not a cybersecurity or other kind of security expert. I am a regular Internet user, and it regularly catches my eye when I see I have been moved to this off-brand domain name. Even though I know this is legitimately their domain name and website, it still causes me a brief moment of angst when I see Network Solutions branding on a non-Network Solutions domain name.

I do not know what kind of effort would be required to bring this under the Network Solutions domain name, but I think it would be a smart thing. Internet companies regularly have to warn customers to pay close attention to the domain name, so sending customers to non-branded domain names for critical confirmations seems a bit unwise.