Contact the Ombudsman
Making Complaints to the Ombudsman
- I have an issue that I want the Ombudsman to investigate
- I have a dispute about something done (or not done) by ICANN staff, Board of Directors, or supporting organizations
Other Complaints and Issues
- If you are trying to resolve a dispute concerning a service provided your registrar
- If you are trying to resolve a complaint related to Whois data
- If you have a dispute involving the requested transfer of a domain name from one registrar to another
- If you need information about what you can do if someone is using your trademark in a domain name
- If your complaint is about SPAM or Internet Viruses
- If your complaint concerns an unsolicited renewal and transfer request, or an unauthorized transfer of your domain name
- If the subject matter of your dispute is not listed above, and does not relate to an act, decision, or inaction by the ICANN staff, Board of Directors, or supporting organization
If you are trying to resolve a dispute, you may find these hints [PDF, 19 KB] to be helpful.
Other Links
If you have a general service question about ICANN please contact icann@icann.org
If you wish to correspond with the Ombudsman you can email me at ombudsman@icann.org.
If you are trying to resolve a dispute concerning a service provided your registrar
The ICANN Ombudsman does not have jurisdiction to investigate complaints concerning matters between domain holders and their registrars. If you have a dispute regarding your registrar the best step that you can take is to deal with the registrar directly.
If you don't know who your registrar is, you can use the tool found at http://www.internic.net/whois.html to find out that information. The WHOIS data will also contain information on the registrar's contact details
If you know who your registrar is and need to find out how to contact them, or if you want to see if a company is an accredited registrar, you can find that information at http://www.icann.org/en/registrars/accredited-list.html
There are many organizations such as ISPs and others who act as resellers for the registrars. If your complaint concerns them, please contact the registrar.
If you are trying to resolve a complaint related to Whois data
For information concerning Whois data accuracy, please review the following advisory:
http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/advisory-10may02.htm
If you have an enquiry regarding incorrect Whois data, the best thing you can do is to submit a "WHOIS Data Problem Report" using the form at:
Your report will be forwarded to the sponsoring registrar, who will be responsible for investigating and correcting the data.
If you have a dispute involving the requested transfer of a domain name from one registrar to another
In November 2004, ICANN announced a transfer policy that applies to all registrars across the globe. You should read about the transfer policy at: http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-08nov04.htm.
The first step that you should take is to try to resolve that matter with the registrar you are transferring the domain name to. Remember that knowledge is power, so ensure that you are aware of the transfer policy and the timelines it provides.
For additional information about the transfer policy or to contact ICANN with a transfer policy question, please visit http://www.icann.org/en/transfers/dnholder-faq-03nov04.htm.
If you need information about what you can do if someone is using your trademark in a domain name
Unfortunately, the dispute is beyond the scope and authority of ICANN's Office of the Ombudsman to resolve. You may wish to consult an attorney in private practice who deals with intellectual property law to discuss available options. (ICANN cannot give legal advice.)
For information about ICANN's Uniform Domain-Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP), please see http://www.icann.org/en/udrp/udrp.htm. The UDRP allows trademark and service mark holders to arbitrate certain claims against a domain name registrant before an approved dispute resolution service provider. For a list of approved providers, see http://www.icann.org/en/dndr/udrp/approved-providers.htm.
If your complaint is about SPAM or Internet Viruses
Unfortunately, the existence of SPAM and Internet Viruses are beyond the scope and authority of ICANN to resolve. You may wish to look into the purchase of an internet security program from your preferred software supplier, or contact your Internet Service Provider for assistance or suggestions.
If your complaint concerns an unsolicited renewal and transfer request, or an unauthorized transfer of your domain name
If you are concerned about an unsolicited transfer or renewal offer, you should know that many companies that are not accredited by ICANN offer domain registration services as resellers for accredited registrars. Please note that ICANN does not accredit resellers or hosting companies. See http://www.icann.org/en/registrars/accredited-list.html for a complete list of ICANN-accredited registrars. You may wish to take this matter up with your existing registrar. If you don't know who your registrar is, you can use the tool found at http://www.internic.net/whois.html to find that information by performing a Whois search for your domain name.
If the subject matter of your dispute is not listed above, and does not relate to an act, decision, or inaction by the ICANN staff, Board of Directors, or supporting organization
Please look at the ICANN frequently asked questions at http://www.icann.org/en/faq/.
