FAQ

Vunic Frequently Asked Questions

Vunic offers a new approach to the registration of an Internet Domain Name. Instead of difficult and time consuming manual registration procedures, you can get the name you want in the new top level domain .VU immediately, from our fully automated web site.

Simply click the "Register" option on the menu (Domain Name > Register), and you will be prompted to enter the domain name you want. If it's available, you can register it immediately, and it will be activated the same day. It's that easy.

Legal Terms and Conditions

1. How does the current controversy over domain names affect .VU ?

The .VU domain is a country code, just like .UK for the United Kingdom or .DE for Germany. It is not part of the new gTLD schemes proposed by ICANN, and it is also not affected by the new plans for domain names. The .VU domain has been in existence and stable for many years, and will remain completely unaffected by the coming additions and changes to the domain name system.

^ Top ^

2. Will my name in .VU work anywhere in the world ?

Yes, a .VU name works exactly the same a .COM name, it just happens to have a different ending. It is treated in precisely the way as .COM by all the DNS nameservers in the world.

^ Top ^

3. What is Vunic?

Vunic is the .VU Network Information Center. Since 1998, in conjunction with Telecom Vanuatu Limited, we have operated the technical aspects of Vunic, the national DNS registration authority for the country of Vanuatu and have provided name service to a wide variety of government, commercial, and personal Internet sites. We are committed to providing superior service to the global Internet community through a streamlined automated name registration and maintenance system available 24 hours a day at http://www.vunic.vu

Additional information about the South Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu available from Vanuatu Online.

^ Top ^

4. Why do I want a domain name ending with .VU ?

There are already more than a million and a half second level domains registered in the .COM top level domain. Most of the good, short, easy to remember names in .COM are already taken by someone else. The .VU top level domain is brand new, empty real estate, with most names still available. In .VU you can have a short name that is easy to say and easy to remember, and is just right for your business.

^ Top ^

5. Are there any drawbacks to having a name in .VU instead of .COM ?

None. Our primary name server for .VU works just the same way as the primary name server for .COM, making your domain name in .VU available instantly worldwide to anyone who needs to find your web site or email host. There are currently secondary name servers supporting .VU on four continents, including North America, Australia, Europe, and Africa, guaranteeing speed of access and global reliability of your domain name.

^ Top ^

6. What does it cost for a name in .VU ?

There is a USD$70/year maintenance fee that must be paid in advance. You can register for a validity period of 1 to 10 years. Before the end of the validity period you have subscribed to, if you want to keep your .vu domain name, you will have to renew it by clicking the "Renew" link on the menu (Domain Name > Renew). You can renew for an additional validity period of 1 to 10 years.

Updates that are not covered by this fee are: changes to the domain name itself. These actions are not normally considered as updates and may require a new registration to be processed, which would be subject to the USD$70/year new registration fee.

^ Top ^

7. How can I easily pay for my domain name ?

We accept Visa, Mastercard, and AMEX credit cards when you register a name on our automated web site. Payments are securely processed by MultiCards and your credit card details never reach the vuNIC web server. For more information on the services provided by MultiCards, check their web site.

If you are in Port Vila, Vanuatu, you may also be able to pay with cash or cheque at the shop. No domain name can be reserved,renewed or registered without payment

^ Top ^

8. Does vuNIC accept cash or cheques (checks)?

Cheques are only accepted when presented in person at the Telecom Vanuatu Limited (TVL) cash counter at Post office or Telecom House in Port Vila, at Luganville or at Tanna, Vanuatu. Cheques sent in by mail will not be accepted. The person paying will be asked to nominate the domain they are paying for, and may be asked for identification. Accidentally paying for the wrong domain, or a domain belonging to another person, may cause disappointment - so write the domain names on the back of all cheques.

^ Top ^

9. How do I renew my domain name ?

Before end of validity of your domain name, you will receive six notifications (2 months before, 1 month before, 2 weeks before, 1 week before, 3 days before, 1 day before).
At end of validity you will receive a notification to inform that your domain is expired. Starting this date, your domain name will be deactivated and you will have a 1 month grace period.
During this period of grace:
- If no renewal payment is done, your records will be deleted and the domain name will be back to the market.
- If a renewal payment is done, your domain name will be reactivated with a delay that can be between 12 and 48 hours.
-You can easily renew your name by credit card from our web site, or in person at Telecom House.

^ Top ^

10. How do I transfer a domain name from one owner to another ?

To transfer a domain name, both the current owner and new owner should use the Transfer menu option (Domain Name | Transfer). The current owner will receive a transfer code he will communicate to the new owner. this new owner has a week to use this code to complete the transfer process.

^ Top ^

11. How long before the servers have the info for my new domain ?

The primary nameserver for .VU (vunic.vu) is updated with info from our customer database at midnight TGT (GMT+13) daily. The secondary servers are configured to refresh their records from the primary every 12 hours. Note that you have to specify DNS information for your domain before it appears in the .VU zone file.

^ Top ^

12. Does Vunic offer a whois service ?

Yes, we have a whois server on our web site.

^ Top ^

13. I'm a spammer. Is a .VU domain something I should use ?

Vunic feels very strongly that the sending of unsolicited bulk email or excessive Usenet posting ("spamming") constitutes theft of service, and we do not condone the use of .VU domain names for this purpose.

If we receive complaints that a .VU domain name has been used for this purpose, we will advise the domain owner of the complaint and request that they desist from this activity. VUNIC reserves the right to remove any .VU name registration if a name is used as a source of spam, or an address to which to reply to such bulk mail solicitations. We will also publish the names and contact information for any accounts terminated for such a reason.

^ Top ^

14. Can I register any name I want as long it's not already taken or reserved ?

Yes. However, please note that Telecom Vanuatu Ltd. reserves the right to cancel domain name registrations which adversely affect the reputation of the Top Level Domain of .VU. Should this situation arise the customer's registration fee shall receive a pro-rata refund of the registration after setup charges of USD$25 have been deducted.

^ Top ^

15. After registering my new domain name, can I begin to use it immediately ?

Yes, customers may begin to use domain names immediately after registration. The registration is finalized when a confirmation email is received from TVL confirming your credit card transaction has been successful. Please note, TVL will not be held responsible for any loss of business should a domain name be withdrawn for any reason before the registration process is complete.

^ Top ^

16. How can I tell if the name I want in .VU is still available ?

At our web site http://www.vunic.vu you can instantly check to see if the name you want is available. If it is available, you can register and activate your name immediately.

^ Top ^

17. What is Vunic's policy on trademark and copyright issues ?

Vunic has reserved a number of names. If you are trying to register a name and find that it has been reserved, please email hostmaster@vunic.vu for more information if you have specific questions or needs. Other than reserved names, all names are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

^ Top ^

18. How can I update my contact information ?

When you login, you can access the menu "control panel / account properties". In this menu you can edit all your contact information.

Please note that all notices and information send by VUNIC service will be sent through e-mail. It's the customer responsibility to keep his e-mail address up to date. If customer can't receive renewal notifications or any other information about the service because of a wrong address e-mail, TVL can't be responsible.

^ Top ^