If I Cancel Hibu, Do I Lose My Website?

01 • the domain first

Who owns my domain with Hibu?

Hibu's Service Terms for Domains say the domain name it provides for your website will be registered to Hibu. The same section says you can tell Hibu you want to transfer it to your name, and Hibu will assist you with that process. Hibu also renews the domain inside your website fees, and renewal notices go to Hibu.

1. 1Search your domain on ICANN Lookup to see where it is registered.
2. 2Email Hibu and ask for the domain to be transferred into your name. Keep a copy.
3. 3Provide the authorizations Hibu, the registry or ICANN ask for.
4. 4Only cancel once the domain shows you as the owner, at a registrar where you can log in.

If you brought your own domain to Hibu, it is already registered elsewhere. You just need to point it to your new site later. More on getting your domain back.

02 • your words and design

Do I own the content on my Hibu website?

Partly. Hibu's General Terms say Hibu owns, or has the right to use, the intellectual property in the services, including what it creates in connection with them. You own the content you supplied yourself.

There is one useful exception. If you paid for a service in full in advance, the terms say that on cancellation Hibu grants you a lasting right to use, copy, change and publish the written copy it created for you (unless the cancellation was for a reason like non-payment). For a video, the Video terms say you get ownership of the finished video on cancellation.

03 • after you cancel

What happens to my Hibu website after I cancel?

Hibu's General Terms say that after cancellation you can no longer access or use the services, and your account may be deactivated or deleted. They also say Hibu is not responsible for storing your data or your content after cancellation, and that backing it up is your responsibility.

Email can go too. Hibu's terms note that if you use your own domain with a Hibu website, you do not get its mailbox features, which tells you the mailboxes are tied to Hibu's setup. Plan where your email will live before the switch.

04 • how and when

How do I cancel Hibu?

Hibu's General Terms say you cancel by phone, at (877) 237-6120, Monday to Friday (except national holidays), 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central time. That number is printed in Hibu's own terms.

• If your service has a minimum term, it continues month to month after that term until you or Hibu cancel.
• If you are still in your minimum term, the terms say you may cancel at the end of it.
• If you pay the design fee monthly, the Design terms set a 12-month term and an early termination fee if you cancel the website before it ends. The amount depends on your package.
• Some services, like search and display ads, need notice at least 15 days before the end of the current period.

Write down the date, time and name of the person you speak to, and ask for written confirmation by email.

05 • the next website

Will I need a new website after Hibu?

Yes. Even with your domain and your content, the site itself does not come with you. That is the honest takeaway from Hibu's own terms. The good news is that the parts that matter most, your name and your words, can.