Mechanics of Server Transfer and Rename?

I want to transfer a character and rename him. How can I best go about this?

I have free server transfers. I have a character named, for example, Bob on Oldserver. I have a placeholder character on Newserver named Steve. The name Bob is already claimed on Newserver.

How I think it works:

If I transfer Bob to Newserver, he automatically becomes Bob1 and gets a rename token? Then I could delete Steve and use the rename token to turn Bob1 into Steve?

Is that the best way to go about it?

Pretty much. I'm not sure if you have to do the rename immediately. I would delete Steve just before initiating the server transfer, just in case.

The way it worked for me when I did this a few days ago proved was pretty simple:

I had a character named Bob on Oldserver, and a character named Bob on Newserver. I transferred Bob off of Oldserver, and he became Bob1 once he got to Newserver. I could either log in to Bob1 now, or at the top of the screen (near the transfer remaining count) I had a rename token for Bob1. Provided the name isn't taken on the server by you or anyone else, you're free to rename Bob1 into whatever you'd like.

The transfer was done in the time it took to switch servers as well.

In your case, you could just delete the name Steve once the Bob from Oldserver arrives and becomes Bob1, and change Bob1 to Steve. The only potential trouble lies with Steve being a very old character that had their name made before a copyright exception was made, or if someone snags it within the 10 seconds it takes to delete him and rename Bob1. Both are exceptionally unlikely, though.

I was going to do this for some of my characters, but somebody in game told me they no longer grant rename tokens, just put the number behind the name. Was I told wrong?

I can guarantee that as recently as two weeks ago you could still transfer a character and, if you had the same named claimed on the new server, the transferred character would be given the name "Bob1" (for example) and you would be allowed to change the name for free.

Also, if you then delete the character named Bob on that server, you would be able to rename Bob1 to Bob. This is assuming both are on the same account. (There appears to be a short window during which no other account can claim a name that a different account had a hold on.)

I did it for two characters earlier and it did work. Though I noticed it didn't show a rename token available. However, one apparently was there as it let me rename both toons. So yes, it does work.

I can tell you that as of a month ago, if you transfer a character to a server where that characters name is taken, it does indeed get the number 1 added to its name. But, when you load that character in, you have the option to rename that toon.