OnlineDomain.com Domain Name News & Opinions
Rightside announced today a pricing promotion on most of its premium domain names. The domains will be sold at premium prices but will carry a $10 renewal rate.
The reduced renewal and transfer costs will last for the lifetime of the domain registration. The registrant will be able to benefit from their domain’s promotional price indefinitely, up until its deletion. And should they transfer the domain to someone else, the new owner will also be able to renew and transfer the domain at the reduced cost.
This promotion comes only a few days after Rightside made a statement that it will not be increasing renewal price on their premium domains after some domain name investors started questioning the actions and intentions of several New gTLD registries.
The pricing promotion on almost all Premium domains in Rightside’s TLD portfolio will run from May 16, 2016 (17:00 UTC) to June 30, 2016 (17:00 UTC). Premium domains that carry the price category “Platinum” are not eligible. Special renewal pricing doesn’t apply to premium domains purchased prior to or after the promotional period.
During the promotional period, when customers register an eligible Premium domain from participating partners at the regular premium price, the wholesale cost to registrars for renewing the domain will be $10 beginning either immediately, or on July 1, 2016, depending on the registrar. Additionally, the wholesale cost to transfer the domain to others will also be reduced to $10. Registrars will be able to set their own retail prices, but renewal prices shouldn’t be more more than $15.
Here’s an example:
| Premium Domain | Purchase at the Premium Price | Renew at Standard Price – Every Year | Transfer at Standard Price | New Owner Renews at Standard Cost – Yearly |
| AustinDivorce.Attorney | $2,500 | $10 (saves $2,490 yearly) | $10 (saves $2,490) | $10 (Saves $2,490 yearly) |
Rightside stated that this promotion should be “win-win for everyone involved”:
For domain investors – At these reduced prices, you’ll have more time to find the right buyer for any domains you register, and incur lower fees to transfer to them once you do. If you’re looking to add high-quality domains to your portfolio, this will be the time to do it.
For registrars – As one of the partners participating in this promotion, you’ll see increased opportunity to market and sell high-value domain names.
Download the list of available Premium domains here (updated weekly)
As the launch date draws closer, Rightside will provide additional details about the promotion, including information about the participating registrars.
It would be nice if Donuts would also do the same.
But you know..it would even be nicer if for suckers like us who already bought some premium domains – they do the same!
We were the first to jump into the water, in good faith and make them money, so you will punish us and let new comers get better deals??!
Not cool at all! Remember the CEO who got kicked out and the pressure heating up?? Well offer these discounts to those who already stepped up to the plate. It would show you actually care about us… at least somewhat :-)) Once a domainer..(donuts..rightside…) always a domainer (??)
They are trying to sell the domains that are NOT selling…
“Sucker” – You’re referring to a grandfathering system for premium domains already purchased?
That’s the beauty of an open system where one makes a decision – and enters an agreement – about what they are acquiring.
In theory, sure, I’d love to get a discount for domains I acquired as premium two years ago. 😀
But at the point of acquisition, I had already performed due diligence on the cost and took renewal costs into my calculations of whether that domain was worth to acquire.
Same thing as .tv, unless you are willing to drop them you are going to be stuck paying that min amount for the life cycle of the domain.
Donuts got rid of alot of inventory when they let the reserved, and blocked domains go up for sale in 2015.
Premium pricing is a crap shoot you have terms like Car.Loans that have a $90 renewal, and then you have stuff like Fitness.Equipment which has a $500 renewal.
This whole system is broken, I agree the one time fixed price works on some accounts, but makes a difficult barrier to entry. Rightside extensions are not the greatest, and there is not much excitement around GTLD’s for investment grade, or long term development grade right now.
The renewal structure has little confidence with pricing going forward, anyone can say one thing today, and extension could be sold down the road, and prices could double who is to question anything without proper framework internally of such contracts.
To little to late Rightside, nothing but PR tease
Would it be nice if Rightside grandfathered earlier registrants into these $10 renewal rates? Sure.
Would it be preferable if registries were contractually obligated to refrain from price hikes? Sure.
Would it be ideal if Rightside continues this $10 renewal policy after the sale period? Sure.
Is 1 good thing a bad thing because it isn’t 4 good things?
All 4 apply to .com, I guess you have no choice.
When comparing .com to gtlds premiums, I found many .coms at bins under $5K, on gtld terms with $100-$55,000 renewals per year.