com / net domains

Thanks for nothing: Verisign waives the domain name restore fee!

Last week, Verisign promised to not raise the .com prices (even though ICANN had not YET granted Verisign the permission to steal millions of dollars from the global economy by allowing 7% price increases for the next 4 years)  to “support” people and the community during the global COVID-19 crisis. (Yeah, like they even care…)

Today Verisign provided more detail about one of those actions, which, with the help of registrars, “will make it easier for domain name registrants worldwide to keep their domain names in the midst of this crisis”. At least, this is what they say…

“Typically, when a domain name registration is deleted by a registrar, there is a period of time – before the name goes back into general availability – during which the person who registered the domain name, the registrant, can pay a one-time restore fee, in addition to the standard registration/renewal fee, to get it back. This helps protect registrants who may have let their domain names lapse accidentally.”

Verisign is talking about the Redemption Fee that is charged when you want to renew an expired domain that is in the redemption period that lasts 30 days. This is after the domain is put on hold by the registrar. (typically for 15-30 days)

From April 2 through June 1, Verisign is waiving this restore fee for .com and .net domain names.

Verisign is actually waiving the wholesale restoration fee that they charge to registrars, so it is up to the registrars to pass the waiver to the registrants. Thy can choose not to.

“Ultimately registrars determine the price that registrants of domain names pay to restore deleted domain names, and based on initial feedback we’ve heard from some registrar partners, we are hopeful that by providing registrars with this complete waiver of the wholesale fee, they can extend a full waiver to their customers at the retail level.”

So what Verisign did is give people an extra 30 days to renew their domains. So if they waive the restore fee until June 1st that means that a domain to be eligible must be already expired or must most likely expire in the next month as registrars usually put a domain on hold for 15-30 days (from 0 days but as long as 45 days) before it enters the redemption status.

Also if your domain has any value at all there is a 95% chance it will be auctioned before it even reaches the redemption status.

Thanks for nothing Verisign!

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About Konstantinos Zournas

I studied Computer Engineering and Computer Science in London, UK and I am now living in Athens, Greece. I went online in 1995, started coding in 1996 and began buying domain names and creating websites in 2000. I started the OnlineDomain.com blog in 2012.

15 comments

  1. Ha ha your domain will be long gone auctioned off by godaddy before you can restore it.

  2. I would love to hear the justification for the redemption fee.

    Many ccTLDs do not charge any penalty fee when you renew an expired domain name.

    Sounds like another profit center.

    • Konstantinos Zournas

      Of course everything is done automatically. This is exactly like charging a $90 fee every time someone renews a non-expired domain.

  3. For a company that buys back $600 million of stock a year using excess registration fees, this and the other $2 million donation it announced last week are a pretty curmudgeonly response to the Coronavirus effort.

    The world needs the wealthy companies and individuals who can afford it to really pitch in now to help with this effort. Verisign can do a lot more than it is doing. They should be thankful they are being protected by the powers that be and give more back to the community. So far, it’s token efforts, while at least something, are looking pretty stingy.

  4. Verisign keeps all the money.
    Registrars and domainers get the crumbs.
    ICANN helps make sure of this.

  5. Like pointed out, these domains are auctioned off during the redemption period. It’s not suppose to work like this. ICANN doesn’t enforce it’s own rules, as long as everyone is raking in the money. That is the likes of GD, who auction off domains before they are registry deleted (drop).

    So, this REALLY puts registrars (like GD) who are engaged in selling these domains backs against the wall.

    IF they choose to adopt and pass along Verizon FREE 30 days, their whole ‘aftermarket’ scam is SHOT. Domainers will take advantage, and all these auctions will get paid for by buyer, but they won’t receive the domain! It will be a SHAM. (it is a sham, but everyone will see/understand why).

    On the other hand, if these registrars (LIKE GD) DON’T offer the free redemption, we can point our fingers and accuse them of gouging us, tacking on excess, ridiculous fees for a redemption that they receive for FREE.

    I hope this makes sense. This makes ‘drop auctions’ LOOK REALLY, REALLY greedy and dishonest – because they are.

    Thanks Verizion. This is great *glaring at GD and all registrars involved in profiteering off OUR 30 days grace period.*

    Now we see, who has the domainers back? WHO is going to give us FREE redemption? Who is going to keep charging us $75+. Who is going to keep selling our domains? Who is going to keep clawing back domains that got renewed during redemption?

    They are GREEDY, Make up their OWN RULES. ICANN lets them! Wild west, and greedy top down been bending over their customers. Causing US GRIEF LEFT and RIGHT! Taking our money and NOT DELIVERING the domain. Wasting our time, deceiving us and breaking the rules for their OWN PROFIT. DOMAINERS = DIRT. GD is the worst with upsells etc.

    THE MOST HORRIBLE hosting I have ever experienced too. I mean, godaddy hosting was so bad I couldn’t even believe it!

  6. Well write a blog and feature it? Ppl always asking. registry, registrar, redemption, expire etc. It’s not exactly simple. The verbiage is all similar but mean different things. Dynadot for example, allowed you to renew well past expiry. IDK if they still do, I heard they don’t but the again I have renewed past expire for regular fee.

  7. Verisign does not allow registries to monetize on domain which are in redemption.

    It is NOT allowed to sell domains in redemption, nor park them.

  8. Verisign does not allow registrars to monetize on domain which are in redemption.

    It is NOT allowed to sell domains in redemption, nor park them.

  9. I have been badly affected by this Pandemic with family hospitalisation and was very late renewing domains

    I was able to get all but 3 back

    However, I am confused, in the past I have always been able to get them back within 80 days

    They are all .com domains, but what I do not understand is that they are way under 80 days

    1. 53
    2. 59
    3. 48

    I was under the impression that they would be in a redemption period for 70 to 80 days

    Yet apparently GoDaddy grabbed them, they were not registered with GoDaddy.

    Is there a chance I can get them back?

    Has my registrar played some part in this?

    • Konstantinos Zournas

      It depends on the registrar. But 30-35 days is the usual. Very few registrars will give you a 30 day hold and 35 day redemption-delete period. I highly doubt you can get them back.

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