Items in the Renewal and Expiration category

• I just renewed my .UK domain, but the expiry date has not updated in the WHOIS?

  Related Topics: .UK

  Detailed answer
   

  The central .UK Registry, called Nominet, is an asynchronous Registry and as such there are delays in applying renewal years to .UK domains.  The renewal year/expiration date will not be updated in the WHOIS database until approximately 6 to 8 weeks after the initial expiration date.

   

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• What happens to domain names when they expire?

  Detailed answer
   

  To renew or “redeem” a domain, please contact your Domain Provider.

  Expired domains are held at Tucows for a Grace Period defined by the Registry.

  Partial list of Grace Periods:

  • .COM, .NET, .ORG, .INFO, .BIZ, .US, .NAME, .TV and .CC – 40 days
  • .CA – 30 days
  • .UK domains resolve for 30 days past their expiration date after which they no longer reside with Tucows.  Your Domain Provider can recover the domain for an additional 60 days by placing a transfer request for the domain.
  • .CN and .DE – have no Grace Period; they are deleted the day after their expiration date

  During the Grace Period, all services (such as the website and email) cease working until the name is renewed (if and when this happens).  As well, name server/DNS changes are not possible.  When the domain expires the DNS is temporarily changed, and a web page explaining the need for renewal may be shown.  When the domain is renewed, the DNS will be changed back to the previous DNS entries.

  At the end of the Grace Period one of three things may happen:

  • The domain is marked for deletion, and with most types of domain names this will place the domain name enters a “Redemption Period” (also called “Pending Delete Restorable”), which is an additional period of time provided to recover the domain name.  The cost to recover the domain will be more than the cost of a renewal, and recovery is only available to the former domain owner.  The precise time when the domain is finally deleted depends on the Registry, but many domains are deleted 30-35 days after entering the Redemption Period.
  • A third party  expresses interest in the expired domain name via an online auctioning system, and when the Grace Period ends, the domain is sold to the highest bidder.  Domains that are auctioned off cannot be renewed or “redeemed”.
  • Tucows acquires the domain name for its private domain portfolio, and upon the Grace Period ending, the domain is not deleted.  Should the former domain name owner inquire about obtaining the domain name via their Domain Provider, the domain can be returned to them in a process similar to “redeeming” a domain.  Additional recovery and administrative fees may apply.

  For information on renewing or redeeming your domain name please contact your Domain Provider directly.

  
  

   

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• How can I renew with a different Domain Provider?

  Related Topics: Transfer to Another Domain Provider

  Detailed answer
   

  Simply contact a new Domain Provider and request a Transfer of your domain name to them.

   

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• How did my domain expire without any Renewal Reminder notices?

  Related Topics: Renewal Email Notifications

  Detailed answer
   

  Renewal Reminders are sent via email to the contact addresses listed on the Registration record. If you change your email address you must also have this updated on your domain name.   Having current, valid contact information is a requirement for all who register a domain name, as highlighted in the agreements when the domain was first registered.

  Additionally, your email address may use strong SPAM filtering as well. Some SPAM filters will incorrectly identify renewal reminders as SPAM and delete them, or route them out of sight.   Disable all SPAM filters on the system during the period you expect renewal reminders.

  Some Domain Providers will allow your domain to “auto-renew”. This means when the domain comes up for renewal, you do not have to go through the renewal procedure manually.   If you consider your domain important property (for instance if it is critical to your business), it would be a very good idea to have the domain set to auto renew.  You should contact your Domain Provider to discuss this possibility. If you don’t know who your Domain Provider is please see this page to find out who your Provider is.

  In all cases, the best way to remember when a domain is up for renewal is to schedule it in your date book or calendar.   You can then be assured that even if the automated systems fail, you will remember when to renew and who to renew with.

   

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• Why was my domain not renewed even though I paid for it?

  Detailed answer
   

  When renewing a domain it’s important to understand with whom you are renewing and what steps must be taken to ensure the domain is renewed properly.

  All renewals of domains registered with Tucows are done via Providers. Providers are responsible for supporting single domain holders.  If you have any questions regarding your domain’s renewal status or a billing related matter, it is vital that you contact your Provider.   Tucows does not have any access to Providers’ billing records and therefore cannot assist in matters related to your domain’s renewal status, nor can we assist with billing/invoicing.

  If you don’t know who your Domain Provider is, please see this page.

  There are many organizations who solicit registrants for renewal services but who currently have no authority to renew the domain name.

  It is possible to transfer the domain to them, at which point they would have the authority to renew the domain.

  There are two possible scenarios:

  1. Renewing with your current Domain Provider
  This is generally the fastest and easiest method of renewing a domain name, since this is the company that’s currently responsible for supporting your domain registration.   You can keep track of the renewal using our WHOIS lookup to see the current expiration date. If it has not been applied, speak with them about the delay in processing your renewal.  If you don’t know who your Domain Provider is, please see this page

  2. Renewing with another Registrar (or a non-Domain Provider) by transferring your domain name to them.
  If you are renewing your domain name with another Registrar, they will not have the authority to renew the domain name until you first complete a “Registration Transfer” to the new Registrar.   Once the Registration Transfer is completed, they will be responsible for the domain and will be able to renew it.  There are several steps that must be taken before they are able to renew it.

  To ensure that the transfer will be successful:

  1. All locks must be removed from the domain
  2. The domain just have a valid Administrative Contact address.  You may need to resubmit your transfer request with the new Registrar if the address is updated after the transfer is started.
  3. For most types of domains, you will need the Authorization Code (also called Auth Code or EPP Key) for the domain in order to authorize the transfer.

  If your domain has been in expiry for so long that it’s at risk of being deleted from our system (40 days after the expiration date), you can transfer to another Domain Provider in generally under an hour.

  The transfer must be submitted with the new Domain Provider (usually on their website), and can only be authorized by the Administrative Contact for the domain.   If the Administrative Contact is not currently valid you can update it.

   

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• How can I renew my domain name?

  Detailed answer
   

  You can renew your domain by contacting your Domain Provider.

  Some Domain Providers will allow your domain to “auto-renew”.   This means that when the domain comes up for renewal, you do not have to go through the renewal procedure manually.   If domain is critical to your business, it is a very good idea to have the domain set to renew automatically each year.  You should contact your Domain Provider to discuss this option.

  You can also renew a domain already with Tucows/OpenSRS by making a transfer to another Domain Provider.  This should only be used if you’re unable to contact your current Domain Provider, possess the Authorization Code for the domain name, as well as have the domain name unlocked.

  Most types of domain names are renewed when you transfer the domain name from another Registrar.  Ask your Domain Provider if the domain will be renewed when you transfer the domain to them.  In some situations you may need to make a separate renewal with the new Domain Provider.

  If you have a .UK domain name, please contact the person or company who instructed you to change your IPS tag to TUCOWS-CA.   They can renew the domain name by placing a “transfer request” for your domain.

   

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• How can I transfer an Expired Domain?

  Related Topics: Transfer of Expired Domains

  Detailed answer
   

  Usually you cannot transfer an expired domain from another Registrar to Tucows, as the currently Registrar will not support this.   However, you should check with the current Registrar to verify that you can or cannot transfer the domain.

  You can, however, transfer an expired domain that is currently with Tucows.  There are two types of transfers you can perform:

  1) Transfer to another Domain Provider
  You can transfer your domain to another Domain Provider, which can generally be accomplished in under 30 minutes.   Even if their website states that expired domains cannot be transferred, they will be able to transfer your domain because they are within the same Registrar system (Tucows/OpenSRS) as your old Provider.

  2) Transfer to another Registrar
  You can transfer your domain to another Registrar, but you will need to get your domain Provider to unlock your domain.  Sometimes this can be done by the domain owner from a Domain Management Interface in the Domain Extras section.  The current lock status can be seen from a WHOIS lookup and is usually shown as “clientTransferProhibited”.   Note that Registrar transfers take generally 1-7 days to complete.

  To ensure the transfer will succeed you must first submit the transfer request with the Gaining Registrar. Emails will be sent to the Admin contact asking for their approval.  You can verify the address using a WHOIS lookup

  The Administrative Contact email address is used to confirm the transfer. If it needs to be updated, you may need to resubmit the transfer request with the Gaining Registrar.  Clarify this issue with the Gaining Registrar first.

  You must also have the Authorization Code information (also called an Auth Code or EPP key) for the domain name.

  There must be no locks or holds on your domain name. If you need to have your domain name unlocked you must either contact your Domain Provider directly, and in some cases you can remove it yourself from a Domain Management Interface under Domain Extras.

   

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• What if my domain name is in the REDEMPTION PERIOD and I cannot contact my Provider?

  Detailed answer
   

  If your domain name has gone into the Redemption Grace Period and you cannot contact your Domain Provider please contact our Compliance Department for assistance.

   

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