nominet email - UK domain expiring

[maccas]

Hi, I recieved a email from Nominet saying my domain is going to expire as Godaddy (a re-seller of the registrar GRS) hasn't renewed it. My domain name is paid up until 2011 through godaddy. I just got off the phone with a Godaddy customer service person and he said it is basically a scare email to get me to transfer my domain to them. But doesn't nominet just manage all the .co.uk domain names? Should I be worried?

[Matt Probert]

No. Don't be worried. If in doubt, check with your registrar and ensure the domain is registered until when you think it is.

Matt

[maccas]

Thanks, yes it is registered until 2011. The thing is according to Nominet Godaddy are a re-seller of the registrar GRS, so what I gathered from the email is that godaddy hasn't re-registered my domain name from GRS.

And doing a whois on my domain name

Registration status: Renewal required.

[stu2]

I'd ask to speak to a GoDaddy supervisor, if I were you.

[jaffstar]

I thought godaddy doesnt handle co.uk? I recently transferred a large amount over, but could not transfer the co.uk.

[maccas]

Yeah they do but are apparently a reseller. I got a email from godaddy basically saying that Nominet may not be notified right away of the renewal, hence why they contacted me to renew the domain. And as long as my domain is current with Go Daddy I shouldn't have any issues. Still it makes me a wee bit nervious when a whois shows I need to reregister the name, a whois through godaddy says that it is registered to 2011. I don't like the "shouldn't have any issues" either.

[ukwebmaster]

Nominet only allows names to be registered/renewed for 2 years at a time. So, if you register a domain today 28th Feb 2007, it will stay registered until 28th Feb 2009.

So, you might have paid Go Daddy to register it until 2011, but in reality they can only register/renew it with Nominet for 2 years at a time. You are therefore relying on Go Daddy to renew it for you again now (2007) & 2009.

Go Daddy will either have the name configured to "auto-bill" or "next bill" (see here for definitions [nominet.org.uk...]

Auto-bill means it is automatically renewed every two years and Nominet send Go Daddy a bill for renewing it (currently £5 + Vat for 2 years, for members of Nominet).

Next-bill means Go Daddy has to send Nominet a "positive renewal request" before the domain expires. If they don't, the domain doesn't renew.

Unlike .com addresses, it's quite hard to loose a .uk address as Nominet try everything in their power to get in touch with you - hence the email to you now (so make sure your contact details are correct) and they don't drop the name for at least a couple of months - giving you plenty of time to realise that it's stopped working.

If Nominet has emailed you, then it sounds to me that your domain has already passed it's renewal date and Go Daddy have not renewed it. What is the current renewal date for your domain as shown on whois at nominet.org.uk?

[maccas]

Thanks ukwebmaster, It was due for renewal on the 22nd. I got another email from Nominet saying that Go Daddy had started the renewal process. Go Daddy also emailed me telling me that they renew UK domains at the end of the month the name is due for renewal. Yes I do like the UK system, Nominet said they also confirm via post that the name has being renewed.