Dynadot Changes Domain Expiration Policy Today

[Silentptnr]

Just got this in my email...

This notice is to inform you of an update to our renewal grace period policy. As you know, with many top-level domains (TLDs), we give you up to a 40 day grace renewal period that allows you to renew your domain at the same price after it has expired. Starting April 15 00:00 UTC, we will be reducing this period by 10 days for each TLD. During the final 10 days of the TLD's renewal grace period, you will still be able to renew your domain, but with an additional late renewal fee of $10.

For example, if you own a .COM domain that expires on January 1, 2018, you would be able to renew your domain at the regular renewal price until January 30, 2018. After this date and until the domain is deleted on February 9, 2018, you would be charged a $10 late renewal fee, so your total renewal cost would be $20.99 ($10 fee + $10.99 regular renewal price).

Please note that we do start sending renewal notices out 60 days in advance of your expiration date. We recommend you keep your account email up-to-date to ensure you receive these messages. We also offer the option to set a different renewal email address and set your domains to auto-renew.

If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].

Best,
Team Dynadot
dynadot.com

 

[usernamex]

The actual ICANN policy is Auto-Renew Grace Period UP TO 45 days. Technically, no registrar has to give you any Grace time at all, they can have zero days Auto-Renew Grace Period and throw you right into Redemption Grace Period (which is 30 days mandatory), where the registrar does actually have to pay a recovery fee to ICANN which they pass on to you.
https://www.icann.org/resources/pages/expired-2013-05-03-en

Seriously, how many other businesses let you pay late with little to no penalty? Utility companies, credit cards, rent? Try going 30 days late with any of them and see how far you get.

This change is a resonable compromise by Dynadot - current owner still gets 40 days, just extra motivation to get it done in 30, and likely reduce auction tasting as well.

 

[offthehandle]

Hi all. Thank you for your feedback. We realize this is a big change. We're hoping this new fee will help reduce the number of expired auction orders we see cancelled due to renewal. When we set up our auction system, the cancellation rate was at 6%. That has grown greatly in recent years. It seems some Registrants would use the auctions as a way to appraise their domains before renewing.

There was a domain that expired and went to auction a year ago, the auction was cancelled and the person renewed it and I wasted my energy. I was frustrated. Completely forgot about Dynadot auctions.

So this year, the same domain comes up, I would never have cared to know actually but this time I receive an email from Dynadot notifying me of the 3 day "Auction".

So I place a bid and watch it, it's supposed to be a 3 day auction. There were several bidders (Who knows if they were real even, no ID's shown) and the amount was bid up, and at the last moment before the 3 days it was cancelled and renewed by registrant.

I thought from this thread they might have fixed the system and that it was past the due date for renewal before auction start. Am I missing a new policy change from this thread? Or am I incorrect?

Now, I reviewed the whois and know who it is- and it's the same domainer from last year gaming the system, and they are on this forum.

What is this?

I would rather not have received any notice at all, unless it was a true auction. Why are you sending me notices for your fake auctions? I simply assumed it was available, free and clear this year. I was wrong.

 

[italsat]

yes , the domain go to auction at he end of the 40 days that the owner have for renew it a expired domain.
After the dynadot auction end , the owner have other 3 days for renew the domain.
Dynadot a year ago have introduce a fee of +$10 that add at renew price when the domain go to auction.
The owner for renew the domain need pay renew fee + $10 if want renew the domain.
Godaddy work similiar but charge a $80 fee that add to renew fee.

 

[Haris]

Jason Newby has paid $20 renewal for dozens of domains in the past few weeks.

 

[Name Trader]

Jason Newby has paid $20 renewal for dozens of domains in the past few weeks.

Do you mean the $10 renewal fee? I do this too, for a miniscule number of domains per year, where I have a change of heart about this renewal fee. We can do this between day 30- 40 after expiry. I'm not sure of what the auction timetable is when superimposed upon this renewal timetable. But I've lost a number of auctions after I've paid for them, to renewals and/or transfers. Perhaps @Dynadot could explain more clearly the auction timetable, which would explain why won and paid for auctions can still be taken away from the auction winners.

 

[dr manos]

Dynadot guarantees the full expiring period (40 days) in favor of owner, but not the 30 days redemption.
If name has bids at auction, owner will not have the redemption period, if not, owner can renew it for 30 days more with the redemption fee.

So the auction timetable is like this:
Auction starts at end of 30th day of expiration (at this time +$10 fee for owner applies).
Auction is for 6 days.
At the end of 6th day auction ends and winner has 2 days to pay (if no payment then 2nd bidder has 2 days to take it).
Owner has a time window from 37th day to end of 40th to renew it (as dynadot guarantees the whole 40 day expiration period) so at this case auction is cancelled and auction winner is refunded.

 

[offthehandle]

So I receive several notices about a domain about to expire. I ignore them all.

I let it expire and once the auction opens I receive ANOTHER email while it is in auction, in order to bid on on it! I didn’t, but believe I should have tested to check this wasn’t the case. On the face of it, this email it seems to me is to encourage to renewal and the $10 fee mentioned that or shill bidding, as it was the exact same format of the other email I mentioned before above in this thread. Then another (2) additional auction reminder emails come in. All ignored.

Has anyone else actually checked? Anyone clicked on this email and determined even though the name is in auction, once that your login credentials are entered, and that you are prevented from bidding and requires immediate renewal?
I certainly hope this prevents you from bidding on your own name.
I would hope so. Appreciate any feedback.
Thanks.

 

[Name Trader]

Dupe Post. Even Top Members make mistakes

 

[Name Trader]

@offthehandle It is my clear understanding that the $10 extra renewal fee which is payable between 31 and 40 days after expiry, EXCEPT whilst the domain is in auction from days 31-37 (I think). Then if nobody bids on the auction, you can renew with this extra $10 again from days 38-40.

Earlier I have tried to place a bid on a domain in auction, I was dropping, and was told I needed to renew the domain. Which I did. But I haven't seen that option recently. I think since they blocked you being able to renew whilst the domain is in auction. Which I think is a fairly recent addition to their ToS (maybe 2 months tops?)

This has been my experience, and interpretation. Not that I am one to usually renew after the 30 day regular renewal period. But it happens. It would be much better if @Dynadot could confirm this. But he does seem to have been AWOL recently.

What I haven't checked is whether they changed their ToS so you could bid in the auction for your own domain. Which would make some sense to me.

 

[offthehandle]

https://www.namepros.com/threads/dy...tion-policy-today.1006742/page-2#post-6693025

(2) years in a row the same dumb-mainer did this to get a free appraisal. The name was renewed and bids were $XXX

Between this and most all the other auction platform issues, I have ended participation.

 

[CrazyTech]

I'm confused on this as well.

I watched several names in auction only to see them disappear with a few hours to go. I've had several domains that were renewed after I won the auction as well. Not quite sure how it works.

 

[Dynadot]

@offthehandle It is my clear understanding that the $10 extra renewal fee which is payable between 31 and 40 days after expiry, EXCEPT whilst the domain is in auction from days 31-37 (I think). Then if nobody bids on the auction, you can renew with this extra $10 again from days 38-40.

The owner can renew during the full 40 day period, including during the auction. However, during that 30-40 day period, if someone wants to renew, there is the extra fee.

offthehandle, is the domain in question also on your watchlist?

 

[offthehandle]

offthehandle, is the domain in question also on your watchlist?

I got mixed up with your company last year bidding and my credit card was charged $XXX.XX not offered a refund, I didn't read the TOS refund terms before bidding, my fault. I posted this last year and nobody from your company responded.

https://www.namepros.com/threads/dynadot-auction-terms-question.1015659/

I understand there is some balance, but this change you made didn't fix the problem from the bidder perspective. I don’t count days until expiration or game the system, as others choose to do, and now I know who the person is that did this 2 years in a row. I feel like posting their ID actually.

After this last minute renewal happened last year and I complained above, I decided to ignore all non-absolute platforms auctions. I learned fast. But then I read this thread and incorrectly assumed these were real auctions, and that was the only reason I bid when I received an email. Reducing the dates, might appease some but does not solve the problem of a last minute renewal game. Hence my frustration with most all “auction” platforms, and it is not just yours. Sorry, but my definition of an "Expired Domain Auction", is that it expired, and that it is absolute auction, and it cannot be cancelled. You might change this to the truth that it was a "pre-sale review", that way I would never have paid any attention, until it went to auction.

This domain industry like eBay suffers from not applying standard auction industry practice rules and the TOS state things like "We are not auctioneers", "We are simply a sales platform" and other such nonsense excuses.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_auction

Yes, I recall noticing “watch” something on the deleted emails, but I believe only by default in your interface since I bid on this other persons domain last year, and you kept my money.

But I never “watched” my own domain (See screenshot below) to see if there are any bidders after it expired. I forgot about it but your company sent me like 3-4 emails encouraging me to take action- which said to bid on my own name.

I never clicked it to discover what that action was if I clicked on "Place your bid now". I imagine the other guy received those same emails and watch the price climb and decided to renew.

Here was your "ONE HOUR LEFT" "Bid on your own name" email I received. I ignored the 60 day renewal and all the other emails before and during the auction.

 

[Name Trader]

The owner can renew during the full 40 day period, including during the auction. However, during that 30-40 day period, if someone wants to renew, there is the extra fee.

OK. So that means if we renew the domain it is removed from the auction. Correct.

It's funny. Because I had thought the situation had changed and we could not renew the domain whilst it is in auction. Could you please check this fact, and confirm that we can still renew whilst the domain is at auction, with the late renewal fee of $10, of course.

 

[Name Trader]

I can confirm that we can still renew domains which are ours and are currently in auction. Plus the late renewal fee of $10 (of course).

 

[offthehandle]

I can confirm that we can still renew domains which are ours and are currently in auction. Plus the late renewal fee of $10 (of course).

What happened when you clicked the “Place your bid now” link?

 

[Name Trader]

What happened when you clicked the “Place your bid now” link?

It says you "need to renew the domain".

 

[Haris]

It says you "need to renew the domain".

A person may still do shill bidding using a 2nd account

 

[Name Trader]

A person may still do shill bidding using a 2nd account

That flaw is not just restricted to domains at Dynadot. It could apply to million dollar 2nd hand cars as well

Besides. What would be the point of shill bidding on a domain you have decided to drop? With no financial interest to the shill bidder?

 

[Haris]

That flaw is not just restricted to domains at Dynadot. It could apply to million dollar 2nd hand cars as well

Besides. What would be the point of shill bidding on a domain you have decided to drop? With no financial interest to the shill bidder?

pissing off other bidders.. lol

 

[Name Trader]

pissing off other bidders.. lol

Sorry. But I don't see that as a productive use of my time Do people really do that?

 

[offthehandle]

It says you "need to renew the domain".

So you are confirming that once you click on the bid link, it immediately displays a new message about logging in, then it flags you are bidding on your own name, and prevents it? If so, that answers my question.

 

[Name Trader]

So you are confirming that once you click on the bid link, it immediately displays a new message about logging in, then it flags you are bidding on your own name, and prevents it? If so, that answers my question.

I'm usually already logged in. Yes. If I click on the bid link. I immediately get that message, and cannot bid in the auction, for a domain owned by me.

 

[Display Spears]

Dynadot guarantees the full expiring period (40 days) in favor of owner, but not the 30 days redemption.
If name has bids at auction, owner will not have the redemption period, if not, owner can renew it for 30 days more with the redemption fee.

So the auction timetable is like this:
Auction starts at end of 30th day of expiration (at this time +$10 fee for owner applies).
Auction is for 6 days.
At the end of 6th day auction ends and winner has 2 days to pay (if no payment then 2nd bidder has 2 days to take it).
Owner has a time window from 37th day to end of 40th to renew it (as dynadot guarantees the whole 40 day expiration period) so at this case auction is cancelled and auction winner is refunded.

Thanks for this great comment.

Does it still work the same in 2023?

 

[Caleb Tweed]

Thanks for this great comment.

Does it still work the same in 2023?

Yes this is still how it works! Slight alteration to , "if no payment then 2nd bidder has 2 days to take it"
the 2nd place bidder only has 1 day to submit payment, however there is no consequence if they choose not to pay for it!