Let’s face it: as domainers, sometimes we forget to renew our domains on time. Other times, we do not want to renew our domains at all and we let them expire, letting them fade away into dropcatching hell.
Soon, these will be options of the past.
Domain Renewal Enforcer (DRE) – a product of Innovative Creations, a Cardiff-based company – is currently being tested at a number of registrars, attempting to remind registrants to renew their domains at an increasingly aggressive manner.
There are three DRE modes: Mild, Medium and Extreme – let’s view them in more detail:
- Mild mode: For the period of 60 to 30 days before expiration, an email is dispatched daily, accompanied by an automated phonecall and a text message to the domain owner. The text is configurable and the voice of the call can be male, female or Robocop.
- Medium mode: Between 30 days to a day before expiration, daily visits at the registrant’s address are performed, urging them to renew – or else. Using former Jehova’s Witnesses, this mode usually would achieve a 75% renewal rate.
- Extreme mode: Upon expiration and for 15 days after, the registrant’s home is shrink-wrapped, thus making it impossible for the registrant to exit their premises without renewing the domain. This mode ensures a 99% success rate with renewals, unless the negligent domain owner dies from starvation.
“We believe that once registered, a domain name must be renewed forever”, said Thomas Lee Harpo of Innovative Creations. “There is no excuse for domain registrants to forget their obligation to the domain Registries, especially since Verisign and ICANN are doing their best to improve the Internet and life in general”, he added.
Among the registrars currently test-driving the Domain Renewal Enforcer are Network Solutions, Seppuku Japan and Registerfly.
lol, register fly…
Godaddy will certainly opt for the extreme mode. It’s just slightly more invasive than what they do now.
Attila – Registerfly are pioneers 😀
Nameclerk – But Bob Parsons is a nice guy, why would you want to ever leave GoDaddy?
Several years ago, I made the mistake of buying two ‘bargain’ .COMs at 1&1. When I didn’t renew them, they sent me to collections for a year! I got threatening letters with a $13.90 (Domains were cheaper once upon a time!) demand for payment for 12 months! That was the last thing that I will ever do with 1&1 needless to say. Suggest this service to them and you’ll be their first VP soon! They were onto something they just needed guidance!
1&1 takes the cake for renewals. When I first started out I was experimenting with domains and buying like 5 names per day, everyday. Didn’t realize they auto renewed. Either you renewed or you cancelled. Pay now or cancel, no in between. I got pissed and refused to pay. My mailbox was stuffed tighter then a turkey with paper renewals and collections for 2 years.
They took the names back and transferred to their own account of which I didn’t care, HOWEVER, the funniest part, now going on 5 years they have not changed the DNS and I STILL earn parking income from all those names. It wouldnt bother me if they eventually did change the DNS.
I will ride that pony till I’m kicked off.