Nominet promotion offering free 1 yr .uk reg

[jasman]

Just got this via email:

"To support all our registrars in outreach to their rights holders in the final weeks before the 25th June deadline, we will run a final Right of Registration promotion, supported by our broader awareness raising campaign.This will be a one-year free registration promotion which will be live from 3rd June until 14th June and open to all registrars. There will be no sign up required to participate in this promotion. Further information is available on Registrar Resources. "

Looks like the number of domains up for grabs in the July release will drop significantly then. And July 2020 will be .uk heaven when everyone lets them expire!

 

[RobM]

Lol going to play havoc with the droplists - let's just hope that *clients* have to want them.. not the public facing registrars. Perhaps this is a way of nominet giving them to their friends.

 

[ian]

Can't even give them away though I wish every rights holder would just register the damn things so we can move on (for another year at least!).

 

[RobM]

so 123reg register every uk for the corresponding domain on their tag....for free - ask the customers later if they want them.. maybe not bother...
I wonder who stands to benefit from this move.....

 

[ian]

so 123reg register every uk for the corresponding domain on their tag....for free - ask the customers later if they want them.. maybe not bother...
I wonder who stands to benefit from this move.....

Nominet of course silly

 

[RobM]

Ah well at least it makes people feel better about having their quotas slashed I guess - now there won't be anything of value to even worry about missing

 

[timter51]

Didn't we already have a promotion identical for this a few months back? Or am I imagining it?

 

[ian]

Didn't we already have a promotion identical for this a few months back? Or am I imagining it?

Yeah, they did it a few months on the trot. I registered mine but could have saved 3 months!

 

[Murray]

i messed up registering mine on the last free promotion, I'd added a domain that was a different address, when it said error for the one domain, I did that one individually and then just stupidly presumed id registered the rest.. It hadn't

Promotion had ended when I realised, thought that would be the last one so I registered them and paid, luckily I didn't have that many, still annoying to waste money

 

[Whois-Search]

This must now be the fifth time that .uk rights have been free:

1 year free
3rd June to 14th June 2019

1 year free
October 2018 to March 2019

2 years free
Extended until 31st October 2017

2 years free
1st July to the 30th September 2017

1 year free
10 November 2015 to 7 January 2016

Also...

123-reg bulk registered their names in September 2017 for two years:

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/...outraged_at_automatic_uk_domain_registration/

As did Namesco:

https://www.names.co.uk/blog/2017/09/rights-owners-can-claim-free-uk/

Most domainers registered their .uk rights by 31st October 2017 for two years. As that gave you until 31st October 2019 which was beyond the drop in July.

However if you managed to get March 2019 you have until March 2020 free (Nominet said that was the last .uk promotion).

So ....which big registrar hasn’t registered all their .uk names yet ? Godaddy ? 1&1 ?

Someone has asked for this latest promotion as they said so on the webinar (5:45 mins).

 

[TRUK]

Can't even give them away though I wish every rights holder would just register the damn things so we can move on (for another year at least!).

Exactly what I thought when I opened that email(s). Nominet even tells at the end "sorry" but the public is so clueless about this that we will send email to registrars' emails without asking you.

IF I would a big registrar like dickdoddy I would register all that shit free on behalf of right holders then sell the good ones at auction after one year if it is let expired.

 

[timter51]

Can someone confirm, can I just register my free .uk by creating the domain through my Web Domain Manager in my registrar account? I have the .co.uk currently registered on my tag. It never actually says whether it's free or not...

 

[diablo]

Can someone confirm, can I just register my free .uk by creating the domain through my Web Domain Manager in my registrar account? I have the .co.uk currently registered on my tag. It never actually says whether it's free or not...

Says it will be adjusted when invoiced so will show as free then

 

[TRUK]

Most domainers registered their .uk rights

Except Mr. Virgin

 

[woffer]

Heart Internet have just confirmed they will not be doing the 1 year free and have are in fact still being charged themselves. Does that make sense to anyone? I have around 150 .co.uk domains with them and probably 100+ I will register the .uk with

 

[davedevelopment]

Heart Internet have just confirmed they will not be doing the 1 year free and have are in fact still being charged themselves. Does that make sense to anyone? I have around 150 .co.uk domains with them and probably 100+ I will register the .uk with

I think they're saying that they haven't opted in to the promotion and therefore will be charging to cover the cost (+ their markup) with nominet as usual. Probably a good time to decide if the effort of transferring to another provider is worth the £300 you might save...

 

[diablo]

Heart Internet have just confirmed they will not be doing the 1 year free and have are in fact still being charged themselves. Does that make sense to anyone? I have around 150 .co.uk domains with them and probably 100+ I will register the .uk with

No this doesn't make sense. As per the OP, "There will be no sign up required to participate in this promotion" and Heart will not be charged.

 

[woffer]

Just called 123 reg and they said they are not doing it either. They are both part of Go Daddy and I thought Go Daddy were taking part. It all seems very bizarre and I cant understand why they say they are not taking part unless that is because if they get a year free they have to give the year free. If they do not take part then they still make the markup from the wholesale price of the domain they buy at to the price they sell at.

Sneaky if that is the case though

 

[Whois-Search]

It’s a bit complicated but this is what I think has happened:

1. Heart Internet , Domainbox , Domain Monster got merged in to the backend of 123-Reg (they certainly share the same support staff).

2. Godaddy then bought HEG in December 2016:
https://aboutus.godaddy.net/newsroo...or-Small-Business-Cloud-Services/default.aspx

3. 123-reg then bulk registered all their .uk rights back in November 2017:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/...outraged_at_automatic_uk_domain_registration/

Today Godaddy (from their HQ) sets the pricing on all the brands. They have started to shut down the smaller brands Domain Monster etc

That’s why Godaddy (as the stronger biggest brand) is taking the pre-orders on .uk

https://uk.godaddy.com/tlds/uk-domain

However 123-reg doesn’t need to offer the ROR promotion because it’s already exercised their rights and on the names from Domain Monster / Domainbox.

The promotion we have now is intended in my opinion for United Internet (1&1 Ionos + Fasthosts) who are yet to do a bulk registration.

Either way if you want to bulk register your .uk for free send me an email andrew[at]netistrar.com and I will do it for you.

 

[woffer]

Hi Andrew,

Firstly thank you for such a detailed reply and a very kind offer.

I am stuck a little as in honesty I had registered the .uk yesterday with Heart after they had said they were not taking part in it. It was only on further thought that I could not understand why.

I have just spoken to a guy at Heart and he has said the offer is open to the registrar and not the registrant. I said you will be getting for free then and just not passing on and he said he could not answer that. He then said either way its a decision we have made not to offer it to our customers. Even though the Nominet page says Registrars are encouraged to pass this on to their customers. Just shows they are a bit shady!

If I could cancel somehow and move then I would, but feel I am kind of tied up because of purchasing them already

thank you

It’s a bit complicated but this is what I think has happened:

1. Heart Internet , Domainbox , Domain Monster got merged in to the backend of 123-Reg (they certainly share the same support staff).

2. Godaddy then bought HEG in December 2016:
https://aboutus.godaddy.net/newsroo...or-Small-Business-Cloud-Services/default.aspx

3. 123-reg then bulk registered all their .uk rights back in November 2017:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/...outraged_at_automatic_uk_domain_registration/

Today Godaddy (from their HQ) sets the pricing on all the brands. They have started to shut down the smaller brands Domain Monster etc

That’s why Godaddy (as the stronger biggest brand) is taking the pre-orders on .uk

https://uk.godaddy.com/tlds/uk-domain

However 123-reg doesn’t need to offer the ROR promotion because it’s already exercised their rights and on the names from Domain Monster / Domainbox.

The promotion we have now is intended in my opinion for United Internet (1&1 Ionos + Fasthosts) who are yet to do a bulk registration.

Either way if you want to bulk register your .uk for free send me an email andrew[at]netistrar.com and I will do it for you.