.UK Domain Renewals

Back in 2014, Nominet (the .uk Registry), launched the shorter and smarter, .uk domain name extension. They protected existing UK domain registrants by reserving the matching .uk domain for 5 years.

What steps has names.co.uk taken to protect their customers?

In 2017, we added an unprocessed order containing a free matching .uk domain name(s) and sent a communication to the email address on your account. At this point, a 2-week window was opened for you to delete the order, if the .uk domain(s) was not needed/wanted.

Between the 27^th and 28^th September 2017, we processed all of the remaining orders for the .uk domain registrations for 2 years, free of charge. We also redirected the new .uk domain(s), to your existing domain, to make sure that you captured any extra traffic. For example, we have ‘names.uk’ forwarding to ‘names.co.uk’.

All .uk domain names that were registered between the 27^th and 28^th September 2017, were set to manual renewal. Those 2 years have flown by and you’ll have now started to receive renewal notifications. We’d like to stress that there is absolutely no obligation for you to renew.

Why did names.co.uk take those actions?

We had taken these steps simply to help protect you against fraudsters and cyber-squatters and to help you get the most out of being online.

What are the benefits of a .uk domain?

• It’s short and gets straight to the point
• It gives greater focus and emphasis on your business name
• It provides a quicker and easier way for your customers to access your website
• It has a greater international appeal
• It’s a great way to protect your brand

Do I have to renew the .uk domain?

There is absolutely no obligation for you to renew. Just double-check that your .uk domain(s) is set to a manual renewal within the billing section of your Online Control Panel and it will lapse off your account upon expiry. After around 90 days, the .uk domain(s) will be returned to the open market available for anyone to register.

Should you choose to keep your .uk domain(s), we are offering a 2-year renewal at only £9.99 for 2 years.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us. You can get in touch by raising a support ticket directly from your Online Control Panel. Alternatively, give us a call us on 0345 363 3633.