How to get our old domain back?

  • Unknown's avatar
    fairplayph · Member ·

    We want our domain ‘fairplayforall.org’ back. How do we do this?

    WP.com: Yes
    Correct account: Yes

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to moderators and staff)

  • aleone89 · Staff ·

    Hey there,

    Happy to help you with this.

    It looks like this domain is now in a redemption period is now subject to a $80 redemption fee, plus the $13.00 registration fee.

    Would you like to continue with this redemption? Once confirmed, we’ll get the ball rolling on that for you.

    Also, it looks like the business plan was currently on the site, is this something you’re looking to retain also?

    This will help with getting things organised with getting the site back up on track. :)

    Many thanks and looking forward to hearing from you.

  • Unknown's avatar
    fairplayph · Member ·

    Hello,

    Thanks for your reply.

    We are a small charity based in the Philippines so an $80 fee won’t be possible. Previously we discussed with the live chat agents about renewing but then this option wasn’t available recently.

    We have been customers of WordPress for 5 or 6 years now I think. Which actually meant you got paid twice if I understand correctly. Once to upgrade it to the personal plan and then someone else donated to upgrade to the business plan before that personal plan had expired.

    Anyway, as a small charity and long-time customers, we would appreciate further feedback on this issue. As I understand it, with such a large fee, it would be much cheaper for us to find another hosting website and get a new domain instead.

    Thanks. Your advice will be appreciated.

  • aleone89 · Staff ·

    Hello there,

    We are a small charity based in the Philippines so an $80 fee won’t be possible. Previously we discussed with the live chat agents about renewing but then this option wasn’t available recently.

    Understood.

    I’ve taken a look at your support history there and it looks like chat was around 4 months ago, and you were informed that a plan was required in order to set a primary custom domain.

    I can’t see that this plan was never purchased, and so even though this particular domain was registered, technically, it’s not been used since March of last year as the primary custom domain.

    Anyway, as a small charity and long-time customers, we would appreciate further feedback on this issue. As I understand it, with such a large fee, it would be much cheaper for us to find another hosting website and get a new domain instead.

    I totally see where you’re coming from here. Redemption fees apply across the board with all domain registrars when a domain expires – and they can be costly at times.

    If the cost of a domain redemption puts registering a completely new domain on the table, then this may be the way to go.

    It just so happens we offer a free domain for the first year of registration with a plan, and at a minimum you’d need the personal plan.

    To note, it’s not just the domain you’d get the use out of on the personal plan, but there’s also this donation block: https://wordpress.com/support/wordpress-editor/blocks/donations/ which aims to make it easier for people to donate to the charity.

    I hope this helps and is food for thought. :)

  • Unknown's avatar
    fairplayph · Member ·

    Yes, the COVID period has been particularly difficult as you can imagine for small charities also. As I mentioned, someone else had donated to upgrade the plan to business and WordPress was getting $33 a month so some things were overlooked when they stopped. It appears also that WordPress stopped the chat function earlier this year so we missed the updates to that chat support – hence the messages here.

    “I totally see where you’re coming from here. Redemption fees apply across the board with all domain registrars when a domain expires – and they can be costly at times. If the cost of a domain redemption puts registering a completely new domain on the table, then this may be the way to go.”

    We would rather not. Given the amount we have paid to WordPress for so long, as a small group, this is why we had to ask about the situation.

    “It just so happens we offer a free domain for the first year of registration with a plan, and at a minimum you’d need the personal plan.”

    And we would be looking to get the personal plan also, at a minimum. And register the domain. It is the $80 fee that to “redeem” a domain that seems really odd. Registering a new domain would be $13, right? So why would “redeeming” a domain, which is really just registering the domain again if I understand correctly, cost 6x the annual domain registration? Again, in our situation and financial capacity that really doesn’t make sense.

    Again, we want to now get the personal plan and register the domain. What can WordPress do for a charity registration in this context?

  • aleone89 · Staff ·

    Hey there,
    Thank you for that extra info and further context.

    It is the $80 fee that to “redeem” a domain that seems really odd. Registering a new domain would be $13, right? So why would “redeeming” a domain, which is really just registering the domain again if I understand correctly, cost 6x the annual domain registration?

    I totally get your confusion there, and domains certainly aren’t easy to understand. So to explain, around 30 days after a domain expires, the original domain owner (that’s you) has the opportunity to redeem the domain, before it’s released back into “general availability”. The redemption fee, is the cost incurred to retain that domain between the last day of it’s 30 day expiry, and when it’s redeemed.

    And there is no set time as to when that domain could be released back into that pool of domains – even when it does, there’s a chance it could be purchased by another party.

    I want to reassure you of something – this fee not charged by WordPress.com, but by our registrars, and is the same process with other providers. Alas, I have seen other providers charge higher redemption fees.

    We would rather not.

    I understand… but just to reiterate, this domain wasn’t actually being used for over a year, because there was no plan on the site. This may be good a opportunity to start a fresh with a new (and potentially better) domain for the site. I hope that’s food for thought.

    Again, we want to now get the personal plan and register the domain. What can WordPress do for a charity registration in this context?

    I think there’s definitely something we can do, if you choose to purchase the plan, with a domain (or redeem the original domain), we’ll need to move this thread to an email, but let us know so that we can help you get set up.

    I really do hope this helps.

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