I own several two letter domain names under the TLD .tc so (xx.tc for example).I registered them originally in March 2007.
When I registered them, and at the time the pricing was $59.00USD per year.
However, they have just announced that from now (without even a notice period by the sounds of it!) renewals will cost £3000+VAT. This is a price hike of well over 1000%!
Now this wouldn’t be much of a problem (Although, frustrating!) but for the past five years my primary email address, the one I use for pretty much everything has been on a two letter .tc domain because it’s quick to type as well as the one ALL my contacts have.
The domain will need to be renewed in march next year at a cost of £3600. Obviously I cannot afford that, let alone every year!
Is there any legal basis for me to challenge this?!
I can see how they would be allowed to start charging new registrations at any price they want… but renewal of existing ones? That can’t be right, surely?!
I don’t mind paying more, but to go from under £50 a year to £3600 is just plain wrong.
Any advice? Is there any other TLD that has done this in the past and set a similar precedent? I imagine if ICANN or Nominet suddenly did this they wouldn’t be allowed!
The two character TLDs all belong to specific countries and so the countries can do whatever they like with their TLD as they own it. The .tc domain belongs to Turks and Caicos Islands and so whatever is being done with it would require their permission. Presumably either they have decided to really cash in on the leasing out sub-domains or one of the domain registrars they have authorised to lease them out has decided to cash in. You might see if there is an alternate domain registrar you can move the domains to that doesn’t charge as much.
Unfortunately the price rise is coming from the people who have total control of the TLD (at the same level as ICANN or Nominet) so it will affect every registrar
Buying an international domain or one from your own country would have avoided this type of problem. Those countries that sell their country specific domains internationally can decide to make changes like this at any time.
