As you probably guessed, I started this thread because I have one to share. Most of the time when you transfer a domain name to a new registrar the transfer fee you pay also adds a year to the registration. It is important to realize that this is not always, true however. I was in a position that I had a .pw domain name fairly near (but before) expiration, so I looked at TLD-List at where I could transfer it to save some dollars on renewal. The rate looked good at Gandi, and I transferred it (smoothly) there. But then I discovered no year was added! This was not in any way indicated as part of the transfer process.
If you transfer a .pw domain name to Gandi they do NOT add a year to the registration.
I asked their customer support why no year added, and they referred me to two links. One of them was .pw rules that as far as I can tell does not actually clearly answer if a year is added or not. Their wording "Create or transfer your domain name in .pw for $xx
per year all included." That implied to me that the year was included, as it is at a number of other registrars. Customer service also referred me to a site called oldwiki.gandi.nete that had the rules re domain name transfers to Gandi. Now it would seem confusing for me to even seek out something called oldwiki, but the really surprising thing? While the table does clearly indicate which extensions have the year added,
it does not have .pw in the table! Really, Gandi customer support as justification for why no year was added sent me to a site called oldwiki that does not even list .pw!
I would tag Gandi, but they don't seem to have a rep on the NPs reps list. If anyone knows please do add a tag in this thread. I have been debating this with them on Twitter, so they do know of my concern. Their argument on Twitter is the registry does not add a year, so to give their customers more choices, they offer transfer without adding a year. Maybe that makes sense, but only if they are clear about it (which they admit they are not currently, and say they will improve).
Now the $3.51 I spent for the transfer won't break me
but I do feel that their policies were at the very least unclear. It would not be so bad if their .pw renewal rate was competitive but it is not. They charge $26.88 for renewal vs $9.00 at Google Domains and $9.88 at Namecheap, for example. So they now have my domain locked for 60 day transfer, took a transfer fee, and my only option is to let it expire or pay their high renewal fee.
So, if looking to transfer a .pw make sure the registrar that you are going to use does add a year! (a number do).
Bob
Added Note: The oldwiki they referred me to does list
some other extensions where a year is not added at Gandi, including .at, co.uk, cz, .im, .la, .li, .pl, .pt.,.se and .vg.