dramamine79

Hey all,

I have a couple questions about domain names:

1) What is the difference between a registrar like GoDaddy and a wholesaler like TuCows?

I know GoDaddy sells domains straight to consumers, and TuCows sells them to ISP's. But what are the pros/cons of both systems?

2) If I wanted to buy a domain through my ISP (that TuCows sold), what is that process?

If I am totally off base, please correct me.

Thanks a TON in advance for helping a noob like me.

Adam

snowbird

It sounds like you are talking about domain registrars and then resellers. Tucows would be the ICANN accredited registrar and the ISP providing the registrations might be a reseller for them.

Some people may feel most comfortable using the registrar directly instead of someone who is a reseller for the registrar. But it all really comes down to personal preference really. If you are using a reseller who has been around for a long time and is very reputable, then they should be just fine. There are some resellers that come and go over time, but the registrar will most likely be around for good. Try to find reviews on the place you are most interested in using. If they are getting tons of positive reviews and you feel comfortable with them, then go ahead and use them. Even if a reseller does close up shop, you will still be able to manage your domains through the main registrar they were reselling for anyways. I would go with a place that is reliable, dependable, and has positive reviews on providing great customer service regardless of if they are a registrar or reseller.

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dramamine79

So a reseller (e.g. GoDaddy) re-sells domains from a registrar (e.g. TuCows)

I think I understand...

So, how do I deal with the registrar? Do I phone up my ISP (e.g. Comcast) and say "I'd like to purchase a domain". I understand shopping around and reading reviews. Thanks for your advice.

And thanks for your speedy response. Sorry I am very new at this.

Adam

snowbird

Actually, GoDaddy and TuCows are both ICANN accredited registrars. All you need to do to register a domain with them is go to godaddy.com for example. You can simply type in the domain your interested in and the site will tell you if it's available or not. If the domain is available then you can add it to your cart and register it. Simple as that. Some other well known registrars are Moniker, Network Solutions, NameCheap, DomainSite, Enom, and Register.com. Some people look for the best in quality and security, others look for the cheapest price.

As for domain resellers, you will often find these to be web hosting companies for example. Quite a few web hosts are not ICANN accredited registrars themselves because their specialty is hosting. But they know that people who come to their site for hosting will often be looking for a domain name as well. So it is common to find web hosts offering domain registrations.

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RegisterBird.com

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dramamine79

Thank you AGAIN for a speedy and informed reply.

However, on Tucows Domain Name Help Center, they state that they do not sell domains directly to consumers.

Does this mean that Tucows sells domains to GoDaddy/Register.com to sell to the consumer?

If so, how do websites such as The Bay have their domain registered under TuCows?

Thanks very much in advance again.
Adam

ssamriga

just go to Godaddy, they're cheap and quite ok

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My domain portfolio: DNFit.com

snowbird

That is most likely because some registrars are open just for the purpose of selling to resellers. Doing so makes their resellers happy because then the resellers wont have to worry about competing against the wholesaler on pricing. And no, Tucows does not sell to godaddy and register.com. Why should they? godaddy and register.com are their own ICANN accredited registrar. A registrar will never resell domains through another registrar. That is just defeating the purpose of owning a registrar. heh.

Let me see if I can break this down for you in simpler terms:

At the very top of the tree we have a company called VERISIGN. They are known as the REGISTRY for gTLDs. You cannot deal with them directly unless you are a registrar. The registry sets what the wholesale pricing will be each year for the registrars. An increase at the registry level usually means a price increase at the registrar level for customers.

Under that 1 registry are REGISTRARS. These registrars are all listed (HERE: ICANN | ICANN-Accredited Registrars). That list of registrars includes godaddy, register.com, enom, namecheap, etc. (They are ALL there). When a person like you goes to Godaddy.com for example to register a domain, you check to see if your name is available. If it is, then you pay for it. Then, the REGISTRAR communicates with the REGISTRY to register the domain on your behalf. There is no way of bypassing the registrar. You HAVE to go through a registrar to register your domains since they are the ones who communicate with the REGISTRY.

Now, UNDER the REGISTRAR are RESELLERS. RESELLERS are people who provide domain registrations through a registrar but usually get wholesale pricing through the registrar. People usually become resellers because they cannot afford the MASSIVE costs of becomming an ICANN accredited registrar. So they become a reseller for the registrar instead.

As for ICANN, these are the people who police the system. They ensure that registrars are being fair to the customers they sell to. If a registrar is accredited by ICANN, then that is a VERY good thing because it means the registrar will follow policies set by ICANN to maintain fairness for their customers.

I hope this helps clear things up for you.

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RegisterBird.com

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dramamine79

Excellent, yes. This is just the explanation I was looking for.

Thank you.
Thank you.

Adam