A few noob Q's about dropping names...

[domino66]

I've been trying to read up as much as I can about the name-dropping process, but hope I can fire off some rapid-fire Q's here:

1) Are snapnames, enom, and pool the only three companies that offer name-drop acquiring services? That's what I got from this article - mikeindustries.com/blog/archive/2005/03/how-to-snatch-an-expiring-domain

2) What happens when a DN is expiring and NO ONE has put in a back-order for it through any of the backordering / snapping-up companies? Does it automatically just become a 'free agent'? Or do snapnames, enom, or pool sometimes snap it up for themselves (or for one of their DN holding subsidiary companies?) If those 3 companies have a true monopoly on the DN backordering industry, it just seems like there's WAY too much room for corruption / shenanigans on their end!

3) All 3 of those backorder companies charge about $70...but then there's also an 'auction' process. I'm confused about when it just costs you $70, and when a name would instead go to AUCTION?

4) If a name goes to auction upon dropping and is bought for, say, $5,000, who does that money go to? The 3rd-party backordering company (i.e. snapnames/enom/pool)? I once read an article saying that the owner who let the DN drop actually gets to share in the auction price...is that still true?

5) If the lion's share of the auction sale price goes to Snapnames/enom/pool, then isn't it in their best interest to make sure there are multiple bidders on a DN (and therefor it can get bid up at auction instead of just going for the flat $70)?? That's where these backdoor shenanigans seem to come into play. How do we know that those companies aren't artificially bidding up the price of valuable DNs, either directly or through one of their affiliated companies??

 

[DU]

Search for "Halvarez".

That will answer one question.

 

[Name Trader]

1) No. But for most cases you won't need to go outside these 3 in ordr to capture a dropping domain.

2) It will drop. But you are right about much to much wiggle room for shenanigans. Search for "Halvarez".

3) You only pay the $70 if they capture the domain and you win because you are the only bidder. If there is more than one bidder, it goes to auction. It is not an up-front payment.

4) Yep. It is the Backordering company which get the money. They may of course have to pay the drop-catcher who actually caught the domain for them. Only former owners of NetSol registered domains get a share of their sales price (I think 15%).

5) Yep and Yep.

 

[RazorNF]

How do we know that those companies aren't artificially bidding up the price of valuable DNs, either directly or through one of their affiliated companies??

As the previous posters have alluded to with "halvarez", it has already happened.

It is always a possibility. You can't ever be sure that it will never happen again.

But as long as there are names dropping and there is something you want, the old saying "you're screwed if you do and you're screwed if you don't" could ring true

 

[NPer]

It's a nice business to have! Certainly would wish for a piece of that pie... just a piece! :D

Regards,
:wave:

 

[domino66]

Search for "Halvarez".

That will answer one question.

Wow.
Thanks for that lead. I found and read DNF/f557/important-message-snapnames-thread-197282.html - this epic thread about it; truly sickening. Has the Nelson Brady guy gone to jail for that? Doesn't seem like there have been any legal repercussions...

3) You only pay the $70 if they capture the domain and you win because you are the only bidder. If there is more than one bidder, it goes to auction. It is not an up-front payment.

Do things work the same at EACH of the 3 companies? In other words, is the protocol at each of snap, enom and pool the same >> $70 if I'm the only person backordering it on their site, but auction if there's someone else?

4) Yep. It is the Backordering company which get the money. They may of course have to pay the drop-catcher who actually caught the domain for them. Only former owners of NetSol registered domains get a share of their sales price (I think 15%).

I'm confused...who is the "dropcatcher who actually caught the domain for them"? Don't they do the drop-catching themselves?? Or do they have, like, a network of freelance dropcatchers or something?

 

[Name Trader]

3) They work pretty much the same at all three. SnapNames has some foibles around 3 registers. Tucows, Register, Moniker. Domains at these registers go to a 3-day public auction (not a private auction), even with only 1 bidder. Tucows has a tendency to renew domains for themselves and remove them from auction.

4) SnapNames has a network of registers snapping up domains.

 

[RazorNF]

3)Tucows has a tendency to renew domains for themselves and remove them from auction.

This is pricesly why nobody should be bidding on Tucows names. You are doing their homework for them on what names to keep for their yummydomains portfolio.

 

[Name Trader]

Agree. Just wait for them to go into Pending Delete. Although I have captured at least 1 Tucows regged domain.

 

[DU]

This is pricesly why nobody should be bidding on Tucows names. You are doing their homework for them on what names to keep for their yummydomains portfolio.

Crap. I've steadfastly refused to use Snapnames or Namejet (I do occasionally bid minimum on multibid items without wanting to win) but then there was ONE name that I've been tracking for a while that I am giving up a lot of my principles for....and I placed the BO with SN.

Now it's at auction at SN and it's a Tucows domain (now I realize it wasn't a pending Delete backorder but a "Snapnames Tucows gentleman's agreement" transfer.. I suppose those who use SN regularly know this and act accordingly)

Does anyone know what the typical criteria is for Tucows reneging on their agreement with SN? I assume that even as a registrar they have to pay the Verisign fee of $60 so is only for names > $100 or > $500 > 3 bidders etc?

I'll probably drop out of bidding disappointed and principles intact - might be a regret 10 years from now (assuming domains remain valuable )

 

[Name Trader]

I think Tucows agreement with SnapNames allows them to pull domains out of auctions

 

[DnEbook]

Search for "Halvarez".

That will answer one question.

dont scare the boy !

 

[Debt.tv]

You can catch pending delete domains or you can catch pre-release domains at Namejet.com!

That's the place where I get a majority of my domains. Namejet deals with Enom, Netsol, DirectNic, Fabulous and more. Pre-release names are domains that you will only find exclusively at Namejet and when you win one of these, you keep the domain age.

Pending deletes are domains that are up for grabs and any register and anybody can catch it, if your lucky.

 

[cmrule]

Interesting thread!
Thanks.

 

[DU]

Crap. I've steadfastly refused to use Snapnames or Namejet (I do occasionally bid minimum on multibid items without wanting to win) but then there was ONE name that I've been tracking for a while that I am giving up a lot of my principles for....and I placed the BO with SN.

Now it's at auction at SN and it's a Tucows domain (now I realize it wasn't a pending Delete backorder but a "Snapnames Tucows gentleman's agreement" transfer.. I suppose those who use SN regularly know this and act accordingly)

Does anyone know what the typical criteria is for Tucows reneging on their agreement with SN? I assume that even as a registrar they have to pay the Verisign fee of $60 so is only for names > $100 or > $500 > 3 bidders etc?

I'll probably drop out of bidding disappointed and principles intact - might be a regret 10 years from now (assuming domains remain valuable )

Jeezus, I hate Snapnames auctions.

Decided to bid - went 3x what I expected with one other bidder (kept hearing Halvarez being whispered in my head).

Ultimately I got the name and they extended my payment window by 3 days for me to get the funds in my paypal.

So I learned the following: you can get Tucows domains (maybe the criteria is they suck)... you can pay with paypal, and if you're up front and ask they give a payment window. I contacted them prior to my prepaid CC failing (which I knew would happen)... you dont know if the bid up was legitimate so just pay what you're willing and live with it - my last bid I placed and logged off to prevent more bidding... auctions are seriously addictive.