discuss .Co registry RESERVING pending delete domain names for themselves?

[Crysis]

For the past few days, I have been observing that .Co registry has been reserving many of the pending delete domain names for themselves.

For ex: The domain names listed below were supposed to drop yesterday and become available for hand registration. Now, if you check the whois, it's showing as RESERVED.

Some Examples

• HaveFun.co
• SpaceLabs.co
• Eits.co
• Wast.co
• Adrienne.co

I can understand if premium .co domain names like Idea.co, Talent.co are getting reserved by the registry. However, in these cases, even mediocre domain names are getting reserved for the past few days.

Some Examples (These are just a few examples. There are many more domain names which are getting reserved)

• Locatelli.co
• SoulFire.co
• Bergamo.co
• Wova.co
• Wiku.co
• Furmanite.co
• Nxstage.co
• OnlineIncome.co
• PureBliss.co
  
• TraderOnline.co

Have any of you observed the same thing?
Is this ethical?

 

[Nikul Sanghvi]

Thanks for the update @John Napoletano - completely agree, the lack of transparency is shameful. All of the questions you raise are valid.

I've had around 50 different back orders fail over the last month due to the domain being reserved by the registry. The most recent being Etna.co on 24/07/18. Feels like the registry have the exact same strategy as many of us for picking investment-grade domains.

 

[John Napoletano]

I wouldn't mind paying a one time up front fee say after a domain drops. That's what domainers do now. But paying a large annual fee scares the heck out of me. In the case of .Inc they are asking you to pay $20,000 over ten years at today's price tier. Put $100,000 of labor and marketing into it each year. You can't move! Google doesn't move your links and brand equity for you. If you move it's back to zero and someone else gets your link equity.

I hope they reconsider. It might be the end of .co as the .com killer branding. If they had just waited five more years. Any way to ask them to reconsider?

 

[MarkedOne]

I haven't got a domain that I won in GoDaddy auction. The auction ended on 15-7-2018 and the waiting period ended on 25-7-2018. The domain whois shows it's in the transfer period.

 

[alcy]

i think this whole thread could have had something to do with the approaching .co promo flow.. and celeberation.. which stil goes on in some registrars.. so let's hope its all more back to normal like before after.. which I guess will be beginning of august.

 

[Armageddon]

For the past few days, I have been observing that .Co registry has been reserving many of the pending delete domain names for themselves.

For ex: The domain names listed below were supposed to drop yesterday and become available for hand registration. Now, if you check the whois, it's showing as RESERVED.

Some Examples

• HaveFun.co
• SpaceLabs.co
• Eits.co
• Wast.co
• Adrienne.co

Show attachment 93160

I can understand if premium .co domain names like Idea.co, Talent.co are getting reserved by the registry. However, in these cases, even mediocre domain names are getting reserved for the past few days.

Some Examples (These are just a few examples. There are many more domain names which are getting reserved)

• Locatelli.co
• SoulFire.co
• Bergamo.co
• Wova.co
• Wiku.co
• Furmanite.co
• Nxstage.co
• OnlineIncome.co
• PureBliss.co
  
• TraderOnline.co

Have any of you observed the same thing?
Is this ethical?

Logic . Is not something new also .xyz or .club or .tv or many other do the same

 

[John Napoletano]

Update by me on the .CO showcase thread...long one...
https://www.namepros.com/threads/co...wcase-and-sales-report-thread.573976/page-492

 

[creataweb]

Just for fun I scanned about 12,000+ names in .co for availability. Around 11,000 were taken. Of the one worders and 4L / 3L with any value that were not owned already were dropped then reserved by the registry indeed.

 

[MarkedOne]

Well, I received my .co domain today.

 

[alcy]

maybe they do this so people renew more names at their 20-30$ fee.. instead of most people droping .co now and then waiting to rereg for under $10.

I mean this news so far probably already will cause many people to renew their .co.. instead of dropping them and risking registry picking them up.

 

[creataweb]

maybe they do this so people renew more names at their 20-30$ fee.. instead of most people droping .co now and then waiting to rereg for under $10.

Doubt it based on the other thread discussion.

Just scanned 800 random 4Ls and only about 4 were available. Nothing good either.

 

[alcy]

Doubt it based on the other thread discussion.

Just scanned 800 random 4Ls and only about 4 were available. Nothing good either.

well... but this is the effect it'll have.. more people keeping and renewing more names.. so they don't become premium fee regs later.

 

[creataweb]

I like the China theory. Guess we'll find out in a couple of months.

 

[Crysis]

I sent an email to . Co registry couple of weeks ago. Well..no new developments here. As mentioned by @John Napoletano before, .Co registry will be implementing tier pricing update from September 1st. That is why they are reserving domain names as they drop.

Below is the response by Neustar:

Thanks for reaching out to us. Eduardo forwarded me your email below. .CO Internet launched premium tiered pricing through the registrar channel back in August of 2015 on a limited basis, as a test case. We have been monitoring tiered pricing in .CO and across other TLDs since then, and continue to see success with the model. As a result, we are expanding our tiered pricing options for .CO effective as of September 1st. As we prepare for that expansion, we have communicated the change with our registrar partners, and plan to publish updated FAQs on our website prior to September 1st.

I will keep you posted as soon as they go up.

 

[alcy]

I sent an email to . Co registry couple of weeks ago. Well..no new developments here. As mentioned by @John Napoletano before, .Co registry will be implementing tier pricing update from September 1st. That is why they are reserving domain names as they drop.

Below is the response by Neustar:

that was informative
ty

minus the marketing nonsense that the model is supremely succesful and better for all...

so can they implement premium renew prices on names we are keeping and renewing before sept1.... maybe cctlds do not follow same rules as ngtlds... and by icann rules i do not think ngtlds can do this

 

[MarkedOne]

.co registry still reserving domains?

 

[alcy]

.co registry still reserving domains?

there was rough beginning date for this
no end date given
imo it'll never end.

 

[Doron Vermaat]

I noticed that recently dropped .co domains that are being reserved by Neustar are now starting to show up in the register path at GoDaddy and other registrars. Many of them for $129 but also for $1299 such as 3-letter domains.

 

[alcy]

I noticed that recently dropped .co domains that are being reserved by Neustar are now starting to show up in the register path at GoDaddy and other registrars. Many of them for $129 but also for $1299 such as 3-letter domains.

thanks
there have been ongoing talks about all this and more since sept1 on main co thread:

https://www.namepros.com/threads/co-the-official-discussion-showcase-and-sales-report-thread.573976/

they are extensive and cover many things. feel free to join folks.

 

[MadAboutDomains]

I sent an email to . Co registry couple of weeks ago. Well..no new developments here. As mentioned by @John Napoletano before, .Co registry will be implementing tier pricing update from September 1st. That is why they are reserving domain names as they drop.

Below is the response by Neustar:

hahaha nice. .CO saw how the tiered pricing has ruined a lot of the other gTLDs and want the same for their own. Stupid stupid stupid.