new gtlds GoDaddy drops Uniregistry's gTLD's

[TRY]

GoDaddy dropped Uniregistry's gTLD's today.

World’s largest domain name registrar will no longer carry Uniregistry’s top level domains.

GoDaddy has stopped selling Uniregistry top level domain names after Uniregistry announced a wholesale price hike effective this coming August.

This afternoon I tried to transfer a .click domain name to GoDaddy but got an error that the domain couldn’t be transferred. .Click is a Uniregistry domain. Further searches revealed that no Uniregistry domains are available on GoDaddy.

GM of Domains Mike McLaughlin stated:

"We have stopped registering or transferring Uniregistry domain names into our system. The dramatic price hike Uniregistry announced left us no choice. Until we can assess the impact on our current and potential customers, we have stopped new registrations.

GoDaddy works to deliver a great customer experience. We now have customers who will be paying up to 3,000 percent more for their renewal. That’s an extremely poor customer experience and does not reflect well on the domain name industry in general.

GoDaddy will continue to support our current customers who have Uniregistry registered domain names.”

More info

“It’s unfortunate that Uniregistry is going with such a dramatic price increase. Regardless of the economics, it’s an extremely poor customer experience."

More info

 

[Steven McEvoy]

You don't know what Donuts will do in five years and maybe...before

CEOs change, company goals change. What they say today is not what they will do tomorrow.

That is so true, but at least you know you can still invest in those domains for now.

**Edit** what at least I do. lol

 

[Kate]

Haha I new not all ngTLDs were going to raise prices, I even talked to Donut Domains about their .Life, they said regardless what frank did they will not be raising the pricing.

Yeah right. Frank said the same thing and how he was against the practice

https://www.namepros.com/threads/16...ncreases-of-up-to-3-000.1005439/#post-6033709

Other registries can do the same as they are not subject to price caps.
This is what happens when there is zero regulation.

Not taking a chance. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Steven McEvoy]

Yeah right. Frank said the same thing and how he was against the practice

https://www.namepros.com/threads/16...ncreases-of-up-to-3-000.1005439/#post-6033709

Other registries can do the same as they are not subject to price caps.
This is what happens when there is zero regulation.

Not taking a chance. Better safe than sorry.

That is not how you do business, period. If this how they want to do business then those registers as a whole will not be receiving my money.

 

[jmcc]

It is hard to understate the effect of this Godaddy move on trust in some of the new gTLDs.

Regards...jmcc

 

[Kate]

Also, this is bad publicity for all new extensions across the board.
Negative comments are spreading about new extensions as a whole, not just Uniregistry's or the few that are affected by the price hike.

This is a nightmare scenario come true for gTLD domainers. I am sure they were thinking the registries would never do such a thing because it would make people unhappy and kill business. The thing, business isn't exactly thriving which is why they are now resorting to dire measures.

Keep the faith

 

[Steven McEvoy]

The thing, business isn't exactly thriving which is why they are now resorting to dire measures.

Whos fault is that nobody but franks. He should not of invested in so many ngTLDs before he had positive return on the first one. He was the one to put himself in this bind, raising the prices will just kill his domains. Which will make him lose more money, and eventually will have to sell off his ngTLDs for loss.

 

[Kate]

Fortunately he still has a healthy .com portfolio (aka "AM radio")

 

[ivey]

The fear of sudden price hikes... is the very reason why have not transferred my domains from Godaddy to Uniregistry. Whether through an abundance of coupons or the discount club, Godaddy has made it easy for me to trust keep my names with them. And they said they are working to improve their domain management tools this year.. and if that happens then Uniregistry won't be as appealing. I do like Uniregistry... but I'm not 100% sold yet.

 

[Silentptnr]

I listened to a podcast yesterday with Frank and what really bothered me was that at the end he said,

"Domainers dont get to make all the profit, the registries are the ones that put on the show."

I think he needs to forget about what domainers do and focus on being a registry.. He regarded domainers as something bad. Something stealing his profit. He has to lose that attitude and embrace investors. Without domain investors, who would buy those extensions?? Thing is, his extensions are low on the list.

He also talked about all the massive advertising. Where? I watch tv, listen to radio, read tons...Never see, hear or read any advertising. I dont call a banner ad massive advertising.

I would bet he will change his tune. His desire to control domainers profits will not end well.

Why not do something positive? Why not just dump under performing extensions? Should have never bought most of those to begin with.. Plenty of alternatives.

There will probably be more news from uni soon.

 

[Steven McEvoy]

"Domainers dont get to make all the profit, the registries are the ones that put on the show."

Yet I am pretty sure he calls himself a domainer, so I am not sure if he knows who side hes on.

Plus its not about domainers/registries Its about EndUsers its about someone trying to find a perfect domain for their business. He wants to rise the prices I can garrantee you, in a year all of his ngTLDs will be auction off to a new owner.

 

[jmcc]

There will probably be more news from uni soon.

The thing to watch is if other registrars follow Godaddy's action.

Regards...jmcc

 

[Steven McEvoy]

The thing to watch is if other registrars follow Godaddy's action.

Regards...jmcc

lets hope!

 

[jaydub]

I can see GD doing that.
Registrants probably think it is GD that is increasing the prices so it looks like they are gouging when in fact it is Uni. I really think this is a bad practice by Uni. Doubt they will rethink it though.

I have moved most of my names to NameSilo but after all the positive about Uni I was thinking about moving domains to them and get regular emails (and the odd phone call as well) from an account manager asking me to call them.

This practice makes me very nervous and I will take a wait and see I think.

 

[Silentptnr]

Here's an update...

 

[Apprich]

Good decision..

 

[anantj]

Sudden price increases of up to 3000% is "fair-play" to you?

Wait, 6 months advance notice is sudden? What would be "gradual"?

 

[JB Lions]

If registration volumes increase for new gTLDs - and they will - it is what to expect for ".com" domain names in a certain number of years so I find it fair play to face this price increase today, instead of next year or later when domainers will have started to capitalize more on the future. These TLD volumes are still low so it is acceptable since it impacts few people in the end. I registered ".click" domains: is it really a problem if the price increase is of...less then $3 per year? Not to me.

I know you're a new gtld consultant and refer to yourself as a "a new gTLD expert" but you said in reply to:

"Sudden price increases of up to 3000%"

"it is what to expect for ".com" domain names"

Please explain that one to me. Knowing that's not even possible.

 

[Steven McEvoy]

Here's an update...
Show attachment 52033

I love it!

 

[Arca]

Wait, 6 months advance notice is sudden? What would be "gradual"?

You are looking at it the wrong way. The issue here is not the 6 months notice. It's the 3000% price increase. Making the announcement further in advance would hardly make a 3000% price increase more "gradual".

A 3000% increase is drastic and a huge jump in pricing, no matter how you look at it. A gradual increase would be 5-10%. There is no way you can make a one-time increase of 3000% "gradual", even if you announce it three years in advance.

 

[anantj]

Here's an update...
Show attachment 52033

Is this for real?

 

[anantj]

You are looking at it the wrong way. The issue here is not the 6 months notice. It's the 3000% price increase. Making the announcement further in advance would hardly make a 3000% price increase more "gradual".

A 3000% increase is drastic and a huge jump in pricing, no matter how you look at it. A gradual increase would be 5-10%. There is no way you can make a one-time increase of 3000% "gradual", even if you announce it three years in advance.

Fair enough. I was looking at the time aspect and not the price aspect... TBH, I don't care either way as I don't think any of those TLDs are good enough for these prices. That said, I don't think the sky is falling either. Still too early to sound the death knell!

 

[MasterOfMyDomains]

Keep the faith

At $3.19 i dont even see value in .faith
Drop them all

 

[Silentptnr]

Is this for real?

No

 

[jmcc]

If registration volumes increase for new gTLDs - and they will

There's no guarantee that they will. As someone who actually compiles and studies new gTLD statistics and usage statistics, many of the new gTLDs settled into a low new registrations volume pattern. The growth in new gTLDs has been driven heavily by discounting rather than full price registration demand. The .XYZ gTLD has a major non-renewal issue approaching in the next six months and the renewal rates on the 1 cent registrations is not expected to be higher than the usual rates for heavily discounted registrations. Some new gTLDs may slowly gain market share and registrations. Some form a special set where their business model is driven by the central element of discounting and their registration patterns has taken on a classic boom and bust cycle. The long term prospects for some of those boom and bust gTLDs are uncertain as this kind of boom and bust cycle affects trust in these gTLDs.

Regards...jmcc

 

[Acroplex]

Ran some math on the numbers and GoDaddy is not a major registrar when it comes down to Uniregistry extensions. In fact, only 2.76% of the gTLDs with the recent price hike by Uniregistry are with GoDaddy, a little over 18k domains total.

I understand GoDaddy isn't pleased and it was an opportunity to play its "trump card" but the numbers show Uniregistry won't be affected by the GoDaddy move.

The real issue is the gTLD themselves, the ones that under-perform. A price increase isn't the solution, IMO. Definitely should have grandfathered existing registrations, at the very minimum.