new gtlds GoDaddy to drop support for all Uniregistry strings (permanently)

[GeorgeK]

According to @DomainNameWire:

Schilling informed me that GoDaddy will stop offering Uniregistry top level domain names. This isn’t the first time GoDaddy has dropped Uniregistry names, but it seems they now have put a permanent transition in place.

GoDaddy stopped offering new registrations of Uniregistry TLDs in March due to Uniregistry’s planned price hikes, but then added them back in with high prices. While new registrations are available as of today, this will soon be switched off.

http://domainnamewire.com/2017/08/18/godaddy-drops-uniregistry/

@Uniregistry (aka "Punyregistry") new gTLDs will no longer be supported by GoDaddy.

 

[Name Trader]

ICANN will just say you don't have to buy them if you don't want to... If enough people don't buy them then the registries will either have to drop their prices or go out of business.

Or in Uniregistry's case jack up the prices, which would possibly be an interim step before going out of business. I'm noit blaming Uniregistry. They are trying to make their businesses viable.

 

[gpmgroup]

Or in Uniregistry's case jack up the prices, which would possibly be an interim step before going out of business. I'm noit blaming Uniregistry. They are trying to make their businesses viable.

With grandfathering and an inability to sell enough names at the existing lower price model it is difficult to see why any additional money will flow in to solve Uniregistry's claimed problem. Rather than grandfathering names it would seem to have been more logical to sell or close the the problem gTLDs if they were really so unprofitable to require such massive price rises.

 

[Kate]

The only possibility is Verisign, who owns .com, if they were to assign a similar operation to .web. The problem is that they (would say, they) have been hampered by the contract they had to sign to get .com (which many say is already too generous to Verisign). It's still a wait 'n see situation until .web overcomes all the litigation and eventually comes out. But without a clear statement from Verisign, there would be no good reason to trust that the same couldn't happen to .web.

The .com contract is indeed generous but it is regulated, at least price hikes are contained and predictable. But in a real competitive situation registrants could be paying less. For example if Denic were taking over the .com registry.

ICANN will just say you don't have to buy them if you don't want to... If enough people don't buy them then the registries will either have to drop their prices or go out of business.

Unfortunately there is no easy way out. Even at cheap prices there is no demand anyway. If you give them away like .xyz they will attract spammers. Even 6 million .xyz at 1 penny each is not a lot of money. It's not a profitable strategy in the long term, especially if you have to deal with a surge of abuse.

If these strings are not viable then they will increase prices and squeeze them as much as they can, and retire them at some point. This will happen, TLDs don't have to be maintained for eternity but 3 years.
Once again Icann is at fault for approving too many TLDs with no valid business model, at the expense of registrants.
No registrar want to be in the position of telling customers "Sorry your extension is being sunsetted"

 

[GeorgeK]

There are so many weak new gTLDs at the moment, but it seems no one wants to be the first one to shut down (and use the EBERO mechanism). It'll be interesting to see if there's a domino effect once the first new gTLD registry operator capitulates.

 

[-EM-]

Dropping those TLDs was the easiest way for registrars to deal with the problem. It doesn't matter what do they blame, all it matters for them is profit and market dominance. Selling those TLDs was not compatible with their strategy, that's all.

 

[GoKaizen]

Remember?

https://www.namepros.com/threads/centralnic-sunsetting-several-sld-extensions.943329/

No registrar want to be in the position of telling customers "Sorry your extension is being sunsetted"

There would definitely be a domino effect George.

There are so many weak new gTLDs at the moment, but it seems no one wants to be the first one to shut down (and use the EBERO mechanism). It'll be interesting to see if there's a domino effect once the first new gTLD registry operator capitulates.

 

[GeorgeK]

Remember?
https://www.namepros.com/threads/centralnic-sunsetting-several-sld-extensions.943329/

Yes, although those weren't ICANN-regulated gTLDs. CentralNic was just selling 3rd level domains, as subdomains of 2-letter .coms.

 

[GoKaizen]

Yes, but an example of how companies will shutter an underperforming TLD.

Many were Dead On Arrival.

https://www.namepros.com/threads/list-of-retired-new-extensions.991424/

Yes, although those weren't ICANN-regulated gTLDs. CentralNic was just selling 3rd level domains, as subdomains of 2-letter .coms.

 

[Name Trader]

With grandfathering and an inability to sell enough names at the existing lower price model it is difficult to see why any additional money will flow in to solve Uniregistry's claimed problem. Rather than grandfathering names it would seem to have been more logical to sell or close the the problem gTLDs if they were really so unprofitable to require such massive price rises.

I agree. But I don't blame Uniregistry to try to fix the problem first. Personally. I don't think their fix will work. But that's just me. I presume they had a panel of people go thru varying scenarios and came up with this idea. Try that first

 

[kjngwjtch]

I have been using Godaddy's domain for a long time and am very satisfied with their service and work attitude Godaddy's domain for a long time and am very satisfied with their service and work attitude.

 

[Business Brands]

GoDaddy should have never offered these domain names to their customers, in the first place.

Now they dropped them, and we think other registrars should follow their lead.

We lost our respect for GoDaddy and eNom for offering these questionable domain names.

And they will probably not regain our respect anymore.

This is our opinion.

 

[Business Brands]

There are so many weak new gTLDs at the moment, but it seems no one wants to be the first one to shut down (and use the EBERO mechanism). It'll be interesting to see if there's a domino effect once the first new gTLD registry operator capitulates.

Weak is an understatement, and is probably too politically correct.

They did not capitulate, they faced inadequacy, which was making them appear inadequate also.

We consider this as if they were forced out. Can you imagine Walmart's pancake supplier is rising prices way above market level? They just dropped an inadequate supplier because their business model could not afford inadequacy, their customers can not see an unknown brand on their shelves for a higher price than the popular brand sells. Otherwise, they would have continued selling this garbage.

This is our opinion.

 

[Business Brands]

And one may ask, why GoDaddy's subsidiary NameFind did not buy these questionable domain names for their portfolio? It is very unfortunate, they resorted to this practice because they had an amazing brand.

 

[TheWatcher]

Will you buy a questionable domain name for your portfolios?

 

[Business Brands]

Will you buy a questionable domain name for your portfolios?

We made some mistakes in the past, but we would not currently buy any questionable domain names.

 

[TheWatcher]

I guess that's the same reason, and good business decision.