NameWinner Getting Into The Act

[Caveman]

I received this email today from NameWinner. Looks like they are following the new "model" of SnapNames.

Dear NameWinner customer,

Since launching in August 2001, NameWinner has grown to become one of the largest and most successful expiring domain name sites on the Internet. With a unique auction model and high-powered domain grabbing technology, we've been able to successfully register thousands of valuable domain names for you the instant they became available again for registration.

Now, we're excited to announce that we've partnered with top registrars such as Dotster.com to provide you with the first shot at their expiring domain names.

Currently 16% of all immediately re-registered domain names are initially deleted from Dotster.

These partner domains will be available for auction exclusively at NameWinner.com! Visit http://www.namewinner.com/partnerauction.php for all of the details.

NameWinner customers will now be able to bid on domain names that were registered at Dotster and its partner registrars but have not been renewed by their owners. Beginning on the domain expiration date, a list of these names will be made available daily on the NameWinner.com site and bidding will be open until the 40th day after the domain expiration date. If the current owner chooses not to renew their domain, the name will be made exclusively available to NameWinner customers. Unlike the previous methods of auctioning domains, the winning bidder will take ownership of the domain.

Visit http://www.namewinner.com/expiring.php for a full daily list of partner domains.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us by visiting http://www.namewinner.com/help.php.

Visit NameWinner to get the names others can't.

 

[AdoptableDomains]

It is inevitible. All registrars will alighn themselves with a drop service now that ICANN has turned a blind eye to the practice.

I'm not sure if this is good or bad yet. At least you will know where you need to go to obtain a domain at some point, and not waste time trying several of them on the same name. I just hope the big players like Ulitimate and buydomains don't get special buying access before public auctions occur.

I really don't see how ICANN can continue to not doing anything though, even if it takes the next registry renewal contract to tie up the perceived loophole.

 

[Dave_Z]

ICANN recently announced its Expiring Domains Deletion Policy here. It takes
effect on December 21 this year.

Once live, though, I wonder what will ICANN do if those registrars continue on
with their merry ways regarding those expiring names...

 

[namemarket]

Registrar may choose to cancel the name earlier?

This should have us all worried! Does it mean your name may be cancelled at any time and for any reason, even before the grace period expires? Hope not.

".....result in cancellation of the registration by the end of the auto-renew grace period (although Registrar may choose to cancel the name earlier).

 

[Dave_Z]

This should have us all worried! Does it mean your name may be cancelled at any time and for any reason, even before the grace period expires? Hope not.

".....result in cancellation of the registration by the end of the auto-renew grace period (although Registrar may choose to cancel the name earlier).

No. What that portion meant is that the Registry will auto-renew an expired
domain name on their end while the registrar will attempt to secure a renewal
payment for it.

If the registrar is unable to have someone renew it (preferably the customer),
then they'll notify the Registry they won't keep the name anymore, and the
Registry will keep the name for an extra period of time in case the registrant
changes his or her mind at the last minute.

Registrars have between 1 to 45 days to keep the expired domain name until
they decide it's not worth keeping anymore.

 

[namemarket]

Confused? so does that mean they can in fact cancel it at the end of 1 day as I suspected?

 

[TLDnetworks]

At least you will know where you need to go to obtain a domain at some point, and not waste time trying several of them on the same name.

As well as wasted $.

 

[Anthony]

Seems like another obstacle in retrieving expiring names for the general public, designed to make Dotster/NameWinner some more money.

 

[Dave_Z]

Confused? so does that mean they can in fact cancel it at the end of 1 day as I suspected?

Well, yes. Without naming names, one top registrar, I've heard, deletes the
name about 1 day after expiration.

While this may sound unfair, understand that they're keeping it in their end
at their expense. No use keeping an investment with no positive returns.

The other bigger registrars who charge higher can afford to keep an expired
name for a while before deciding to let it go.