Registrars now blocking registration of dropped domains

[mrjohn]

GoDaddy says they're now place a 48-hour hold on new registrations of domains that expired.

I didn't call NameCheap, but based on how their site is treating dropped domains, they're also doing the same thing.

Anyone else running into this issue?

 

[nomen]

I wonder if their motive is to block people from bombarding their servers with repeated bulk searches.

That's an interesting thought. Nothing to add to it, but yeah, the amount of requests must be enormous during the drop.

 

[campout]

Does this include NameBright? I'd be surprised, if it does.

I haven't checked -- hopefully we can check it out tomorrow during the "witching hour".

 

[Electric-Shadow]

So this is still an ongoing and spreading problem?

 

[Name Trader]

It would be normal to have some conflicting reports at drop time. Particularly with GoDaddy which isn't a real-time whois. I've forgotten which registrars actually have a real-time whois though. Any ideas?

 

[Electric-Shadow]

Namecheap do, if I'm not mistaken?

 

[Name Trader]

Yes. I think they do. But there have been reports that they too are blocking these drops. Any others?

The best non-registrar whois is real-time, GWHOIS.ORG

 

[Electric-Shadow]

How about Moniker or Dynadot?

 

[Name Trader]

I'm going to ask dynadot now.

 

[Name Trader]

Here the reply from my Dynadot account manager....

"It is mostly live. We pull the live data from the central registry but the whois info from the central registry could be cached"

So it should be shown as available and regable. But someone else will have to check this out.

 

[DomainVP]

SO what is the logic of this strategy?
Are they trying to get people to use their backorder service?

It sounds like they are trying to prevent bots (Desktop Catchers) from registering domains, and forcing people to use their backorder service. If you want to interfere with a scheduled bot, just add a new undefinable time restriction.

People are buying lists of drop times from registrars and using desktop catchers to catch names; though honestly if your desktop catcher grabs a name before any of the DC services... you may have a very poor domain on your hands.

The logic behind hot using GD backorder is; Why use backorder if you can just have a desktop catcher and DDC and get the domain for less than $9.

Looks like they are trying to thwart that and increase revenue.

The only time I buy handreg drops is if it's a name I am 100% that nobody will want, and I am willing to hold it for a long period of time. aka lottery ticket. These days, for a name to drop all the way to the floor of handreg; you can expect a long hold.

 

[campout]

Dynadot appears to be working normally - showing drops as available in real time.

 

[mrjohn]

Here's a question:

Of the registrars not doing this, who's the cheapest for a hand reg'ed .com?

 

[Name Trader]

<joke>1and1</joke>

 

[kawalsukhi]

If GoDaddy are blocking the registration of deleted domains, they are fools. Just go and register the domain at a registrar that doesn't block the registration of deleted domains. I've never heard anything so dumb as this.

Strongly agreed....this is the best and MUST take step if you feel so!!

 

[Name Trader]

I haven't checked -- hopefully we can check it out tomorrow during the "witching hour".

Did you check NameBright yet?

 

[Nerevar]

I tried to search the availability of a domain at Namesilo just now. Returns the message:
Sorry, lookups related to drop-catching are not permitted from 10:45am PT - 12:00pm PT.

P.S. Looks like the registrars no longer want out money...

 

[Jasonn]

Did you check NameBright yet?

namebright seems to work fine, as does name.com and uniregistry.

 

[DNVantage]

Sorry, lookups related to drop-catching are not permitted from 10:45am PT - 12:00pm PT.

Does Namesilo offer backorder also? If not, how do they benefit?

Will this issue really impact registering dropped names in long run? Don't think so.

As it is now, for any decent name, you need to use a dropcatch service anyway. For those who don't use a backorder service, their wait just got longer by an hour or so. It just means drop time has moved by an hour or so.

It seems a big deal now as we are not used to it. After things settle down it will be same old! Am I missing something?

If all registrars don't do this, than the one's that don't will make get the orders. So eventually it will be all registrars or none.

 

[The New Guy]

I tried to search the availability of a domain at Namesilo just now. Returns the message:
Sorry, lookups related to drop-catching are not permitted from 10:45am PT - 12:00pm PT.

Namesilo has a dropcatch api that is documented on their site - you can actually do drop catching directly with them via their API.

 

[DNVantage]

Namesilo has a dropcatch api that is documented on their site - you can actually do drop catching directly with them via their API.

Do they charge extra for using their dropcatch api? or it is just the domain registration charge?

 

[The New Guy]

Do they charge extra for using their dropcatch api? or it is just the domain registration charge?

No, but IIRC you need to set up a funded account with them to automatically deduct the payments. You pay in preset amount via creditcard, paypal, bitcoin etc, then when you use the api and the drop catch is successful it deducts the money from your funds.

You can used the funds for handregs / transfers as well so it's not like you're out money if you don't catch everything.

 

[campout]

Did you check NameBright yet?

I just did right now -- it is working like normal.

 

[cbk]

Once the domain name has gone through the pending delete and shows available, Godaddy search knows know difference between a fresh drop and a domain that has always been available. There is know hold whatsoever for as I do this daily. Maybe a glitch of some sort with some domains, I haven't run across that yet.

I actually found the opposite and this was worse at the beginning of the year, it would show dropped domains as available and unavailable back and forth during the drop until it was finally available or unavailable usually snagged by Andrew. Sometimes it would show available and let you go through the checkout only to get a "failed registry" email. There also were domain names that were not even expired showing available and letting you go through the check out process.

It was the registry that was messed up.

.

 

[GreenLionNet]

You should get domain registered from a web hosting company and not the one who are actually focused on offering domain registration service. Web hosting companies offer domain registration as a value added service and they don't hold on to expired domains whatsoever.

 

[Name Trader]

So would it be safe to say that it seems like Dynadot and NameBright are not following this stupid strategy, but everyone else is?