Unfair Market!

[sobeman88]

I just want to post my opinion on how the market of domain names is very unfair. It sucks how you have to be a "big wig" in order to obtain premium domains.

For instance, pool.com does not post premium domain names that are expiring. Basically they probably get first dibs on it. I think if a domain is expiring, then anybody should be able to grab it at reg fee. None of this backorder crap and then have to bid on your own domain that you saw first.

Anybody else?

 

[Erdy]

It is not only pool.com but both snapnames and namejet do heavy filtering before they send domains to auction. Even then some quality domains slip through and they pull them during the auction. Of course I'm talking about pre-release domains.

With pending deletes there is relatively more fairness. At least you get a shot at the domain most of the time.

 

[sobeman88]

Yeah this is true but it just seems really unfair. For instance, I saw a really good one word .net the other day on pool.com. I literally blinked and it wasnt on the list anymore. Its like they saw it and was like "oops didnt mean to put that one in the open."

It just stinks because it doesnt give average people a chance to make a buck. Im not about to spend hundreds of dollars as a risk. Anybody know any other sites that post expiring domains for real?

 

[Sparhawke]

It may come as a bit of a shock, but these companies do not care about you or me or anyone else.

Yes, it is wrong that they are allowed to corner the market constantly and make profit by squatting on the registries not allowing anyone else to get a look in but it is not going to change.

I moan about a lot in this business and stuff on the internet in general but if these companies didn't exist I think everyone would have a much harder time of it, it is those fees and the quality of names you find there that keep the circle of munnies flowing.

Honestly, if left to your own devices would you really notice phenomenal domains drop constantly?

If you do pre-bid $60 for example you get the chance to get the inside track on something like computers.com, it would never happen at that price but you know what I mean...if left to your own devices you would never even see it.

 

[Erdy]

You can try Godaddy closeouts. This is a fixed price instant purchase expired domain category. The prices are between 17-21 USD including reg fee.

On the right panel chose "Closeouts".
https://auctions.godaddy.com/

 

[Sparhawke]

I was going to mention closeouts but then I remembered that they are generally picked clean, especially for the .com domains. You can however find some fantastic names here from time to time

 

[Erdy]

Sparhawke,

I think dropcathing pending deletes is not the problem. The problem is pre-release domains. The registry gives registrars 45 free days after expiry. During that time the registrars scan the domains, check traffic, check other criteria and then keep the domain for themselves if they like it. If they don't like it they auction it off while it is still under their control during these 45 days.

Let's take the domain TECHNICALSALES.COM as an example. This domain belonged to a register.com customer. It expired on 18 January 2011. This is 30 days ago.

The central registry verisign auto renewed the domain for one more year for fee and it will stay so for 45 days. All expired domains get auto renewed free for 45 days.

Then register.com gave 20 days to the previous owner to recover his domain. He didn't. Register.com took ownership of the domain and send it to auction at snapnames while attaching a minimum price of $5000 USD.

Check out the whois of technicalsales.com and you will see that is is expired.

Domain Name: TECHNICALSALES.COM
Registrar: REGISTER.COM, INC.
Whois Server: whois.register.com
Referral URL: http://www.register.com
Name Server: NS1.EXPIREDDOMAINS.REGISTER.COM
Name Server: NS2.EXPIREDDOMAINS.REGISTER.COM
Status: clientTransferProhibited
Updated Date: 20-jan-2011
Creation Date: 18-jan-2000
Expiration Date: 18-jan-2012

Also check out this auction page:
https://www.snapnames.com/domain/technicalsales.com.action?

What is wrong here is that registrars take over ownership of their customer's domains for their own financial gain. I'm not talking about pending deletes. Pending deletes are released by the registry. However a high quality expired domain will never reach pending delete because it need to go through pre-release first.

 

[sobeman88]

So there are no sites that list expiring domains? Other than pool.com? Dropday.com seems pretty good because it actually lists semi-premium domains. But if you try to register them, it says they are taken?

 

[Sparhawke]

I don't understand half of that Erdinc lol

I am not especially good with numbers or overly technical explanations; I much prefer simple black and white "the cat sat on the mat" drawings :p

What I did get out of it though is that instead of a domain going to open market it is ripped away and put on the market for a ridiculously high fee even before an end user sees it...and they think that domainers are all evil; little do they realise what we actually have to put up with lol

 

[Erdy]

It is very simple. If you have a top quality domain and for some reason you let it expire (it could be health reason or some technical reason like losing your email account), the domain will not expire but instead the registrar where you have registered it will take your domain and they will put it either in their private portfolio or they will auction it and share the money with the auction house (snapnames or namejet). Because your domain was high quality, it will never reach the stage where it drops and becomes available to snatching.

sobeman88,
I already gave you the link for closeouts.

 

[DU]

Funny how we refer to registry squatting but hate domain squatting as a term.

It is unethical for a registrar to not allow names to drop and take ownership. I'm not sure it is unethical for someone to use registrars to drop catch ( after all, this is the system and you cant condemn someone from using the rules to their advantage- some registrars are small).

One of the interesting things is that people like godaddy because if you buy a closeout domain it's yours after the redemption period. Essentially at godaddy you sign away your right for extended grace recovery period...unlike namejet where you can own the domain (Whois is yours) buy can still lose it.

The whole system is stupid if you ask me. The domaining world is a world where people hate advantages taken by others but where they try to create their own wherever possible.

Oh well. The truly fair system will be a random wait list and no extended renewal periods. How hard is it to renew on time?

 

[alien51]

The domaining industry is like a cartel. If you salivate on a prized-possession thinking you can own it via a raffle stub or a toss-coin, without costing you an arm or a leg, forget about it.

 

[ExampleName]

What I hate is watching a domain about to expire for months, then the second it does and I go to register, it's taken via backorder.

I know it's a useful tool for domainers, but boy howdy does "pay us $20 or fail!" suck for the little guys.

 

[sobeman88]

Hahaha im so glad everyone is feeling the same. The whole backorder thing is the stupidist thing. Just another way to make money

 

[gemstar]

I just want to post my opinion on how the market of domain names is very unfair. It sucks how you have to be a "big wig" in order to obtain premium domains.

For instance, pool.com does not post premium domain names that are expiring. Basically they probably get first dibs on it. I think if a domain is expiring, then anybody should be able to grab it at reg fee. None of this backorder crap and then have to bid on your own domain that you saw first.

Anybody else?

We all expressed the same thoughts one time or another.


I actually sent a letter to ICANN regards to this years ago.
Domain reg is the Las Vegas of the 50's when no control was empowered over the mob

It is in our power to take a stand and not contribute. Yet we still do by supporting auctions

 

[sobeman88]

Yes exactly. Gemstar, the domains you list below your post is like the ones I tried getting. A couple .ca and .net that were single words and it said they were expired, but apparently they werent.