ccTLD Want to invest in ccTLDs ? Nice but...

[Kate]

It's quite common to see ccTLD sales in domain forums so I thought it would be nice to highlight a few caveats

Choosing domains
First of all, what works in .com will not automatically work in foreign extensions. In general, the best domains will be generic keywords in the local language(s), or generally domains with strong commercial appeal. Common English keywords may be good too.
But if you are trying to sell atlantaduilawyer.de, good luck with that.

Domain transfer
Each extension is different, accordingly the transfer process is not always the same depending on the particular TLD.

You can't push a .de or a .co.uk, or .es like you would push a .com domain
Yet, some registrars will actually let you push them. But you are just handing control over the domain, not ownership. You will remain listed in whois as domain holder. The only way to change owner is to go through the registry procedure. Until you do that, you will remain the legal owner... and accountable for whatever use is made of the domain.
Do not accept a push as a buyer, you won't become the legal owner and you will still need the cooperation of the seller/current owner if you want to resell the domain for example.

It's normally not difficult to change ownership but be aware it can involve paperwork (.es), and the forms are not always available in English. Please take some time to review the procedures and factor the time needed into the resale price.

Finally, some ccTLDs do not allow speculative registrations (in order to resell them). Some ccTLDs do not allow owner changes at all, or they make the process difficult. Do research.
It goes without saying that some extensions are better than other for investment purposes. Do your homework in order to determine the extensions you will focus on.

Bottom line: get acquainted with the procedures. Make sure you understand the process, so you won't botch the sale when a buyer is found... By the way, some extensions are restricted, so make sure you are eligible and understand the requirements or you risk losing your domains.

Good luck %%-

 

[Kate]

Domaingang just released a timely post on the joys of ccTLD trading:

http://domaingang.com/domain-news/pushing-a-gr-domain-sign-here-here-there-and-there/

 

[DU]

One of the most useful posts I've seen here and 50 views 0 comments.

I still have a .eu that Dynadot transferred out that my name is still listed as owner. I believe this is because of exactly what you said - the transfer process is more than just pushing.

I don't have time to follow up and it's the one and only .eu I've ever owned.

 

[surprise]

Thanks ,

It depends , co uk is simple can be done online , and i am not aware of any special requirements regarding TV CO ME , please correct me ....

 

[DU]

and i am not aware of any special requirements regarding TV

Premiums MUST stay at the same registrar.

 

[surprise]

Premiums MUST stay at the same registrar.

Thanks yes ofcourse ...

 

[Kate]

Thanks for adding some meat to the topic :p

.co.uk transfers as easy but must be made through Nominet (registry). £10 fee or something + VAT, paid by buyer or seller.
For small sales it's best to mention who pays the fee beforehand.

AFAIK .tv .co .me can be pushed like .com, but see post above above (.tv premiums).


Oh and by the way it would be nice to mention a few things about renewals. Some ccTLDs run in 'renew by default mode', which means they do not expire, but it sometimes depend on the registrar. Some registrars will turn off the auto-renew if you don't pay the renewal in time. Then, if you don't want to keep the domain, you just don't pay the renewal - end of the story.
But be careful, the renewal fee may have to be paid within a certain time frame before expiry.

For instance .de domains do not expire, they live on until you explicitly renounce them.

.at domains are similar, you need to send a form to renounce them. Not paying the registrar for renewal is not considered a formal abandonment of the domain:

http://www.namepros.com/cctld-discussion/698062-dot-at-domain-cancelation.html
http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/325309-at-expiration.html

Bottom line: do not assume every TLD has to work like .com domains.
Each TLD has peculiarities. There may also be differences in the way things are handled depending on the registrar.

Read the fine print.
Always check the official registry website.
Many registrars have outdated or incorrect information. For example ccTLDs are sometimes listed with restrictions that no longer apply, because the rules changed years ago. The mainstream registrars are not always knowledgeable, it's one reason why I often deal with local registrars for ccTLDs.

This is not deter anybody from investing in ccTLDs, just make sure you fully grasp the details and differences :gl:

 

[surprise]

re .au domains

"NOTE: You cannot register .au domain names explicitly for resale. However, they can be sold and transferred." (godaddy)

 

[TheFifty9Sound]

Quick question. If you make a decent sale through Sedo or whatever, will they help you with the transfer of your ccTLD if you're unsure or having trouble?

 

[Kate]

Yes, they will assist. It's their job and that's why you leave them a commission. But when there is paperwork involved (for example a .es domain), they won't fill out the forms for you but they will tell you how to do it. Sedo have multilingual staff so it can help when buyer and seller don't speak the same language.

But you should nonetheless get acquainted with the procedures. I was involved in a .gp sale once, and I am the one who explained to Sedo the steps involved

Remember that some ccTLDs are very quiet so they don't see a lot of ownership changes. Sometimes, there is no well defined procedure to perform a change of holder or it's difficult to carry out.

8. Transfer of Domain Names
The Domain delegation is personal and not transferable from a domain owner to a new domain owner unless the domain name is transferred with the business assets of the Registrant.

http://www.pnina.ps/domains/registration-policy/

Again, take the time to review the procedures (visit the official registry website). ccTLDs are not always difficult to transfer, sometimes it's easier than .com.
I have transferred .nl/.be/.de domains etc and the duration of the process varied from instant to 1 minute, when you have a good registrar :gl:

 

[TheFifty9Sound]

Thanks for the info

 

[dnpimping.com]

Great info in this thread. Thanks for posting it!

 

[.NJ]

Great info sdsinc. Well said.

Any advice on .be transfers?

Recently just had one pushed into my GD account, and the Whois still has no change.

GD rep explained that it will change at the start of the following new year.

I have learned that I would be better off asking my two year old sometimes rather then some of their reps.

Will the Whois change on it's own? Or do further steps need to be initiated?

Thanks again

 

[mitok]

I sold many .co.uk domains, and for some of them buyer didnt want Nominet transfer so they still show my name as registrant, although buyer has full control over the domain.

Nominet fee is 10 GBP + VAT like sdsinc mentioned. It is very simple process, but have to be done. More info at Nominet.org.uk

 

[Kate]

Any advice on .be transfers?

Yes, the system changed recently. You now need an auth code. To retrieve it, visit the registry at dns.be, do a whois lookup on the domain, and click 'Request transfercode' at the bottom of the page. The auth code will be sent to the registrant E-mail address.
The seller must provide you with that code. Then you can initiate transfer from a registrar of your choice. It can be very fast. It takes me one minute to perform a .be transfer.

It's always the same problem, certain registrars allow push of ccTLDs, but the registrant will remain unchanged.
Again, it depends on the ccTLD. For instance, .us, .in and plenty others can be pushed like .com. European TLDs usually cannot.

In the case of .be, you need to do as explained above. Until you do, you are not considered the legal holder of the domain name. If you want to sell it now, you will need cooperation from the seller, because he will be the one receiving the auth codes from the registry.

Personally I prefer to use local registrars because they understand the system better than the large US-based registrars. For .de/.at domains domains I use German or Austrian registrars. For .be I tend to use a German registrar, or a Belgian one, or a French one...

 

[doubleues]

ccTLD

i recently purchased some ccTLD domains, buy.uy and sell.uy , a guy that knows a lot of evaluating value of domains say me that can cost around 26k and the other 15k ,but im will sell for the half. Do you think that it will be hard to find some interested?

 

[Kate]

I'm not familiar with Uruguay but it's a small market and I cannot remember one single reported .uy sale.

Some stats:
http://www.nic.org.uy/Registrar/estadist/index.htm

Personally I would focus on Spanish keywords to target the local market.
Frankly it doesn't seem realistic to expect you will be able to sell these names any time soon. I don't think these names are worth much more than regfee at present. Also, these names were registered 3 months past the .uy sunrise, anybody could have registered them.

 

[hakita]

Thank you for that great post Sdsinc.

"Do not accept a push as a buyer, you won't become the legal owner and you will still need the cooperation of the seller/current owner if you want to resell the domain for example."
Intersting point, thank you once again