What are the must have features for DNProtect.com?

[equity78]

So what features are a must for DNProtect now that the name has been chosen?

The domains wanted thread will get closed so here is a dedicated thread to discussing the concept @Rob Monster outlined below.

@bhartzer and I have agreed to work on a new venture that is designed to protect end-users from buying damaged domains. Some of the risk factors that can be mitigated include:

Prior Fraudulent Conveyance
Domain Theft post purchase
Negative SEO
UDRP Complaint
Civil Trademark Claims
DDoS attack
Copyright / DMCA complaint
RBL/Spamhaus whitelisting
DNS Hijack protection

The product can be sold as a one-off risk assessment report for a fixed fee of $149 per domain. There will also be free API-based risk scoring estimate available to qualified partners, e.g. Estibot, etc.

The product upsell is an insurance product with target pricing of either:

(1) 1% of face value per year
(2) 4% of face value for duration of ownership

 

[Recons.Com]

@Rob Monster

What about the potential to hurt domain investment business?

What if you give a low score to one of domains and kill a potential deal, because of a subjective algorithm?

 

[Rob Monster]

@Rob Monster

What about the potential to hurt domain investment business?

What if you give a low score to one of domains and kill a potential deal, because of a subjective algorithm?

It happens with Estibot all the time.

It happens with credit reports all the time.

Specific to DNP scores, I expect there will be a review process where a score can be requested for manual review for accuracy. From what I know so far from Bill's algorithm, the scoring engine will get it right most of the time, but if a situation changes, it should be possible to re-score a domain .

 

[Recons.Com]

It happens with Estibot all the time.

It happens with credit reports all the time.

Specific to DNP scores, I expect there will be a review process where a score can be requested for manual review for accuracy. From what I know so far from Bill's algorithm, the scoring engine will get it right most of the time, but if a situation changes, it should be possible to re-score a domain .

Estibot is a joke. I hope that is not your benchmark for the standard.

No buyer/seller takes Estibot values seriously, and, of course, no one is paying for them.

Also, saying "the name per our bot valuation is xxxx" is much more harmless than saying "per our safety valuation this name scores low and can be liability to own".

 

[marcreative]

Hello Rob, i sent you messages few days ago, but not get reply yet. You said on ur thread that we can claim the name for free which submitted to contest of name protection, since it was available to hand register. Did you register namelegit.com ? thank you. I want to claim it.

Sorry i posted here, since i couldnt find the thread

 

[Rob Monster]

Hello Rob, i sent you messages few days ago, but not get reply yet. You said on ur thread that we can claim the name for free which submitted to contest of name protection, since it was available to hand register. Did you register namelegit.com ? thank you. I want to claim it.

Sorry i posted here, since i couldnt find the thread

Never saw your request. We don't own NameLegit.com and never registered it. The person who owns it has an email address that starts with "m". I did not include NameLegit in the poll because the word sounded too informal -- as in "tha'ts legit Bro!" -- to be considered a brand for protecting high value IP assets.

 

[bhartzer]

Specific to DNP scores, I expect there will be a review process where a score can be requested for manual review for accuracy. From what I know so far from Bill's algorithm, the scoring engine will get it right most of the time, but if a situation changes, it should be possible to re-score a domain .

Yes, there definitely is a way to request a manual review if there are questions about a particular DNP score. Keep in mind that the algorithm for DNP scores does not include any valuation or $$ value of a domain. It looks at factors related to prior use of the domain and current use. If a domain has a low score and the owner wishes to improve the score, there are things that can be done to improve the score.

 

[Recons.Com]

Yes, there definitely is a way to request a manual review if there are questions about a particular DNP score. Keep in mind that the algorithm for DNP scores does not include any valuation or $$ value of a domain. It looks at factors related to prior use of the domain and current use. If a domain has a low score and the owner wishes to improve the score, there are things that can be done to improve the score.

And who exactly is requesting this manual review? You are going to get in touch with the potential seller and write something like "hey, you don't know us and you don't know that you might have had a nice sale, but we ruined it for you, because our report to potential buyer said this name is tainted. If you want to request manual review, please, be our guest"? ))))

 

[carob]

And who exactly is requesting this manual review? You are going to get in touch with the potential seller and write something like "hey, you don't know us and you don't know that you might have had a nice sale, but we ruined it for you, because our report to potential buyer said this name is tainted. If you want to request manual review, please, be our guest"? ))))

Good point. If personal data (PII) is held about an EU citizen or resident, they have under GDPR the right to ask to review and even delete it. And they also have the right to ask to have any automated decision about them subject to manual ie human review.

 

[carob]

@Rob Monster

What about the potential to hurt domain investment business?

What if you give a low score to one of domains and kill a potential deal, because of a subjective algorithm?

Also sooner or later people will try to game the system, allow the domain to be "stolen" by a partner, and then the "buyer" claims the insurance when the domain is taken back.

 

[Recons.Com]

The big issue here is that a good name can be labeled as a liability over things that a new owner could have fixed with some effort.

 

[Rob Monster]

Also sooner or later people will try to game the system, allow the domain to be "stolen" by a partner, and then the "buyer" claims the insurance when the domain is taken back.

Insurance fraud is a thing, but that is why the insured domains will be held at trusted registrars with special arrangements around MaxLock of the domain.

As we engage re-insurance partners and secure the requisite insurance licensing, e.g. through an acquisition of an existing insurance agency, we are spending a lot of time on risk mitigation strategy.

This is definitely a doable business model. Given the complexity of the risk scoring aspect, the project is moving along rather swiftly.

 

[Rob Monster]

Preview here of some developments:

Logo Updates:
https://invis.io/EGUES4XC86J

Home:
https://invis.io/K5UES49QMD3

Domain Insurance
https://invis.io/9DUES4OTZNQ

DNP Score
https://invis.io/XQUES4QAJR6

Project team meets tomorrow with engineering for the first time. @bhartzer is will be getting down to the nitty gritty of translating risk assessment methods into software that scales. We'll see how that goes!

In the meantime, thanks @Ala Dadan. We welcome input as always as we co-create what could end up being a useful tool for getting domain buyers over the hump when it comes to making large purchases.

 

[Rob Monster]

The DNProtect.com project team met this morning.

We have a dev schedule -- live before year-end with public beta and launching at NamesCon in January. The project has A-players on it.

The main gap we are working to address now is the need to acquire or partner with an established insurance company that is licensed in Property and Casualty.

If anyone knows of an insurance agency that is interested in the Internet, please PM me as we explore how to add regulatory compliance for insurance products.

As for geography, it could be anywhere in the world but put a P&C insurance agency in Texas would be nice!

 

[biggie]

sooooo, here are some off the wall questions to ponder

what happens if internet died

and the servers didn't serve

then all your names disappeared

would insurance cover that?

is a policy transferrable from one owner to the next?

if so, is that premium at same rate prior to sale
or
at an increased rate per new sale price to new owner … should they wish to accept the transfer?

if premium was paid in advance and the name expires, can you get a partial refund or credit?

are domains that become websites included?

would a policy cover that website liability?

just throwing somethin in the air, with the smoke from the inhale

imo...

 

[Rob Monster]

sooooo, here are some off the wall questions to ponder

what happens if internet died

and the servers didn't serve

then all your names disappeared

would insurance cover that?

is a policy transferrable from one owner to the next?

if so, is that premium at same rate prior to sale
or
at an increased rate per new sale price to new owner … should they wish to accept the transfer?

if premium was paid in advance and the name expires, can you get a partial refund or credit?

are domains that become websites included?

would a policy cover that website liability?

just throwing somethin in the air, with the smoke from the inhale

imo...

First of all, this is not rocket science. Cyber-liability policies have been around for a while. If you look at a typical Cyber-Liability policy coverage summary (see attached example), you will find that domains are not covered. Why is that? I don't know but it seems like the insurance underwriters did not want to touch that one.

The scope of coverage was discussed earlier in this thread:

https://www.namepros.com/threads/wh...tures-for-dnprotect-com.1156889/#post-7425016

The detailed policy drafting is still in progress but the essential premise is focused on the prospect of losing the domain name, e.g. in the hypothetical case where NamePros lost NamePros.com, what would be the cost of re-branding to another domain name due to loss of the domain name.

The point should be obvious that for a domain owner whose business is substantially online, the loss of a domain name would have a switching cost that is likely far greater than the appraised value of the domain name by itself. DNProtect is aimed at managing that risk through:

- Risk Assessment
- Monitoring
- Insurance

Based on due diligence to date, I am confident that there is a worthwhile opportunity to add value in all 3 areas and that by integrating all 3 into one brand we will allow more people to avoid catastrophic loss due to being insufficiently equipped in any one of those areas.

 

[bmugford]

Insurance is an extremely complex field. Most insurance types are regulated at a state level, which means the company would likely need to to licensed & regulated in every US state it is offered in.

I predict it would be hard to find an underwriter or partner for this as it is not like car insurance, life insurance, homeowner's insurance, etc. It is not a product with massive demand that is easily understandable.

If you lose your car the loss is your car. It is a pretty defined value. It can be easily quantified.

When it comes to a domain, loss of business, and other issues that is extremely subjective and much harder to quantify.

Regardless, best of luck.

Brad

 

[biggie]

First of all, this is not rocket science.

geez, didn't know that
but, then again.... I ain't the brightest bird in the tree
even though I once had a license to sell insurance

it pretty much reads like, you and the crew are trying to launch something else into cyberspace

so, some kinda science had to be involved

unless yall just throwing it up in the air, trying to see what floats

but anything you think, that may be obvious, may not be so to all
that's prolly why, I put forth some questions, that were... off the wall.

Good Luck!

imo...

 

[Rob Monster]

geez, didn't know that
but, then again.... I ain't the brightest bird in the tree
even though I once had a license to sell insurance

it pretty much reads like, you and the crew are trying to launch something else into cyberspace

so, some kinda science had to be involved

unless yall just throwing it up in the air, trying to see what floats

but anything you think, that may be obvious, may not be so to all
that's prolly why, I put forth some questions, that were... off the wall.

Good Luck!

imo...

No, not off the wall, actually, and all appreciated since that is why this thread is useful -- to engage the dialog with those who will co-create, and that includes creative destruction, or vulnerability testing. It is welcome.

As for insurance expertise, part of the logic for seeking to acquire an existing insurance agency in property and casualty is to be able to fast-track the learning curve, and compliance.

In terms of practical application, I think key for us is to stay in our lane. We know a lot about protecting domain names. We also know a fair amount about how to detect problem with digital presence.

The domain industry should be very happy when DNProtect becomes available.

For one thing it should make it a lot easier to complete proper due diligence about a domain. However the real breakthrough comes from getting regulated banks to once again be able to lend against domains!

 

[bhartzer]

>> However the real breakthrough comes from getting regulated banks to once again be able to lend against domains!
Agreed, if the domain (and website) is covered for a certain amount, and the due diligence and underwriting is solid, there really shouldn't be any reason why regulated banks wouldn't lend against domains.

>> When it comes to a domain, loss of business, and other issues that is extremely subjective and much harder to quantify.
It's tougher, sure, but not out of the question. How much did you spend on a billboard with the domain name on it? How many misdirected emails will you lose? How much did you spend on business cards? How many years to build your brand and how much advertising was spent each year? How much money and traffic does your website (the domain name) get each day? Average CPC for every keyword times the search volume.

 

[bmugford]

However the real breakthrough comes from getting regulated banks to once again be able to lend against domains!

You have many banks now that will loan against securities.
It is called securities-based lending or portfolio lending.

These are based on highly liquid, easily understandable assets (stock, bonds, precious metals, ETFs).

You can generally already get a loan now if you run a successful business, even if that business is based on domain sales.

If you are talking about getting a loan based on the underlying value of a raw domain, from a major bank or lender, I doubt that is going to happen.

I highly doubt major banks like Chase, B of A, Wells Fargo and others are going to introduce a new product with such tiny demand. How many people in the general public even own domains, never mind any that are valuable?

Maybe some random boutique bank somewhere might consider it.

Brad