Whose Name Is It Anyway? Registrar-God Complex? Is GoDaddy doing what I think?

[johnishere]

Am I understanding this correctly that the "Expiring" soon domain auctions over at GoDaddy is for names that were registered thru them, owner hasn't renewed, and so GD auctions them off [unless reclaimed by original owner... blah, blah, blah]?

If so, how the HELL has that been allowed to go on for so long???

 

[bizcorp]

Hi johnishere, if a domain owner does not decide to re-register their domain name within a certain period of time, then it becomes an expired domain. These expired domains are then available for the public to pick up and use how they wish. It's how the domain cycle works :D

 

[nicedomains]

... and they are not the only registrar that does this, obviously.

 

[johnishere]

Hi johnishere, if a domain owner does not decide to re-register their domain name within a certain period of time, then it becomes an expired domain. These expired domains are then available for the public to pick up and use how they wish. It's how the domain cycle works :D

To make a minor correction to your statement:

The domains are NOT then available for the 'public' to pick up.....

...the domains are available for GoDaddy visitors to pick up and then GoDaddy profit from it.

Here's the million dollar question: Aren't GoDaddy 'expiring' auctions 'exclusive' - i.e. they are not publicly available for backorder (through other registrars also) but rather auctioned exclusively through GoDaddy? Apparently they are auctioning these domains within the 30 day grace period after it's renewal date; before they are marked as pending delete? So GD still has control of the domain within that period.

And the 2 million dollar question is: Is GoDaddy keeping all the profit from these auctions of GoDaddy expired domains before they're returned to the registry.

 

[mahesh13]

John, u r right in saying that they have no right to do so. If somebody really wants to take them to court and fight them, they will definitely win. But who will bell the cat?

 

[Kate]

Welcome to the real world.
But it's all covered in the TOS.

 

[shockie]

here's how the hell how (i think):

registrars get to have domains a bit longer than a registrant before it goes back into the wild.

 

[johnishere]

Welcome to the real world.
But it's all covered in the TOS.

Heeyyyy, that's exactly what I was going to tell GoDaddy after taking away their right to do that: "Welcome to the real world. Where the peasants will inevitably revolt after putting up with bullsh&t for only so long."

GoDaddy writing something down in their terms of service does not convey or give them any more rights to the domain name; no more than if I write down that I can auction off Lake Michigan if you don't renew your boat docking fees. I DON'T HAVE ANY OWNERSHIP RIGHTS IN LAKE MICHIGAN so I can't auction off Lake Michigan. GoDaddy does not have ownership rights in the domain names - they are merely a registration agent. As such, they should not have privileged access or control [of the domains] which gives them unfair advantage.

************************************************************
**** FOLKS, I'D LIKE SOME INPUT ON THIS. DO YOU THINK THIS PRACTICE IS FAIR? LET ME KNOW. *****

************************************************************

I will at least 'consider' pursuing this matter further after I have some time to explore it a little more specifically. Revising ICANN provisional policy (cooperatively or by legal force) is not not beyond reach...... [of the courts].

 

[shockie]

go right ahead. you seem to be quite upset with just about everything in the domaining world based on the threads you've started so far.

 

[Blake]

they are merely a registration agent..........and is such that you have to play by there rules....we all have our opinions and yours is as valued as the next person. I totally understand where your coming and agree to a certain extent. These practices are being used by many places and "agents" without a hitch.....ethical or not ICANN is about as worthless as a 1 legged guy in an a** kicking contest

My 2 cents nothing personal to anyone just my humble opinion.

 

[johnishere]

go right ahead. you seem to be quite upset with just about everything in the domaining world based on the threads you've started so far.

I'd sincerely like to know your opinion. Do 'you' SHOCKIE think that a registration agent [registrar] should be able to profit by auctioning off names that they don't own and did not register? Some of the names I have seen there are asking into the thousands of $. What happens when a domain owner dies and his name expires..... a name worth $1 million. Should GoDaddy be able to auction that off and then keep the money?

Let me know what you think of this practice... (not of my previous 1 post which asked "is there any real money left in domaining".... what's upset about that question?] :td:

they are merely a registration agent..........and is such that you have to play by there rules....

Do you? Do you have to play by "their" rules? Why on earth would you have to play by "their" rules? Whose Internet do you think this is?

we all have our opinions and yours is as valued as the next person. I totally understand where your coming and agree to a certain extent. These practices are being used by many places and "agents" without a hitch.....

Without a hitch you say? To the domainer with one thousand domain names who is paying $8 or $10 thousand dollars a year to renew domains, I don't know if I would consider that "without a hitch". $100,000 over the course of 10 years, I don't think, is without a hitch.

*** To usualcliche, I'd really like to know whether you think it is a "FAIR" practice or not. If it is fair that they profit from names that they didn't even spend $5 to register, then so be it.... all is cool. If not, then some folks need to get off of some butts and get it changed. I know I could stand to keep some of that $10 thousand a year in 'my' pocket

It's starting to sound like the reason that the registrars are being allowed to get away with this sort of thing is because nobody on our side - on the "user's" side - has stood up to represent our side of the situation. Obviously ICANN and their affiliates (registrars, etc.) are looking after "their" side of the business. But who is looking after ours. As it pertains to "my" interests, I know 'I' generally wouldn't sit around and be taken advantage of.

 

[shockie]

I'd sincerely like to know your opinion. Do 'you' SHOCKIE think that a registration agent [registrar] should be able to profit by auctioning off names that they don't own and did not register? Some of the names I have seen there are asking into the thousands of $. What happens when a domain owner dies and his name expires..... a name worth $1 million. Should GoDaddy be able to auction that off and then keep the money?

Let me know what you think of this practice... (not of my previous 1 post which asked "is there was any real money left in domaining".... what's upset about that question?] :td:

all you need to do is read my original reply:

here's how the hell how (i think):

registrars get to have domains a bit longer than a registrant before it goes back into the wild.

it's not just the "zomg i can't make any money in the domain industry" thread, but also the "all the damn .coms are taken and now i'm stuck registering the .net counterparts" thread, and the "i let myname.com expire so now i'll open an unjustified can of whoop-udrp on someone" thread.

if the domaining industry is causing you so much stress, then try some breathing exercises. that way, you don't have to start threads like this? because it's really more of a vent? instead of genuine curiosity?

 

[accent]

Go visit the slums of (insert any third world country here).

Then tell me about fair.

 

[ulasbbtr]

I think johnishere is absolutely right. You cannot sell something which doesn't belong to you. If they would've offered a drop-catching solution, that will be much more acceptable. Further, they are even more greedy that they won't let you win the auctions of profitable domains. Read the article below about Standard Tactics LLC, a hidden GoDaddy company:

http://domainnamewire.com/2008/12/03/standard-tactics-llc-how-godaddy-profits-from-expired-domains/

Briefly, they auction domains that don't belong to them. If the domains are profitable, they won't let others win the auction. They even had an employer caught from internal bidding to raise auction amounts!!! Any other sin left? I can't imagine one...

 

[Domagon]

Registrars possess domains, not registrants. And as the old saying goes, "Possession is 9/10ths of the law." :lol:

Registrars, for many TLDs (some ccTLDs are noteable exceptions), have a window of time after expiration in which the registrar may choose to keep or drop.

Eliminating the practice may be worse, since it would result in drop-catchers, most of which are registrars, to hammer the registries with registration attempts, and as a result likely cost perspective new registrants as much, and likely more than the current in-house drop auctions.

Ron

 

[Kate]

I think you need to read the terms carefully. They must be drafted in such a way that by not renewing your domains you effectively relinquish any claims and they are allowed to repossess them - think of it as domain inheritance :] :bah:.
Not saying it's right, but if you don't like it I strongly suggest that you take your business with a registrar that will drop all expired domains and not auction them.

 

[Name Trader]

I don't see what all the fuss is about. Once you let your domain expire, you no longer have any rights to the domain. Because GoDaddy (and all registrars) automatically pay for the renewal, they have more rights than most people to control the name. Most registrars allow the domain to go into some kind of auction before they release the domain. You can still backorder at any registrar. But your backorder won't come into play until the domain actually drops.

 

[shockie]

I don't see what all the fuss is about. Once you let your domain expire, you no longer have any rights to the domain. Because GoDaddy (and all registrars) automatically pay for the renewal, they have more rights than most people to control the name. Most registrars allow the domain to go into some kind of auction before they release the domain.

exactly. if anything, people who forget to renew theirdomain.com and just let it expire should be thankful for this process. if you'd like, you're welcome to apply to be a registrar yourself and pay the same costs and risks.

 

[DotWeekly]

johnishere ~ read up on Tucows and what they do... you will really love them!

They don't even auction off the "good ones"! They simply just Keep Them when they expire....

 

[Seabass]

Back in 1996 through about 2000 if you were a couple hours late past the due date the domain was just plain deleted and available to anyone.

Ouch!

At least today you have a few extra days (with most registrars) to renew if you slipped up in making a payment.

I'd say it is much fairer now.

.............If the domains are profitable, they won't let others win the auction....

That's not true......I have won tons of domains at Godaddy that are profitable.