Re[3]: [ga] Registrars Selling Dropped Domain Name Lists

[William X Walsh <william@userfriendly.com>]

Sunday, Sunday, August 26, 2001, 12:40:14 PM, Andy Gardner wrote:

> At 11:49 AM -0700 26/8/01, William X Walsh wrote:
>>> http://www2.domainnamesystems.com/expireds.html
>>
>>> And if you want to see an example of a Registrar auctioning off names they
>>> grab in the drops, check out
>>
>>> http://www.namewinner.com brought to you by the Dotster Registrar.
>>
>>To be clear, both companies are selling chances to register domains
>>that had been dropped at the registry and will become available for
>>reregistration, not names that are registered with them, but not
>>renewed by their customers, like the question was seeking.

> I disagree. Re-read the wording on the domainnamesystems.com page:

> "EXCLUSIVE!!! - not available at any other registrar!!
> These domains are recently expired and have not yet been released into the
> registry!
> They are available for re-registration only through Domain Name Systems!"

> They are talking about names that were registered through their system.
> When one of their clients fails to pay the annual fee and the name goes
> on-hold, they offer them to allcomers, with a sliding scale payment
> depending on how long it is before the name gets deleted.

> These names are for sale for $15
> acuratoys.com
> big-ass.org

> These names are $60 - because they expired more recently
> clubalison.com
> esexmagazine.com

> Check the WHOIS details - domainnamesystems is a Tucows reseller?

Except that the system doesn't work that way.  The domains are already
expired, and set for deletion 45 days later.  The domains in question
can't be transferred, since they have a registry lock on them until
they are deleted and made available for reregistration.

The only way it would work, is if the registrants are co-operating and
have designated their registration provider (who is not a registrar,
but a reseller, and thus not subject to all of the rules) as an agent
to sell the domain names, and agrees to transfer of the domain name
when their reseller pays for an additional year on the domain to
unlock it and open it up for transfer.  I had a client myself who gave
me a list of domains that he was not renewing, and basically said if I
know anyone who wants them, he would approve their transfer.  He
wanted $5 out of the transaction, we offered the names for $19
including the one year renewal of the domain.  There is nothing
inappropriate or bad about doing that.

Like I said, it all comes down to the relationship between the
registrant and the reseller.

As for Dotster (the one that is in fact a registrar), all of the names
they are offering are registry deletes.

-- 
Best regards,
William X Walsh <william@userfriendly.com>
Userfriendly.com Domains
The most advanced domain lookup tool on the net
DNS Services from $1.65/mo

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