Re: [ga] keeping expired domains by a registrar

[Jeff Williams <jwkckid1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tim and all,

  My reply and/or remarks interspersed below.

Tim Ruiz wrote:

> The easiest way for registrants to renew at near cost is to do it before
> it expires. Most registrars, like Go Daddy, send multiple expiration
> notices via email prior to expiration (we send five starting at 90 days
> out) and in fact registrars are required by the RAA to send at least two
> notices, one after expiration (see section 3.7.5 of the RAA). Many
> registrars also use other methods to contact registrants for renewal
> including phone and snail mail (Go Daddy does both). Bottom line, it is
> ultimately the registrants responsibility to keep its registration
> current.

  Agreed.  However some of not many registrars such as RegistryFly
and yes, Go Daddy, do not consistently follow their own and RAA
required policy in this regard as has been many times reported.  Ergo
a set of rules regarding notification in the RAA's for registrars needs
to apply to all registrars and enforced rigorously with various levels
of penalties for each violation.

>
>
> That said, before there was any up stream re-distirbution of expired
> names by registrars, expired names that dropped were grabbed regularly
> by a handful of registrar entities that maintain pools of accredited
> registrars just for that purpose (as others have already pointed out).
> The names were then auctioned off or perhaps held if traffic indicated
> they could be monetized profitably. This still takes place with names
> that ultimately drop. At least one registry's response (VeriSign) to
> that was the Wait Listing Service (WLS) and later the Consolidated
> Listing Service (CLS). Both services were attempts to capture this
> aftermarket revenue opportunity downstream at the registry level. That
> should not be a surprise since VeriSign is a public for-profit company
> who is expected to act in the best interests of its shareholders.
> Registrars are also for-profit companies and so their reaction to keep
> this activity upstream should also be no surprise.

WLS and now CLS was and remains not in the best interest of
the internet community and said practice should be abolished
and banned permanently.  Registrars should have a a first
priority the interests of the internet community, and not the
interests of their stock holders, partners, ect...

>
>
> That said, most registrars involved in the upstream market for expired
> names realize that registrants are their customers and providing them
> quality services are essential to the registrars continued success.
> While processes may vary, most make allowances for the previous
> registrant to regain their name(s) through post expiration renewal.
> While that may involve additional fees of some nature, it is a more
> sure process for the typical registrant than trying to compete with the
> drop catching registrar pools. At Go Daddy, for the typical domain name
> the registrant can regain control for anywhere from the cost of the
> original registration fee to the cost of redemption from the RGP ($80
> at Go Daddy, half of which goes to pay the ICANN approved registry RGP
> fee). Only a small percentage of Go Daddy's expired names are
> redistributed through its auction process at higher prices.
>
> Given the current circumastancs and applicable polies it makes no sense
> for registrars to allow the process to fall back downstream since it
> would have no benefit to the previous registrants and would simply
> result in a less predicatble outcome.
>
> Tim Ruiz
>
>
>  -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Re: [ga] keeping expired domains by a registrar
> From: Andy Gardner <andy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Thu, April 05, 2007 3:46 am
> To: ga the DNSO <ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> On Apr 4, 2007, at 12:15 PM, Gomes, Chuck wrote:
>
>  > Chris,
>  >
>  > It's important to recognize that a first-come, first-served approach
>  > does not mean that 'anyone' would be successful at registering
> deleted
>  > names. Companies who focus on registering just-deleted names have
>  > mastered automated systems and processes that make it very
>  > difficult for
>  > the average person to play the game.
>  >
>  >
>
>  Full disclosure of the deletion date/time (to prevent 24/7 hammering
>  of the registry) along with rules for 1-shot per deleting domain per
>  registrar would reduce the success of the automated boutique
>  registrars and make it easier for joe blow to register it at cost.
>
>
>

Regards,

--
Jeffrey A. Williams
Spokesman for INEGroup LLA. - (Over 134k members/stakeholders strong!)
"Obedience of the law is the greatest freedom" -
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very often the accident of glory" - Theodore Roosevelt

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P: i.e., whether B is less than PL."
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