Re: [registrars] Resellers a burden upon ICANN

[JP <jp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

We are again drifting from "discussing the budget" to trying to pin "it" on
the other model.

I would like to remind the "pin it on the reseller models" proposals that
many of today successful "Accredited Registrars" started as resellers of
larger registrars, they acted as resellers until they got the necessary
skills and momentum to start on their own.

That simple fact not only validates the reseller model, but also shows that
in encourages  "healthy and knowledgeable" competition.

JP



> From: Larry Erlich <erlich@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Organization: DomainRegistry.com, Inc.
> Date: Wed, 09 Jun 2004 15:40:03 -0400
> To: "Robert F. Connelly" <rconnell@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: Registrars Constituency <registrars@xxxxxxxx>, Kurt Pritz
> <pritz@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [registrars] Resellers a burden upon ICANN
> 
> Robert F. Connelly wrote:
>> 
>> At 01:14 AM 6/9/04, Thomas Keller wrote:
>>> I guess the point Paul was trying to make was that the complains to ICANN
>>> are not related to the amount of registrations a registrar has.
>> 
>> Dear Thomas:  I totally reject your thesis. I'm traveling and less able to
>> write my reasons.
> 
> I reject also. So let me give it a try for you as to
> why: It defies common sense.
> 
> It also defies common
> sense that a reseller network is not going to create more
> potential complaints. In theory of course.  I don't have
> ICANN data to back this up but I do have personal experience
> with this. I can tell you that we
> get 3 to 6 complaints a day regarding a certain reseller for
> a registrar (that has a name similar to our name) that
> seems to have a problem refunding money to customers when a
> registrar transfer fails. It's always
> the same story. I can just imagine the amount of times that this
> happens where we don't get the complaints. I would imagine
> the reason ICANN doesn't get more complaints is that many
> end users don't know how to contact ICANN or even the
> existence of ICANN. After all, when I have a complaint with
> the phone company it's not like I take the time to complain
> to anyone other than the phone company.
> 
> Back to statistics. Of course there are mitigating factors. For example, a
> large
> domain buyer, like buydomains.com might own 200,000 domains
> which go through one or a few registrar. In a situation like that
> there is likely to be no complaints to ICANN for that 200k block
> of names. On the other hand a single large reseller with 200k names
> at a single or multiple registrars or multiple resellers would most likely
> cause complaints in ratio to the amount of names registered.
> 
> I've noticed that some of the large registrars have instituted
> reseller programs where they do everything for a reseller, put up the site
> take the orders, pretty much everything. They sell you the names for
> a low price and encourage you to mark up the names for a few dollars. They
> don't require anything, as far as I can tell, in terms of making sure
> that those resellers provide support the registrants of the low priced domains
> etc.
> 
> Larry Erlich
> 
> 
>> 
>> OTOH, I am raising a demand that ICANN quantify their allegation.  If ICANN
>> is doing work for which we must pay and it is related to registrar
>> malfeasance, we should be provided with a list of the culprits and the
>> number of cases thereto related;-)
>> 
>> This is supposed to be an open society.
>> 
>> Cordially, BobC
> 
> -- 
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> Larry Erlich - DomainRegistry.com, Inc.
> 215-244-6700 - FAX:215-244-6605 - Reply: erlich@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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