Domain Justice Coalition sues ICANN over WLS

[adoptabledomains]

ICANN is being sued again by a collection of registrars to stop the WLS from happenning.


http://zdnet.com.com/2110-1104_2-1026076.html

http://www.stopwls.com/

 

[clemzonguy]

charge registrars a minimum of $24 to backorder an expiring (i.e., used) domain name. In turn, registrars will add a "markup" to this, resulting in skyrocketing prices for consumers.

Um skyrocking prices for consumers are high namewinner and pool bids which oftentimes exceed $500-$5000 and will only get higher as more registrars go to this model. They are obviously trying to mislead ill-informed people who have not been in this business before by making them think it's a bad thing.

Incidentally, when VeriSign first floated the WLS proposal, it wanted to charge $40!

Again VERY AFFORDABLE. Less than the price of a discounted snapback. How great can you get for 100% chance at getting a name you want.

Today, you can backorder and register an expired domain name for a fraction of that price

More lies.

many domain name registrars who compete with VeriSign may be forced to close because the market for their services will cease to exist.

If domain registrars are in the business now of only catching expired names they need to find a new business to get involved with as this is has not been the bread and butter for successful registrars in the past

Why is ICANN now attempting to turn back the clock and grant VeriSign another monopoly?

Greedy registrars and domain speculators maybe?? and to protect the interests of the average consumer/end user who has no way to compete in the current system. Also to invent an orderly system since there is no other "fair" way to distribute names

Sorry just my two cents. Please share your own thoughts.

 

[actnow]

The names being bidded way up at NW and Pool are a small fraction of the names dropping. Probably less than 1%

But, all domains will potentially be effected by WLS.

 

[adoptabledomains]

Originally posted by clemzonguy


Again VERY AFFORDABLE. Less than the price of a discounted snapback. How great can you get for 100% chance at getting a name you want.

It's not guaranteed that you will get something for your money like namewinner is. Just like a lottery ticket, it's a CHANCE at getting the name IF dropped. If renewed, you get nothing, not even a refund or chance at another name.

With a snap, you can at least have some time to move it to another name to try again. With WLS, you have lost all you paid.

 

[adoptabledomains]

Originally posted by actnow
The names being bidded way up at NW and Pool are a small fraction of the names dropping. Probably less than 1%

But, all domains will potentially be effected by WLS.

To clarify, it's only "all domains" that are in the .com and .net TLD's controlled by NSI. WLS (for now) would not effect org/info/biz.

 

[clemzonguy]

The names being bidded way up at NW and Pool are a small fraction of the names dropping. Probably less than 1%

Well even if I only bid $8.75-$50 at namewinner i still don't have a hell of a shot at beating buydomains and others. And even if Enom gets it you get screwed by the round robin system. Everywhere else you have to pay $60-$160 or more to even get them to chancee at the name. This is far above $24-$40 and the only reason names get bidded higher is because of speculators looking at a daily pending delete list or which names have snaps and bidding on those. In a first come first serve system those players would be forced to pick their niche markets instead of buying names en masse to resell later. Most of the names people buy will never see a purchase because they are driving away the real buyers with insane price quotes.

Example: I bidded on a name at Namewinner, had the snap, tried everywhere else. Guy from club drop ends up getting the name. He said he had no clue the name was of value to anyone until I asked him how much he wanted for it (so why the hell is he even adding it to his list?). So he said he'd wait on the traffic before giving me a price quote (the usual responce). And so he comes back with a $4000 price quote and all I would really paid was $200-$600 (couldn't have sold on this forum for $20). I quickly told him BuyDomains had a BETTER domain for $2K that i'd by faster than I would his domain. This is the kind of garbage I am sick of putting up with....clueless people looking at a domain as some lottery ticket that is going to pay off big for them. I had the snap on the name long before anyone even saw it on a pending delete list and would have gladly fronted $40 instead of paying 100 times that amount later to some bozo.

 

[clemzonguy]

With a snap, you can at least have some time to move it to another name to try again. With WLS, you have lost all you paid.

I've read some posts about WLS allowing for exchanges also. Which is the real truth? Again moving it around would indicate speculation on a larger scale. All I want is a "chance" at getting this name if it were to drop. To me this is worth any money I pay upfront whether I can exchange or not.

 

[hiOsilver]

Originally posted by actnow
The names being bidded way up at NW and Pool are a small fraction of the names dropping. Probably less than 1%

But, all domains will potentially be effected by WLS.

Well, at least you added "potentially". So, here are a few names that were dropping today:

LLESSANDRA.COM
ALLFORYOUTOUR2001.COM
ALLFREEFORYOU.COM
ALLGEMEINARZT-ONLINE.COM
ALLGEMEINARZT-ONLINE.NET
ALLGEMEINMEDIZIN-ONLINE.COM
ALLGEMEINMEDIZIN-ONLINE.NET
ALLGSMTOOLS.COM
ALLIANCEBROWNSBACKERS.COM
ALLIASHOP.NET
ALLIN1AUTO.COM
ALLINEEDISSEX.COM

Are you buying a WLS for these? Do you think anyone will? Potentially, yes. Likely, no.

The better the name, the more likely it will be affected by WLS. The better the name, the more likely it will go for $1000 or more at Pool.com or Namewinner.

 

[adoptabledomains]

Originally posted by hiOsilver



The better the name, the more likely it will be affected by WLS. The better the name, the more likely it will go for $1000 or more at Pool.com or Namewinner.

Which means that a so-so name or one in a smaller niche market will cost $50-60 on wait list instead of the potential of $9-10 from namewinner or expirefish.

There are degrees of cost and benefit of different services or lack thereof.

Now, if you want a name badly enough, you could offer some maximum amount to the current holder. If you wanted it less than what they may want for it or even know it may be worth, you can sign up for all services (snapnames,namewinner, etc.) to extend your chance (but still not 100%). If you have just a slight interest, you can go the minimum on namewinner. The WLS would trump all these services except for the pre-drop offer. Someone who REALLY wanted a name, may have to pay 5-10 years of WLS to be first in line and still not get it unless given up by the original registrant.

With WLS, the only guarantee upon signing up is that NSI will get a good guaranteed fee regardless of the domain status being renewed or dropped, with the only real competition being themselves since they get their fee regardless of the winning registrar as well as even if the name is not dropped then they get paid twice for the same name.

I also think this will do more to confuse end users who don't understand why they can get a wait list on .com and .net, but not on .us or .info. It just introduces another inconsistency to domain names.

 

[hiOsilver]

Originally posted by adoptabledomains


Which means that a so-so name or one in a smaller niche market will cost $50-60 on wait list instead of the potential of $9-10 from namewinner or expirefish.

No. Many names will not justify a WLS subscription and you will still be able to pick them up for $7. And, WLS subscriptions are likely to be no more than $40, the price of a discount Snapback. There is some talk that competition will cut the price to $24, the price that NSI will charge the registrars. When you consider the assurance of knowing that, if the name drops, it is yours, it will certainly be worth $40.

Today, I picked up 8 names with Club Drop for $8.95 each. I doubt that many of these would have WLS subscriptions. They are all good, but not great names. Club Drop could still continue after WLS. It will still be a good and reasonably priced service when the cream is being skimmed by WLS.


Someone who REALLY wanted a name, may have to pay 5-10 years of WLS to be first in line and still not get it unless given up by the original registrant.

Mostly fools will be paying for WLS 5 years out. In fact, I doubt that I would buy many more than 10 months out. Chances are slight that you will ever get many names that are 5 years from exp. Doesn't it tell you something when someone is willing to prepay for 5 years? How many of your names have you prepaid for 5 years?

With WLS, the only guarantee upon signing up is that NSI will get a good guaranteed fee regardless of the domain status being renewed or dropped, with the only real competition being themselves since they get their fee regardless of the winning registrar as well as even if the name is not dropped then they get paid twice for the same name.

So, with Snapnames you can lose your money if you are stupid enough. I have never let a single one expire, and I have bought hundreds (including some with limited exchange). You are paying for a service, not for a name. But there is an incredibly valuable guarantee with WLS: If the name drops and you have the WLS, you get the name. You wont have to worry about it being taken from you by BuyDomains. No having it taken by some fool with lots of money at Pool or Namewinner.

I also think this will do more to confuse end users who don't understand why they can get a wait list on .com and .net, but not on .us or .info. It just introduces another inconsistency to domain names.

An end user who wants a name badly enough will find it easy to get educated. Most end users will not ever know what a WLS is and they wont care.

 

[JMJ]

http://www.whois.sc/internet-statistics/registrar-stats.html the numbers don't lie this is the only reason why Netsol wants the WLS.

 

[UKPro]

Clemzoneguy - You are 100% right. This is the best opportunity for the "smaller" guy to get a good domain. It is impossible to compete with BD who appear to get 70% of the drop every day.

And for those who don't know, there is a proposed 2 exchanges for an unsuccessful backorder (ie. someone renews etc)

This will throw the whole market open and give us all a chamce.

 

[Nexus]

Originally posted by hiOsilver
Many names will not justify a WLS subscription and you will still be able to pick them up for $7. And, WLS subscriptions are likely to be no more than $40, the price of a discount Snapback. There is some talk that competition will cut the price to $24, the price that NSI will charge the registrars. When you consider the assurance of knowing that, if the name drops, it is yours, it will certainly be worth $40.

You can't get more right than that. All the "scare tactics" I hear seem to fluctuate and run all over the map after a while.

SCARE TACTIC: "Under WLS, all back-orders will cost much more than they do now---" Nope, like hiOsilver noted, only the ones that are valuable enough to be worth that cost. WLS would prob. be less expensive than a SnapBack, and more expensive than a GoDaddy back-order. Enom club drop isn't going away. Will Pool or Name Winner, who knows, but whichever auction-drop service is still around will get all the sub-$40 drop business.

SCARE TACTIC: "Under WLS, it'll be impossible to get names...", no less possible than now, but for good names, it will certainly favor those who do their homework well ahead of time (or at least those who know how to pick up a phone).

SCARE TACTIC: "The small players are in for a wake-up call..." No more than the big players, if they're asleep at the wheel. Small players generally have less money and more time. As I've read it, BD has said that it intends to scare off small players out of the secondary market with HIGH bids at auction-based drop services. Notice that at all? WLS mostly eliminates that tactic.

SCARE TACTIC: WLS eliminates competition... When all registrars would be able offer a drop-product with the same level of integrity, and focus their work on marketing and customer awareness? WLS "eliminates" competition the same way competition *doesn't* exist in registering names now. Change certainly is scarey, and is hard to adjust to for many, but sometimes... change is good.

~ Nexus