Will First Come, First Serve End for Available Domains?

[Tia Wood]

Imagine looking up a domain and it's available: FruppleCookies.com. The domain is immediately locked for ten days. During those ten days, anyone else doing a whois on FruppleCookies.com is sent to an auction page to bid war on an available domain.

Do you think something similar to this is coming in our future?

We're moving closer... backorder practices, astronomical rates on new extensions, landrushes, RegisterFly wannabes....etc.

These are signs of desperation from domain companies who are looking to pry the $$$ flowing through domainers hands into theirs. I think it's going to get much worse.

 

[dcristo]

I can't see that happening there isn't enough demand for mediocre domains (majority of hand regs still available)

 

[Tia Wood]

I can't see that happening there isn't enough demand for mediocre domains (majority of hand regs still available)

You're looking at it from a domainer's point of view. When does a domain company make money from us? When we register, renew, transfer, buy addons, etc. When do they *not* make money? During a private 3rd party transaction of $1 Million dollar domain where they get nothing but an $8 renewal fee.

 

[Theo]

Network Solutions did exactly that about a year ago. Now, they are facing a class action lawsuit for this practice. Search "frontrunning" in Google.

 

[jasdon11]

You're looking at it from a domainer's point of view. When does a domain company make money from us? When we register, renew, transfer, buy addons, etc. When do they *not* make money? During a private 3rd party transaction of $1 Million dollar domain where they get nothing but an $8 renewal fee.

They make money out of us by auctioning off other peoples property - drops.

And, what would you rather have - $8 multiplied 5 million times a year, or $1m once every blue moon?

BTW, glad you've switch avatar back - that cat scared me!

 

[Tia Wood]

And, what would you rather have - $8 multiplied 5 million times a year, or $1m once every blue moon?

I couldn't answer that unless I knew the overall sales stats of hand registrations versus 3rd party sales. But they are still missing out on a good chunk of 3rd party sales (not all of them have to be 1 million dollar domains, was using that as an example) and they are still losing out on available domains.

An example is the change of how backorders used to take place. It's not impossible that one day we will be made to bid war over available domains as a widely accepted policy change.

Network Solutions did exactly that about a year ago. Now, they are facing a class action lawsuit for this practice. Search "frontrunning" in Google.

I remember. It's not going to be the last company with balls trying to lock down revenue on available domains.

Do you guys really think domainers are the only customer base in this industry??

Nobody thought ICAAN would charge their fees a few years ago but they did. Nobody thought GoDaddy would totally ignore domainers but they did.

Think of domainers collectively as a share in the industry. We aren't the only ones who hold a share here. We're being exploited left and right while slowly losing control.

Do you really think every company in this industry (although there are a few who serve us exclusively) stop themselves and say "Oh, wait. What about the poor domainers?" They don't. And they will continue to exploit each and every one of us.

Bottom line: Your domains aren't as safe as you think they are. We are out-numbered, out-lawyered, out-funded, out-organized and we don't even realize it.

And that's just from the domain industry itself. Imagine what the rest of world is doing while trying to get a stake in this industry.

 

[Theo]

"You can pry my .com from dead, cold hands"