Tucows to Launch Auction Service for Expiring Domain Names

[worldengine]

Does this mean that domain names registered with Tucows resellers that would otherwise drop will now be auctioned exclusively through this system and not available to other drop catchers like snapnames, pool, ect?

Tucows to Launch Auction Service for Expiring Domain Names

[David G]

Does this mean that domain names registered with Tucows resellers that would otherwise drop will now be auctioned exclusively through this system and not available to other drop catchers like snapnames, pool, ect?

Tucows to Launch Auction Service for Expiring Domain Names

What a great idea in sharing most of the revenue with the original registrant. Perhaps others will also start doing so.

[jberryhill]

What a great idea in sharing most of the revenue with the original registrant.

What a fantastic opportunity to shill-bid your own expiring trademark domains!

[bidawinner]

What a fantastic opportunity to shill-bid your own expiring trademark domains!

LOL..always looking on the bright side

[chatcher]

What a fantastic opportunity to shill-bid your own expiring trademark domains!

Looking at recent auction prices, I'd be willing to let a bunch of names expire just to see what they go for (without shill bids).

Too bad moving them back to Tucows would add a year... Maybe the manual delete feature could become "manual delete/sell your name".

(I predict the new plan will make a lot of money - at least for Tucows' lawyers.)

[David G]

What a fantastic opportunity to shill-bid your own expiring trademark domains!

hmmm...interesting thought but that excludes me since I do not offer for sale individual names, and have never shill bidded a name anyway in my 8 yrs on the-web and 5 yrs as a domainer.

[Momentum]

I was honestly wondering when a big time registrar was going to start doing this. Seems like a win-win for the registrar and the registrant.

Not to veer to far off the subject, but does anyone know who some of the cheaper Tucows resellers are? Anyone close to $7 or $8 per year?

[Duke]

I was honestly wondering when a big time registrar was going to start doing this. Seems like a win-win for the registrar and the registrant.

Not to veer to far off the subject, but does anyone know who some of the cheaper Tucows resellers are? Anyone close to $7 or $8 per year?

EV1servers.net is $6.49

[Momentum]

Thanks Ron. Looks like they will be worth a try once Tucows adds this new service.

[madcamel]

As far as I understand they are going to auction the domains after their expiration date, rather then after their drop date. Meaning the auctions are going to be while the domain is in on-hold / pending delete status.

Assuming that the other registrars will follow Tucows steps this means that pool is gonna go out of business and also that the WLS will definitely DIE.

This is one great idea.

[mole]

Whoever kooked up this idea must be drinking bog juice.

These systems are perfect breeding grounds for shill bidding.

[madcamel]

One thing I didn't understand. Usually if the registrant doesn't renew his expired name, its because he can't be contacted by his registrar. So how are they going to contact him in order to share the auction money with him ?

[OnSpec]

Now this will be interesting. As JBerryhill said, the opportunities for scammers to influence the bidding is very high.

Too bad moving them back to Tucows would add a year... Maybe the manual delete feature could become "manual delete/sell your name

Tucows will make out like bandits on the renewals alone. More than enough to cover the cost of development and to maintain the retainers for the lawyers-in-waiting.

WLS anyone?

[DomainEngineer]

I just LOVE this idea of sharing "most of" the revenue with the registrant.

I have seen real garbage domains bid up in thousand at domain snapping sites such as pool.

So its going to be a win-win for tucows and the registrant.

I can't believe its happening.

wow.............

Just my opinion.

Regards,

[David G]

EV1servers.net is $6.49

Did not know that. It's quite odd Tucows would give such a low rate to EVI when the other resellers wholesale cost is $10.00. As a long time Tucows reseller I have tried many times to get my $10 cost down but always told no way, $9.75 is the lowest possible cost but only if I could guaranty high volume to get a hardly worth doing .25c discount. Unable to guaranty volume, which is why myself and others are at $10., and need to charge retail prices of $12 to $15.

[ExpireGuy]

One thing I didn't understand. Usually if the registrant doesn't renew his expired name, its because he can't be contacted by his registrar. So how are they going to contact him in order to share the auction money with him ?

Yet another question among many. This vague approach to facilitate a hub for speculatory practices by a registrar will no doubt continue the cause for many debates.......I smell lawsuits.

[Steen]

Did not know that. It's quite odd Tucows would give such a low rate to EVI when the other resellers wholesale cost is $10.00. As a long time Tucows reseller I have tried many times to get my $10 cost down but always told no way, $9.75 is the lowest possible cost but only if I could guaranty high volume to get a hardly worth doing .25c discount. Unable to guaranty volume, which is why myself and others are at $10., and need to charge retail prices of $12 to $15.

EV1 is most likely taking a loss (or no profits) on registration, as discussed countless times over. And I am confident EV1 could offer Tucows a lot of volume.

[chatcher]

EV1 is most likely taking a loss (or no profits) on registration, as discussed countless times over. And I am confident EV1 could offer Tucows a lot of volume.

True, and nothing should prevent Tucows from offering EV1 a lower price than they offer to me, or prevent EV1 from selling at a loss. But it is frustrating to Tucows resellers to have to pay more wholesale than many registrars offer retail.

This has been discussed repeatedly on the OpenSRS discussion list. Complainers are typically told to compete on service, not on price, or to not make domain name registration the core of their business. While it may be true that a business plan that involves only cut-rate domain name registrations by a non-accredited company is doomed to failure, it is also true that any business needs to keep an eye on costs, and throwing money away is always a bad plan.

I don't try to tell Tucows how to run their business, and I really can't say if their bottom line would have improved if they had increased their market share by competing on price. But given the deal they were willing to give me, it made no sense for me to stay there, and the only domain names in my OpenSRS account now are old customers who have not bothered to move their names (a steadily shrinking number). I really need to find an active OpenSRS reseller willing to take over those accounts.

[David G]

But it is frustrating to Tucows resellers to have to pay more wholesale than many registrars offer retail..............But given the deal they were willing to give me, it made no sense for me to stay there.......

A similar scenario is underway involving GoDaddy/WildWest where larger WW resellers may offer lower retail prices than small reseller wholesale prices but at least everyone has low prices and great services anyway.

Regarding Tucows, I moved most of my domains outta there what with my reseller price being about 25% or more greater than I am paying elsewhere and getting far less free services and special offers from Tucows, in addition to much higher pricing. It is quite amazing they manage to keep such a good number of registrations and strong performance, though I do predict they will eventually decline unless they get a lot more competitive.

[Dave Zan]

One thing I didn't understand. Usually if the registrant doesn't renew his expired name, its because he can't be contacted by his registrar. So how are they going to contact him in order to share the auction money with him ?

Simple: they can't. They'll simply pocket the money.

Besides, the registrant won't really know unless someone tells him/
her about it, especially if the registrar allows sharing of revenue after
auctioning the name.

Yet another question among many. This vague approach to facilitate a hub for speculatory practices by a registrar will no doubt continue the cause for many debates.......I smell lawsuits.

He he he, that's where the registrar's Service Agreement kicks in.