Another Shady SnapNames.com Registrar Partner Goes AWOL

[denny007]

Why do you no longer do business with place you used to do business with?

Well this works only at places where is 100% competition. If some domain you wanted get caught by Pool and you are not in the auciton - you can not get the domain.

I can tell you that there is 10% of difficult customer, who are always waving "I am customer - I am boss" flag and those are for every company better to lose than maintain. In my export business I reject to do business with one or two customers every month for this very reason. To have sometimes hunt for a domain is simply part of the dropping game...

So you think that registrars hoarding dropping domains is a sustainable business practice?

Of course. Should they be giving it to poor ? Some smarter registrars are selling, stupids are hoarding. Namejet selling, Moniker selling, Dotster selling. Tucows hoarding - that is their decision.

If you would have YOUR OWN registrar, you would have also 100% right to decide what to do.

If not to govern, what is ICANN's purpose?

Govern against ILLEGALITIES. You are basically calling ICANN should force registrars to delete domains which their owners did not renew. But it is practically impossible to control, every single domain would need some expensive investigation to determine if previous owner did not renew or sold or whatever.

Last I checked domains aren't gold coins, outside of domain trading they do have an actual function.

There is practically UNLIMITED SUPPLY of domains to make this "function" work.

The public should have access to expiring domains via auction.

This is half non-domainer argument. Is half way between freedom and some liberal non-domainers willing to reditribute domains from those who collected great portfolios.

Seriosuly - there is LOTS OF LOTS OF domains to buy everywhere, enough to make for everyone, so the current system work well for all of us, doesn't it ?

[Directi]

The latest post on thedomains.com has clarifications on this issue. Hope this is informative.

Further, we would also like to add, our association with Snapnames has not been affected in any way and we continue to share a comprehensive business relationship with them.

[Seraphim]

Govern against ILLEGALITIES. You are basically calling ICANN should force registrars to delete domains which their owners did not renew. But it is practically impossible to control, every single domain would need some expensive investigation to determine if previous owner did not renew or sold or whatever.
There is practically UNLIMITED SUPPLY of domains to make this "function" work.

This is half non-domainer argument. Is half way between freedom and some liberal non-domainers willing to reditribute domains from those who collected great portfolios.

Seriosuly - there is LOTS OF LOTS OF domains to buy everywhere, enough to make for everyone, so the current system work well for all of us, doesn't it ?

Govern against illegalities? So they put a stop to domain tasting because it's illegal? Come on now. They should govern in the best interest of the public, you know that, otherwise they should ditch the non profit status, and just go commercial.

[denny007]

So they put a stop to domain tasting because it's illegal?

They did not "put stop" on domain tasting per se, they just stopped refunding. They did not wanted but too many people were screaming.

They should govern in the best interest of the public

Well in "best interest of public" would be maximum x domains per entity. I am sure if masses could vote on it it would win with 99%+ majority.

Tasting is not good example - they did not take anything, they just stopped giving...

[Seraphim]

They did not "put stop" on domain tasting per se, they just stopped refunding. They did not wanted but too many people were screaming.
Well in "best interest of public" would be maximum x domains per entity. I am sure if masses could vote on it it would win with 99%+ majority.

Tasting is not good example - they did not take anything, they just stopped giving...

My point is or was Denny, that for you and I to hold equity in domain names, a healthy commercial balance must be maintained. ICANN should be implementing policies that keep that balance, and more importantly maintain credibility and consumer confidence. Without checks and balances, you'll get a mini Wall Street scenario where greed will end up burning the house down. Registrars warehousing domains should be a giant red flag in the eyes of anyone with equity in domains. Back alley drop markets that only registrars have access to, again should be a giant red flag in the eyes of all domainers.

Without rules, humans are swinging from the trees, throwing feces at each other. Free markets live and die in accordance to how they are regulated. You can still call yourself a domainer, and yet look at the industry with both eyes open. Lots of shady stuff happening. The domain drop market for example has become a lot like downtown Mogadishu.

[Gerry]

Well this works only at places where is 100% competition. If some domain you wanted get caught by Pool and you are not in the auciton - you can not get the domain.

I can tell you that there is 10% of difficult customer, who are always waving "I am customer - I am boss" flag and those are for every company better to lose than maintain. In my export business I reject to do business with one or two customers every month for this very reason. To have sometimes hunt for a domain is simply part of the dropping game...

How much competition do you have?

Exporting business?

Vs. How much competition does Pool have?

Drop Catching

I will not impact pool by leaving them. But they exist because domainers exist, not the other way around. If there business model is failing it is because of their attitude and the way they conduct business, not mine

Just as this thread. Did domainers come along because Directi is in business? Or do you suppose that Directi became an entity because of domainers.

This is nothing more than a money grab to most people in this business, including you and me.

If Pool sh+ts on me with their attitude and follow-up (Yes, richard contacted me. What a surprise...no record of my emails over two weeks and no record of my call) then I am gone.

Chances that emails were sent somewhere else? 0%. and the same percentage of chance I called the wrong number and the person answering identified Pool right off.

How do you think this one thread is going to impact Answerable, Directi, Whiz.in? No effect? some effect?

Guess what. I used to have 320 domains at Answerable. Right now at this very minute? 2

This started perhaps over a year ago with the dozen or so taken from me, they would not transfer the names, and miraculously all ended up in the account of the same person. All prime Hindi keywords.

When I called, some one in a busy cafe or street corner in Bangalore or Dehli anwered the phone. I could barely hear him with all the clanging of plates or whatever and the honking horns and mopeds going by.

[keyser]

^Pool people are little bit stoic, their owner is rich guy and he does not really give much fok if someone stops backordering or not. So "prima donna" attitude do more harm to you than to them...

Agree. I have heard many bad words about pool.com since I joined dnf but never had any major issue with them myself. Their support service was/ is topnotch.
For those interested, chris ambler (dnf member) made some very interesting posts about the dropcatching process and clubdrop years ago. Just use the search function

[Gerry]

Agree.

Congrats.

This means that you have not had to call and ask who is the registrar of a domain name won in an auction only to be told they have no idea and it wasn't their problem.

Stick with them if you are happy.

----

Sorry to get off topic.

This is about snap and Answerable.

[Seraphim]

To date I have never had a problem with Answerable.com. I tend to have problems with the more obscure less used registrars, such as the case was with Domus. Had big problems with OnlineNIC as well, but was eventually able to transfer out after prefunding my account with $80.

[denny007]

My point is or was Denny, that for you and I to hold equity in domain names, a healthy commercial balance must be maintained.

And this balance does exist - there is still gazillion domains on the market. There is always more domains I would buy than I have money for.

[Domainator]

OnlineNIC--I am having probs both renewing and transferring out..... GRRRRRRR!!!

[Seraphim]

OnlineNIC--I am having probs both renewing and transferring out..... GRRRRRRR!!!

Did you pick the domain up through SnapNames? That's how I got stuck with OnlineNIC.

[Domainator]

Yes, i got it through a SnapNames drop. Funny thing too, I have 3 calls into SnapNames to intervene (1st call was this past Tuesday, then yesterday and again today---no call back. When Roger was at Snapnames, he could usually resolve issues, nowadays you just got pray--no way to run a business!

Oh, one more note, I am having issue with MelbourneIT also---got any names in there, get 'em out!

BTW Thanks! Seraphim

[Seraphim]

Yes, i got it through a SnapNames drop. Funny thing too, I have 3 calls into SnapNames to intervene (1st call was this past Tuesday, then yesterday and again today---no call back. When Roger was at Snapnames, he could usually resolve issues, nowadays you just got pray--no way to run a business!

Oh, one more note, I am having issue with MelbourneIT also---got any names in there, get 'em out!

WOW, talk about being on the same track. I nearly lost several SnapNames domains with OnlineNIC, and then Domus. I then officially lost a domain via MelbourneIT, but I was able to recatch it on the drop via SnapNames again, and then it went to another registrar. Domus actually hit me twice, and on the second round I was on the verge of filing a police report against SnapNames, since I live in the same city. That threat got things put into overdrive, and solutions came very quickly.

I hate bashing SnapNames because I loved their service for the longest time. I hope things get better with their registrar partners, otherwise I have to pull the plug.

[Domainator]

I too lost two names with MelbourneIT-I got niether of the back, however, one is currently registerd to Oversee.... go figure.... Turn around, bend over and don't scream....

GRRRRR....

I still get alot of domains thru Snapnames...just gotta watch the problem registrars and transfer EARLY...

Thanks again for the moral support!

[denny007]

lost a domain via MelbourneIT

How THIS could happen ? Their process is pain in the arse but when in whois is your email, you can always add the domain to your account then transfer

[Seraphim]

How THIS could happen ? Their process is pain in the arse but when in whois is your email, you can always add the domain to your account then transfer

The problem for me was "lead time". I used to operate under the absurd assumption that 3 to 4 months was enough time to transfer out of certain registrars. I now give myself no less than 10 full months of lead time with SnapNames drops, that seems to work well. If that new self policy fails, I delete my thousands strong back order list, and stop putting quarters into the jukebox. If SnapNames is content to lose thousands of dollars in business from me each year, so be it, I'll live. If not they'll secure only reputable partners, and we'll continue to do business.

[denny007]

^I understand but can not imagine having problems with Melbourneit. Loging to account, request code to add the domain to account, once is added go to the domain panel and click on authcode.

[Dale Hubbard]

I have been operating in the .uk drop market for over two years now. We have a small operation (compared to .com) and have often thought about trying to get into the .com drop business.

Our UK business doesn't offer a public-facing domain registration system at all. Is this a requirement for ICANN accreditation or a Verisign registry account?

Quite simply, all we'd like to do is to get accredited, get a registrar account with Verisign, and just operate a drop system based upon our bookings etc. using our own server, software and Verisign's EPP system. We'd want to have any caught names transferred out immediately to the registrar of the winner's choice - we don't want the admin hassle of any of the public-facing stuff.

Having read this thread it looks as though it's a complete quagmire.

Is what I am suggesting feasible? I don't want to partner with any other pool system.

All suggestions very welcome!

Cheers.

[Gerry]

We'd want to have any caught names transferred out immediately to the registrar of the winner's choice - we don't want the admin hassle of any of the public-facing stuff.

Ideally, I would love to see the domain put in the registrar of choice.

But, I don't see this happening. If you drop catch, you are the new registrant. Therefore, you have this bogus 60 day rule.

Plus, GoDaddy has their service, Moniker has Snap, etc...so I am not sure of the carte blanche acceptance by your competition.