Detagged/Suspended UK names

[Edwin]

Is there a site where I can search or download a list of all "detagged" and "suspended" .co.uk names? Thanks!

 

[Whois-Search]

www.nametrack.co.uk

 

[Edwin]

That's the egg without the chicken - I need somewhere to find lists of detagged/expired names so that I can then pick the ones to register with Nametrack.co.uk.

 

[Syd]

Hi Genki,

I have been searching to see if such a thing exists myself ~ but to no avail. There seem to be so many 'Detagged' .co.uk names that the 'pot luck' method works pretty well. However, finding ‘Detagged’ names is no problem, but finding 'Suspended' names is another matter ~ my concern is the amount of time .uk names remain ‘Detagged’; quite a while 'me thinks'!

Cheers,

Syd.

 

[vialli]

Please find below part of a reply I received from Nominet on this matter.

With regards to Domain Names that have expired, the current Registrant is always given the opportunity to renew the name before it is made available again for registration. If their Domain Name becomes detagged we will try and contact them directly regarding the renewal and informing them they need to find a new ISP to host the name. If we do not hear anything from them we will send a final reminder, and then a deactivation notice, which informs them the Domain Name will be suspended and cancelled from the register. If they do not respond we will suspend the Domain Name for 6 - 8 weeks, after which time the name will be cancelled from the Register.
When it has been cancelled from the Register it will be available to
register on a first come, first served basis. This whole process take
approximately 6 - 8 months from the Domain Name being detagged, but the time scales can differ dependent upon the case.

A Detagged Domain Name cannot be registered by another party. When the Domain Name is suspended it will show on the WHOIS that it has been suspended. A Domain Name is only available for registration once the WHOIS shows no match for the name.



So as you can see, the time can vary dependant on how many times the registrant is contacted regarding the renewal of the name.

 

[mreeves]

At www.nametrack.co.uk we are working on providing such a search engine. However, before doing so we need approval from Nominet (the registry for .uk domain names) which is unfortuantley taking quite some time. Hopefully they will come back to us with a positive decision shortly.

With regards to vialli's comments, detagged domain names can take some time before they get deleted. I have seen some domain name go detagged and subsquently be deleted within a 8 weeks. Other domains have been detagged for a long time. Nominet is in the process of streamlining its verification process so hopefully they will start dropping names faster.

 

[Syd]

Thanks to both of you for the info.

 

[sachd]

Hello mreeves,

I like your site design and effort that you have put in.

But don't you think that the price of GBP45 is way too high given the following facts:

• A .co.uk domain costs just GBP2.89/year or around US$4.5/year at most UK registrars as compared to US$8 or so for .com names.
  
• Resale value of .uk domain is a fraction of the resale value of .com name and you are charging almost the same fee as snapnames does for a more valuable .com names.
  
• With due respect, I have to say that nametrack.co.uk is new in this backordering business and hence there is no assurance of its staying power in business, so how can I be sure that nametrack will be around after as much as 3-6 months which is the time taken by nominet to delete an expired domain? While I am sure about the seeing the snapnames.com around atleast till they are replaced by Verisign WLS. The fact is that we all have seen so many domain name related sites come and go in last 2 years.

I hope that you understand the reason behind my being sceptical and lower prices can go a long way to make people like me to try your service.

Please also clarify if VAT is included in the price of GBP45?

Hope you don't mind my harsh words in this post.

 

[Edwin]

I've already bought 9 "tracks" but I have one major concern before I buy more: I believe that a year is too short an expiry period given that the detagged->drop process can easily take 6+ months.

In contrast, it's pretty easy to use up a "Snap" within a month by juggling it between names, especially now NSI has speeded up its delete process.

A 2-year term would seem much fairer.

Also, if members could fund "tracks" via PayPal, that would be good.

Finally, I concur about the price issue - .co.uk isn't .com!

 

[mreeves]

I acknowledge the detagged->drop process can easily take 6+ months but it can also take 2 months. I would expect this situation to change over time as Nominet strives to improve its processes.

I also believe that we have recognised the fact the process can, on occasions, take time by providing a FREE weekly monitoring service. This allows you to monitor a domain name and then upgrade to a back-order subscription (if available) at a later date when the domain name record provides an indication that it is about to expire (i.e. goes 'Suspended').

With regards to your PayPal suggestion I will get someone to investigate the possibility of making that facility available.

 

[Whois-Search]

2 years ago :

http://www.freenetname.co.uk

gave away FREE .co.uk's

But now they want a very overpriced £97 to transfer them

so people are letting them 'drop'

http://www.whois-search.com/index.php?query=artwebsite.co.uk

if only it was like .com and we could search for the DNS of freenetname ........

 

[mreeves]

Hi sachd,

Apologies for the delay in replying but I’m sure you are aware that this web site has been down a lot lately.

I certainly don't mind your post - all criticism and feedback is gratefully received ... without such comments we won't be able to effectively improve the service.

With regards to the GBP45 pricing of the service we feel that it currently reflects the quality of the domain names that are expiring and the efficiency of our system.

Addressing each of your bullet points one by one...

* I don't see that the standard price for registering an available domain name has a great deal of bearing on the price of catching an expiring domain name. Obviously it has a degree of impact on the cost base but it is only a small fraction of our overall cost base of providing such a service.

* Admittedly the resale value of .uk domains can not be compared to that of .com domain names. Whilst we are charging a similar fee to snapnames, as stated above, we feel that it currently reflects the quality of the domain names that are expiring (for example we grabbed discount.co.uk) and the efficiency of our system. In addition, it should be noted that snapback's on all the really good (and valuable) domain names are already taken, due to the popularity of snapnames service, which, in any traditional business analysis, would be considered an indication that they underpriced their service.

* I am a professional business man with extensive Internet experience - The last company I started, ShopSmart.com, counted AOL and Walmart (ASDA) as shareholders and was eventually sold to a joint venture between Barclays Bank PLC (one on Europes biggest banks) and Nomura. From starting this business I worked there for about 3 years including 6 months post the sale of the business. We have finance to grow the NameTrack business and see it survive well past the lifetime of *every* back-order subscription we sell. We have already spent nearly 8 months working on the concept, developing the technology, testing the system and launching it. NameTrack is here to stay.

Best Regards
Martin
www.nametrack.co.uk

 

[domaindude]

Just to check with u martin, are you excluding yourself from ordering any of the names..

It looks a great service, although all Detagged three letter names (and combinations) have already gone and most top tier one word detagged names have also been taken.

 

[blob2]

His silence leads one to wonder if they also back-order descent names that their customers are monitoring...

On contrast, snapnames dont seem to back-order any three letter domains for themselves.

Nametrack have an automatic back-order for themselves on every three letter .uk domain name.

This is my proof, T3 magazine has a web site t3.co.uk and guess what nametrack have t3.co.uk back-ordered.

No customer would back-order t3.co.uk as its obvious this domain will not drop within the next year... hmmm

 

i don't understand the mentality of this, its a service that you can use for any domains that have not already been backordered - if the name you want has already gone (whether it be for himself or for someone else), then tough luck - if not then pony up the cash and wait to see if he gets it - pretty simple stuff.

if he takes one of your *backordered* names from you for himself then thats different.

 

[mole]

Well, it's not necesarily wrong for a business to do this, given their experience and technical expertise in this area. You need more prove to make such a judgement call on this public forum. Having said that, its always good, whatever the situation, to keep one's eyes wide open.

 

[domaindude]

The problem if nametrack is purchasing names itself is that customers may actually be competing against nametrack for some of the names. This issue arises if a person uses the monitor service to check the status of a domain - I dont see a lot of point in doing so as nametrack is going to backorder the name before you once in becomes suspended.

 

presumably the backorder slot is a first come first served system - so if you backorder it then they can't usurp you.

i can see what you mean re conflict if they examine the monitored list for domains to cherry pick - but its not rocket science to determine good domains that are detagged and/or suspended so its likely that if they are gearing themselves to doing this professionally that they will know of most good domains anyway - whether you monitor them or not.

 

[blob2]

What proof do I need? Try searching on nametrack for any domain under three charactors, they all have back-orders...

 

[Syd]

I don't think anybody is disputing the fact that all 3 and under character names have been back-ordered ~ but that doesn't necessarily mean that Nametrack are using 'Monitoring' lists to find potentially valuable Detagged names.

I also thought it quite strange that all these names had been suddenly back-ordered, as they were available the last time I looked ~ and either some misguided individual has invested a hell of a lot of money back-ordering names that are highly unlikely to become available (!), or Nametrack have indeed back-ordered the names for themselves (perhaps mreeves can confirm this?). Surely the important thing is that Nametrack has a good success rate with names that are back-ordered by their customers ~ the fact that they are using the service themselves is neither here or there! Obtaining a name already back-ordered by a customer is an entirely different matter ~ but nobody is accusing them of that.