123REG Taking Liberties with your .uk domain registration rights

[RobM]

Make sure you take copies of http://registrars.nominet.uk/sites/default/files/sldr_and_dq_process_maps.pdf in case it changes.
Note section 3b and the very first part of the flow diagram (which cannot continue unless it is fulfilled) states 'Application for .uk received'. It hasn't been in these cases.

 

[namealot]

Good too see 123dregs using there old shyster ways with a modern twist of .uk… (Ensuring they become a bigger registrar to boot well done undoubtedly better for clients. ) Move to another registrar or get you own tag. Better still don’t waste your money on cop.uk at all through it away on .com,….

 

[Edwin]

123-reg keep popping up time and time again with mainly complaints, and now this! I'll never use them!

Certainly hard to understand why any Acorn regulars would use them...

 

[martin-s]

Note that if you delete the .uk, you'll be worse off than if it was never registered as you'll lose the RoR.

 

[rwinslow]

Nearly forgot, they don't even have the decency to register them in your details, they reg them to some 'Identity Protect' company

Domain Privacy has been enabled where manual opt-in was not selected, this was chosen to not populate the Whois database without domain holder consent. Customers will be able to activate the domain and activate the registrant details through their 123 Reg control panel from November.

 

[rwinslow]

Can you tag change them? Free registration.

Yes, once registered and activated within the 123 Reg control panel tag changes can be made. The domains are free for two years.

 

[rwinslow]

can't believe they would stoop so low to do this - so I assume they've given you 3 .uk domains with renewal dates of October 2018. So what happens then? are they going to renew it for free for you? do you have to pay for renewal? or do they drop and someone snaps up your 3 domains well before the June 2019 deadline that nominet gave for existing .co.uk holders? Robs tag change idea sounds the best route if nominet don't act fast on this one - assuming you can change the tags for free.

Registrations are free for two years, taking past the June 2019 deadline to October 2019, giving domain holders the chance to use the domains in this time. Tag change is free.

 

[rwinslow]

Agree that it's silly and pointless. However 123reg are doing what no other registrar is doing - not only are they registering a domain where *they* don't have the RoR they are hiding the identity of the owner and then hoping to sneaky charge them at renewal. I wonder what would happen if there was a legal dispute on one of the domains they registered without permission - would they be the ones going to court and paying legal fees.... I think we all know the answer to this.
Now nominet either have to stop this or just openly admit that it's a free for all and allow all other registrars to engage in the same practice. This of course would mean that their rules mean squat and I suppose we'd all be free to break them wherever we see fit.

The ROR free for two years campaign was open (I believe) to all Nominet tag holders. Other registrars have acted with the same / similar process.

 

[ANY-Web]

I just read this thread about 123-Reg tonight and am shocked at their shortsightedness and temerity.

Invincible wrote:

The free registration period is 2 years, taking the registration beyond the June 2019 RoR cut off point.
​

People on Acorn seem to assume that the June 2019 RoR cut off point is cast in stone.
My guess is 123-Reg will be left with a legal headache if this cut off point were to be postponed beyond 2019.

.uk names "force-registered" by 123-Reg (without explicit application by the owner of the .uk rights) might be dropped
at the earliest opportunity by end users unaware of the long term implications of doing so.
This will leave the field wide open for lawyers to step in once those end users wake up.

I can just hear the PPI style phone calls.
"Hello. Did you ever own a .co.uk domain name? If so you may be entitled to compensation".

It is a scandal in the making.
In slow-motion, right before our eyes.

 

[RobM]

Now if only we could find a link between millionaire 123reg and nominet........... hmm.....Oh I just thought - does anyone have a current list of nominet board members, 123 board members, and sisters/brothers in law/cousins? Just interested.

 

[anthony]

So let's get this correct: If the ROR 'owners' don't act on this 'kind' free gesture from their registrar, then with the expiration point past June 2019, which is when the ROR rights cease, the registrar gets the right to re-register to the ID protection company again, but then it'll be a keeper for them. So that's it in a nutshell, yes?

Some valuable generic domains will never become available then!

Wow! Nice!!

 

[RobM]

The ROR free for two years campaign was open (I believe) to all Nominet tag holders. Other registrars have acted with the same / similar process.

Who? Thanks.

 

[RobM]

There are others. Has been mentioned on the Nominet member forum. Why don’t you ever participate there?

So back to the original question to people who *don't* want to read through another forum. Who? Thanks. Actually my question wasn't directed to you because you're a tit (that's why you're on my ignore list) but thanks for getting involved (I'm sure the grown-ups are very proud of you) - would like to hear from the commenter before.

 

[anthony]

Not true unless this is what the registrant has explicately consented to or something else has changed.

I never quite know whether you are actually naive or blind, but let's not dwell of that for now. Instead, how about watching these generics in .co.uk & .uk for the next 2 years, and we'll see who owns both versions in two years time:
antiques
auctions
boxer
buffalo
confetti
elvis
fitness
gazelle
jersey
magicians
matte
mites
mobiles
octopus
piercing
rhapsody
store
talon
tests
tickets

 

[ian]

The ROR free for two years campaign was open (I believe) to all Nominet tag holders. Other registrars have acted with the same / similar process.

The two year campaign by Nominet was indeed an option, but not for registrars to make their own decision on physically registering domains on behalf of their customers, effectively taking them out of the ROR status. I've personally ignored these promotions as I prefer ROR intact for as long as possible, it is less clutter in a portfolio for one (not being listed), and makes selling easier too. What 123Reg have done is a breach of all conditions and Nominet should be acting upon this. I wonder if @invincible will request a response from Nominet on this, or whether (to be invincible) will agree with what this registrar are doing!

 

[Edwin]

Since the registrars are doing this via some kind of assumed/buried/non-existent "permission" anyway, there's nothing to suggest they won't go ahead and keep the names after they expire. Happens a lot in the .com world (again, because it's buried on p.5728 of a T&C document so opaque even the person who drafted it fell asleep during the process).

Basically, when it comes to the largest and most predatory registrars, assume the worst then add a bit... and you'll be part of the way towards understanding how rapacious they are.

The registry should be guarding against this of course, but the new, modern, commercial Nominet is too busy propping the door open for them. And you've seen first-hand how much use some of the NED can be...

 

[Nigel]

Let's face it - these big registrars never do anything for the benefit of the client. They pushed for .uk, hand in hand, with Nominet's board - and that was to the detriment of .co.uk registrants and the .co.uk market in general.

So if they've taken it upon themselves to register hundreds of thousands of domains (nominet's stats will soon show actual figures) then there can only be one thing in it for them - money - and on the flip side Nominet get to say .uk domain numbers are looking healthy now - so they're doing this hand in hand again.

So where is the money coming from? In my view, it can only be from the snatching of prime domains in approx 2 years time from unsuspecting clients. And I also expect to see monetized landing pages appearing soon.

 

[Edwin]

So where is the money coming from? In my view, it can only be from the snatching of prime domains in approx 2 years time from unsuspecting clients. And I also expect to see monetized landing pages appearing soon.

The money's coming from massive increases in registration/renewal fees. Many registrars already have monetised domain holding pages that they display until the client changes the name servers.

And even if only a fraction of the .uk that were force fed into customer accounts for free get renewed in 2 years time, it's all extra dosh they're raking in for doing nothing at all (programming their system to stuff a .uk into every .co.uk registrant's account probably took half a day at most)

So while they almost certainly WILL help themselves to the best domains pre-drop (because they CAN) it's at best another jug of gravy into an ever-expanding lake...

 

[Edwin]

BTW, Nominet have updated their stats with the September new domain registration figures:
49,236 .co.uk
181,463 .uk
(Source: https://www.nominet.uk/news/reports-statistics/uk-register-statistics-2017/ )

That's the highest figure for .uk ever, and the lowest for .co.uk that I can recall (Nominet haven't always published figures though).

I have no idea why .co.uk was so low - it's hard to see an immediate correlation between that and the free .uk stuff, yet .co.uk dropped by over 50% compared to the trailing average, while .uk leapt nearly 500%. So it's tempting to say one caused the other. But WHY? After all, the freebies are going to existing clients who already have the .co.uk - so why should that affect new .co.uk registrations?

More likely, we're seeing the effect of the massive price rise many registrars brought in. Again, that's just a guess - but it feels more "right" than the .uk promotion.

Be interested to see what other explanations you can come up with...

 

[ian]

The manipulation of figures is now in play up until June 2019 I suspect.