2014 Board Election

[Retired_Member42]

I don't agree it will magically bring about more end users most don't even get domains. I've been quite proactive contacting end users on names I've listed on domainlore even got a fair bit of interest with stencil.co.uk I believe one might have been bidding it still ended up going to an investor for low xxx
I don't think most end users understand how names can be valuable for there business.

All I see happening is the good names end up in the hands of investors with deep deep pockets who have no pressure to move them on until they get the price they want. They will just factor in the higher acquiring fees into a price they are happy to take.

Even if that was the case, surely that's better for domain investors across the board taking end-users out of the equation? Lots of us view the drop list and see names we'd like to use or have in our portfolio for resale. If they drop and end up with (for example), somebody like Denys, how do we get it, pay £10k? £20k? At least if they go to auction we can bid and get it a hell of a lot cheaper, even going against the big investors.

Of course that's just one side of it. The ultra premiums. What about the names we can flip for a few hundred quid? If certain tags get them, they're not flipped on DL, they're held for the end user with deep pockets. If they're on public auction, will them same tag holders be bidding a few hundred quid for each and every one of them? Highly unlikely...

 

[Retired_Member38]

If a massive company like 1and1 or Godaddy grabbed ownership of Custard.co.uk it would be easy for them to email every customer of theres that had that word in a domain they owned. So custard-printing.whatever, custardstudio.info etc... all get the chance to upgrade their domain.

Likewise with Smith.co.uk or Steve.co.uk - they can email everyone with that name.

 

[Retired_Member42]

Well nobody can be sure about what will happen. But I guess that the likes of 1&1, godaddy etc would have the financial clout to market such auctions if they wanted. Also, through there domain availability tools I would presume they would take the opportunity to alert possible end users to the fact that a name may become available for auction in the near future.

Of course it might make no difference at all. For me, I think the idea of auctions - even if there are many sales in the XX range at least starts to make it a normal thing for people to try to buy a domain on the secondary market. That might just kick start the market at all levels.

I agree completely. People are just under the impression that the big registrars will just have an obscure page that only domain investors know about. I think they'll be a lot more creative once they see how profitable it can be. As you say, offering the options on domain suggestion or even mailing people with similar names when it comes to generics etc.

The user lists on the big registrars are absolutely massive. I think it'll attract a very wide buyer pool, not just the hardcore domain investors that you see on NameJet etc

 

[AssetDomains]

In regards to the last question about xxx flips at least now I'm in with a chance to flip them if they all go to auction someone who can hold out for much higher prices than me can hover them up how does that help the end users when they do come along.

I agree completely. People are just under the impression that the big registrars will just have an obscure page that only domain investors know about. I think they'll be a lot more creative once they see how profitable it can be. As you say, offering the options on domain suggestion or even mailing people with similar names when it comes to generics etc.

The user lists on the big registrars are absolutely massive. I think it'll attract a very wide buyer pool, not just the hardcore domain investors that you see on NameJet etc

Godaddy have run .com auctions for years so know how valuable auctions can be I'm not sure what they do in the US but I've never seen them mention the after market in there advertising here

 

[Retired_Member42]

You only have to look at what happens with existing registrar auctions in other gTLDs and ccTLDs to have a reliable insight at what will happen with .uk domain names. There are end users but there are many more domain name investors because that's what domain name investors do.

I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm saying that from my point of view, I'd rather see a domain in a drop list, go up against other investors via an auction and let the best man win. If I want to use the domain, I'll bid accordingly, if I want to buy it for resale, I'll bid accordingly. It's a million times better than it being caught, stuck in a portfolio with a 10x market value price tag and not seen again for 5 years.

I do think the auctions will attract some end user interest and I do believe the higher price the auction goes the more likely it is going to be somebody who is going to use it or at least have somebody in mind to buy it and make use of it there and then.

 

[Edwin]

Godaddy already integrate "premium" (i.e. aftermarket) domains into their regular registration flow. Try a search for "horseboxes.com" (random example) in the search box on Godaddy's front page, then scroll down the list of suggestions.

 

[websaway]

I could see a bigger push to secure the dropping domains from registrants before they drop.

 

[Retired_Member42]

I'm wondering how many people will actually give permission to the registrar and whether they'll use that registrar interest as a sign of domain worth/value. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out but overall I'm struggling to find any negatives in the model.

 

[Retired_Member42]

Nobody will ever know for sure if permission was granted. I would have preferred it if all domain names that were set to be deleted had automatically gone to a single central auction with no permission to takeover required. I suspect this "permission obstacle" will disappear in time. It seems conveniently unverifiable.

Yes, that would be better. I don't think just because a domain is bought via 1&1 they should profit from it on the aftermarket but if that's what's happening so be it. 1&1 profiting is no different than me profiting on a drop catch flip. You just have to adapt.

I guess we'll see how many people are moaning about their domains being up for auction without permission being granted. I think that will backfire dramatically if registrars start doing that.

 

[Murray]

1&1 profiting is no different than me profiting on a drop catch flip. You just have to adapt.

It's very different

We're the underdog

Anyone with an interest can get into domaining, just need to get a nom membership and hosted catching spot with someone, bingo bango you're in the race, don't need any technical knowledge.

I think it has a great entrepreneurial spirit about it.

 

[Retired_Member38]

I'd rather be 'in the race' by bidding on an open auction for a domain I wanted, than emailing Denys pleading with him to at least price this one slightly less than 1000% of the market rate that he's advertising it for

 

[Retired_Member38]

Well yes thats the gamble... but I expect the domain registrars will liquidate stock immediately. I don't see them sitting on portfolios but I could be horribly wrong and nothing actually changes (or it might even get worse than it is currently)

 

[Retired_Member42]

Got to hope that all registrars auction everything and immediately rather than selectively auction domain names, siphoning the good ones off into their own portfolios or for auctioning in private later on.

That's the other side of it. Big registrars do have the pockets to be able to sit on cream of the crop domains for the rest of time. At least if a private catcher gets lucky he might want to make himself a few grand flipping immediately.

I guess there are advantages and disadvantages to all models.

 

[Murray]

I'd rather be 'in the race' by bidding on an open auction for a domain I wanted, than emailing Denys pleading with him to at least price this one slightly less than 1000% of the market rate that he's advertising it for

I've made some "ok" money since getting interested in domains late 2012

Which is nice for just a pretty normal joe bloggs like me

Would of had no chance if everything went to auction, rich mans game.

 

[Murray]

I'm so happy for you

That is the cherry to top it all off.

 

[Edwin]

The practice of hanging onto the best names is already well established in the .com sphere, so the largest registrars have had years to hone their hoarding/auction/resale tactics. Some pass the domains straight to auction partners (either in house, group company, or third party partnerships) and others slip them straight into their mega-portfolios for sale to end users one by one as leads come in.

 

[timter51]

I certainly believe that end users will participate in these auctions but in my opinion it seems unlikely that there will be droves of appropriate end users becoming aware of when relevant domain names are on auction by registrars and so lining up to bid themselves. End users don't usually proactively look for domain names and they won't constantly watch the auctions so won't know when relevant domain name lots might be on auction. Domain name investors will know and therefore in my opinion it seems likely that they will still be the ones selling to end users on most occasions. There are plenty of domain name investors with deep enough pockets to bid on the very best domain names that will be on auction.

It's going to be interesting to see how the big registrars promote the auctions, if they're sensible they will go balls out on cross-media marketing premiums as the returns on genuine effort here could be £xx,xxx in some cases. If they don't put much effort in then I agree with you, it's more likely domainers will pick up a lot of them. Time will tell... as a selfish domainer, I'm hoping the grey area around consent means most domains don't go to auction.

 

[RobM]

I'm hoping the grey area around consent means most domains don't go to auction.

I'm sure in time when you register a domain you will have to tick a box giving permission. That combined with unsent renewal emails will seal the deal. There is simply too much money to be made by certain people at nominet (who are intertwined with the top registrars) for it not to go this way. The more I think about it the more I think .uk was just a smokescreen to get this through with minimum fuss.

 

[Edwin]

The greyer the area, the easier it will be for registrars to hang onto domains. After all, since they have to give the original registrant the right to renew right through to the theoretical "drop" day I don't think they'll dare block attempts to renew - but if they think they've got half a leg to stand on they'll at least move control of the domain over before renewal so that they can hang onto it once the witching hour passes.

If it mirrors .com - and let's face it, why won't it, nothing new's being invented here - somebody inside the registrar will pick and choose the "valuable" domains and those will be the ones that get renewed and kept by them come renewal day.