Buying Domains for Only Five Days?

[swoop]

Bob Parsons (owner of GoDaddy) complained about some companies purchasing thousands of domain names at a time, and then returning those within 5 days that did not draw enough traffic. The rules evidently say that domains can be tested for 5 days, with a money-back guarantee.

I have a few ideas for .com domains that I would like to test in this manner. Does anyone here have a suggestion on how to go about this...in particular, the getting your money back from those that don't pan out part?

Thank you.

[gkid101]

I think he means companies which pay the $5000 ICANN fee and use bots to build networks

[Dave Zan]

Simple: ask them.

Offer other options like replace the one you got within the 120-hour period to
a new one you'll get on the spot over the phone. Or even threaten to do a
chargeback (which could result in getting your account locked and ban you
from ever doing business with them, though).

If they insist "no refund", then that's that.

Incidentally Moniker and Registerfly (I think) offer domain tasting options. But
instead of refunding your money, they'll give you credits to use to register a
new domain or so.

[login]

It doesnt surprise me that registerfly are in that shady business. Its just in line with their normal policy, shady.

[gingerbreadweb]

Domain tasting should so be illegal. If you buy a house, you can't live in it for a week then say "nah I don't like it here" and get a refund. The only reason it exists is so that people/companies can monitor other people's domain queries and register any decent domains people come up with before they have a chance to.

[websiteideas]

I've never heard of a 5 day money back offer for domain names. Is this only at Godaddy that this is offered?

[login]

Godaddy is fighting this.

[swoop]

Domain tasting should so be illegal. If you buy a house, you can't live in it for a week then say "nah I don't like it here" and get a refund. The only reason it exists is so that people/companies can monitor other people's domain queries and register any decent domains people come up with before they have a chance to.

I have a list of available type-in domain names, and even if they get no more than a handfull of hits a day they can generate PPC or affiliate revenue. I don't know any way to gauge the traffic other than giving them an actual test.

I'm not sure how the second sentence of the quoted text would work. In my situation I would cancel the domain if it didn't work, and keep it if it did. No way for any bad guys to take it away from me, and I would not be taking it away from anyone else.

[gingerbreadweb]

I probably should have been clearer in my first post. I'm not so bothered if individuals want to come up with a domain name, try it for a few days then release it. It's more the way an increasing number of people have domains stolen - they search for them, find they're available and then within hours, or in some cases minutes, they are mysteriously registered. Within a week they are often dropped, but sometimes they're not - i.e. if the domain generates a certain level of traffic. This is what I think should be illegal - when people/companies evesdrop on people's domain queries then steal any domain they fancy. It is blatant theft, but the thief is the one who gets the money back guarantee.

[Dave Zan]

I probably should have been clearer in my first post. I'm not so bothered if individuals want to come up with a domain name, try it for a few days then release it. It's more the way an increasing number of people have domains stolen - they search for them, find they're available and then within hours, or in some cases minutes, they are mysteriously registered. Within a week they are often dropped, but sometimes they're not - i.e. if the domain generates a certain level of traffic. This is what I think should be illegal - when people/companies evesdrop on people's domain queries then steal any domain they fancy. It is blatant theft, but the thief is the one who gets the money back guarantee.

Let's try this scenario one attorney I know has given in an attempt to see this in
a different way.

I let you stay in my room and you do whatever you want. Use my computer, do
pushups, make notes, etc.

While you're doing any of those, I'm hidden in my closet and watch your every
move. I take note of what you're doing.

Am I invading your privacy? Maybe, but...it's my room for me to do anything I
want, right?

And note I only verbally agreed to let you use my room. Nothing's in writing,
and no other terms were agreed upon.

And no, domain names are not stolen if they're not registered to anyone in the
first place. What you're suggesting is it ought to be illegal to register domain
names after they're looked up but not taken on the spot, and I understand.

But while at that, why not stop google and yahoo from logging your searches
and doing whatever they want with the data you're feeding them? How else
were they able to come up with some of their thingimajigs without knowing
what you're looking up in the first place?

Is it illegal, immoral, or whatever to do something with the data you're feeding
my site? If you don't want me to know, then don't use my site.

I must admit this practice is causing people to lose confidence in looking up a
domain name "safely". But seriously, providers are within their rights to do any
darn thing with the data they're being fed as long as they're within existing
laws, if any.

On the other hand, if someone was breaching my server to query whatever is
being fed to my server, then I can make a big fuss. But I have to prove that's
what happened first.

[gingerbreadweb]

Very interestingly put. It's a tricky situation where it's difficult to make it illegal, because what exactly would you be making illegal? The website's right to use their data as they wish? With regards your bedroom scenario, hypothetically speaking, nobody is breaking any laws but you are being very dishonest and sly in hiding in your closet. I think that's where the problem lies.

Perhaps any website that offers users the ability to run a whois query on a domain should be obliged to state explicitely to the user whether or not the data might potentially be made available to a third party. So, for example, if I went on www.acorruptregistrar.com it would state that "search data might be made available to third parties, we are not responsible for any domains registered by third parties imbetween the time you ran your whois and the time they were registered several minutes later" or something to that effect. Then I would know not to use this registrar.

If that became the case, then at least you would know if a particular registrar was screwing you over. But then how could you prove it to anyone else? It's not going to be possible to run your own whois queries without anyone seeing/saving them unless you have your own whois server or something I guess. So I can't really see how the problem could be solved - it's just very very annoying for people who have been the victim of these supposed thefts.

[lovelylovely]

5 days is some time to test a domain
registerfly i think allows 24 pr 48 hours only

[gingerbreadweb]

I thought the 5 days/7days or whatever it is, was a standard thing for all registrars? Or does each registrar have their own time period that applies to all their customers? :confused:

[TopDraw]

If there is a law passed that disallows anyone (including domain companies) from registering and then cancelling and getting a refund...then we'll see a huge huge improvement over the current situation...You register, you pay...end of story.

[ReadyToGo]

It can be perceived as a scam if it's done in a large enough scale.

[gingerbreadweb]

If there is a law passed that disallows anyone (including domain companies) from registering and then cancelling and getting a refund...then we'll see a huge huge improvement over the current situation...You register, you pay...end of story.

Well said. It's not like you don't know what you're getting. I mean, if you buy a toaster and then when you get home it doesn't work properly, you are entitled to a refund. But with a domain, what you see is what you get. You pay for the name, nothing else. It's not a question of whether or not it works - whether or not it works depends entirely on what you do with it. I can't see any benefit to the 5/7 day thing other than to make it easier for scammers and con artists.

[bentong]

I've never heard of a 5 day money back offer for domain names. Is this only at Godaddy that this is offered?
Moniker allow a 5 day to drop a name with a 25 cent fee.

[swoop]

Moniker allow a 5 day to drop a name with a 25 cent fee.

Moniker's web site shows $18.99 fee to register a dot com. Is there a way to get that down to a reasonable number?

[pixads]

Moniker allow a 5 day to drop a name with a 25 cent fee.

Yep.I would advise you to test 4 days and delete the domain to make sure you get your money back

[accentnepal]

Moniker has pricing:
.com = $7.95
.net = $5.49
.org = $7.95
.info = $4.49
.mobi = $12.95

- I am not sure how, but I got it as soon as I registered. Maybe you would need to ask for the better prices or be refered --- I really do not know how it works but it was easy for me.

Very good company, btw.

---- ps. be careful tasting, I saw a post where someone did not read all the rules and got stuck with ten dumb names. For example it only applies to certain extensions.

[Dave Zan]

There's a bit of confusion here, which is understandable.

To be exact, registrars have a 120-hour window to request cancellation and
refund for a newly registered .com domain name. If the name's registered on
Oct. 1 at 2:30PM EST, then the registrar has up to Oct. 6 at 2:30PM EST to
have it deleted and be refunded.

120 hours is 5-days, sure. But registrars set their systems for 120 hours based
on the exact date/time stamp of the original registration.

The original intent for the 120-hour "add/grace" period is to correct mistakes
(e.g. misspelled domain names) and prevent possible chargebacks. But like all
other "privileges", it can be abused.

Passing a "law" to prevent registrars from registering domain names under their
own corporate names might work. But they can always setup an off-shore LLC
or something similar outside the US under a different name and still be able to
"hoard" domain names.

If you don't want registrars to register or "hoard" nanes, you'd better be able
to come up with specific guidelines on what kind of names they can and can't
be allowed to register. You have different and even conflicting interests here,
and they're the ones paying to give you that privilege.

And unless a registrar has some kind of privacy policy or something similar to
the effect they won't exactly do this sort of thing, there's nothing to require
or force them to input such. So you search at your risk.

Seriously I doubt what Bob Parsons suggested in his blog is going to stop this
"domain tasting" completely. Sure it can eliminate a few participants, but the
really deep-pocketed ones will still be able to engage in such.

Moniker's web site shows $18.99 fee to register a dot com. Is there a way to get that down to a reasonable number?

You have to realize that Moniker is also investing in providing good tools and
support for them, especially security. They do offer flexible pricing, though it's
based on how many domain names you wish to manage with them.

[clb]

I can't post links so search for "The Great Internet Brand Rip-Off" at your favorite news search site!

It's a pretty balanced story if you ask me. (Yeah, I know, you didn't ask!)

:cool:

[swoop]

Good article in Business Week! Thank you, clb!