Got Web Ideas? Fishing for the Answers?
Think Outside The Code First!
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Facts, Thoughts, and Opinions About Web Development and Business Strategy
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OutsideTheCode.com >> Domain Front Running
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Watch Out For...
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Rob Taylor, Owner, TConsult, Inc. www.enginesforwebsites.com
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January 31, 2008
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The term may be new to you as it was to me until a few days ago. Normally my clients are located miles away and I rarely get the chance
to meet them. In a rare case of developing and consulting I met with Mary, a new client, at my home to discuss her new Website.
While Mary was here we went to Network Solutions to see if the domain name she wanted was available. Good news - it was. Now
for the bad news.
As with anyone starting out new, Mary wanted to save as much money as she could and I suggested we buy her domain name at GoDaddy.com
since they are much cheaper than Network Solutions. I typed in the domain name and it said, "The domain name is already registered by
someone else." Huh? I quickly assumed that because I had searched for it at Network Solutions a few seconds before that there must be
some sort of network hold on it so that two people could not buy the same domain name at the same time. I assured her that I would be
able to buy it in a few minutes when the hold cleared.
A few minutes became a few hours as I was becoming frustrated, confused, and suspicious all at the same time. Then I started poking
around Google to look for other people having the same problem. Thus, I was introduced to this new paradigm called Domain Front Running,
a practice that is absolutely unfair to consumers and will surely be going away at some point either through flat-out bad press or legal action.
Domain Front Running is the process in which a domain registrar, such as Network Solutions, reserves an available domain name that someone
searches for on their Website for five days. For example, if you search for "somedomainname.com" on the Network Solutions Website and
it comes back as available then Network Solutions reserve it for five days so you cannot buy it anywhere else. Once five days passes it
goes back on the market as long as no one else buys it in those five days.
Network Solutions has been caught and admits to doing it. However, there is no law against it at this time. Back in the day, Network Solutions
was the only place to buy a domain name. In fact, it was a government contract. Due to concerns about Network Solutions monopolizing this market,
that was changed and other registrars such as GoDaddy were able to break in to this market. GoDaddy sells domain names at roughly 70% less
than Network Solutions.
It is hard to tell how many are doing it but it would not be wise to visit any domain registrar to search for the availability of a domain name
unless you are sure that you are going to buy it there. Type the domain name in to your browser first to see if a Website comes up. Then go to
Google and search for the domain name to see if there is any reference of it. Don't go to any registrar Website
looking for it until you are sure you want to buy it. Otherwise, you may be forced to buy it from the registrar that you looked it
up at.
As far as Mary, I was not aware that the reserve only lasted five days so I bought the domain at Network Solutions and gave her a time credit
for the additional expense. That being said, it makes no difference because I still would have bought it even if I knew the five-day
hold existed for fear that someone else would buy it or Network Solutions would turn someone else on to it.
Nice marketing tactics Network Solutions.
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