Pool Taking Pre-Orders for Non-Existent Domain Names
Thursday, April 16th, 2009
Pool teams up with Quintaris to offer pre-orders domains for new TLDs.
In a move that will surely add confusion to an already crazy process, domain backordering service Pool.com is accepting pre-orders for non-existent domain names such as .xxx and .web.
The service accepts pre-orders for second level domain names on about 50 top level domain names that it thinks will be pursued. Customers can also pre-order a domain for any top level domain they can think of.
The pre-orders will have no official standing with the registries that ultimately offer any of these top level domain names. (Unless a registry decides to work with Pool and honor the pre-orders).
The idea behind the service is to figure out how much demand there is for each individual top level domain name. This data will be used to push forward new TLDs in general, and the company will attempt to sell it to organizations interested in launching TLDs. Because no up front fee is required, I don’t think anyone should take this data pre-order seriously.
According to Pool’s terms:
“A pre-order is similar to a backorder in that it represents a commitment to purchase the domain in the event Pool.com is successful at securing the domain on your behalf.”
Billing information won’t be requested up front, but this language seems to indicate that you will be required to pay an undetermined fee if Pool ultimately gets the domain name on your behalf.
Further Reading:
Ugh. What’s next … taking back orders on new TLDs after they go belly up a few years after they’re launched … unregistered .coms … Michael Jackson memorabilia?
Does anybody still use pool this days??
It’s been years since I’ve visited their site.
@wannna…..that’s the smartest thing I have ever heard you say. So we must agree on some things.
[...] company, Quintaris, has taken a stab at proving demand by allowing people to ‘backorder’ new domains at Pool. These backorders are non-binding and don’t cost anything. They don’t give any [...]