Domain Tasting Down 99.7% – But It’s Coming Back
Thursday, December 17th, 2009
Domain tasting is down, but the registration game is merely changing.
ICANN is reporting that domain name tasting is down 99.7% since it implemented new policies to thwart it. Tasting is registering a domain name to test for traffic, and returning it within five days for a full refund if it doesn’t get enough traffic.
The new policies limited the number of domains a registrar could return for a refund. This changed the domain tasting model on its head and eliminated most tasting overnight.
But that’s about to change. It won’t exactly be tasting per se, but the days of seeing decent domain names drop and not be snapped up right away by large portfolio holders are about to end. Remember, domain tasting is a statistical game, and it used to be easy: register everything and see what made money. Now registrars are limited to how many domains they can return, so they need higher accuracy with their initial registrations. And they’re getting there, thanks to data provided by a number of sources. Domain Name Wire is aware of at least one highly reliable data source being offered to domain name registrars that will enable them to register domain names with a good understanding of exactly how much traffic they get. So hold on.
In another interesting note, ICANN’s latest report shows exception requests filed by registrars. These exception requests are filed with the registrar in an attempt to get full refunds for batches of domain names due to extraordinary circumstances. Most of the exception requests were due to fraud, but .com registry VeriSign rejected them, saying fraud is not an “extraordinary event”. One example: in July Moniker requested a refund on 6,992 domain names citing PayPal fraud and phishing. It was denied.
Further Reading:
Tags: domain tasting, phishing
The tasting has just shifted who the players are-In this case, registrars…some of the loudest critics of tasting (GoDaddy) Just as slimy in my opinion. I have long held that the auction houses NameJet, TDNam and others that auction off expiring but undeleted domains are tasting names they do not own or not going to renew. They are just using loopholes ICANN provided to ensure that the true owner doesn’t lose a name to to sell something they do not own and simply let drop if noone buys it. How is that not the same thing as tasting? Spare me the technicalities!
that’s good move by verisign to stop fake claims from registrars to get full refunds
RT @DomainNameWire: #domains Domain Tasting Down 99.7% – But It’s Coming Back http://bit.ly/7VAvpm
Domain Tasting, Domain Sniffing, and Front Running – what are the definitions and differences of these?
Talk about data source, Verisign flagrantly offers:
Internet Profile Service for Registrars / Domain Name Intelligence for Domain Names and Renewals
http://www.verisign.com/domain-name-services/current-registrars/internet-profile-service
With Verisign’s BTAPPA request for dot com and dot net recently passed under everyone’s noses, Registrars will soon be speculating in our domain names – see my rant on my homepage!
wow how low – the registrars feed them so much money and they get denied refunds due to fraud..