The end of domain tasting as of March 31
 

From domainsponsor:

This is a reminder for some of our clients who "taste" domains under the existing rules that allow buyers to return a domain within 5 days of purchase. This rule changes as of midnight, Tuesday, March 31, 2009. All domain names purchased after that time will be considered a straight purchase and can not be returned. Effectively, all domain sales will be final. If anyone is using an automated system, please update your processes to take this change into consideration. If you have any questions about this change please contact your registrar or registrars for more detail.

ICANN's first rule was to not refund the "delete" fee, now domain tasting is gone for good.

What impact will this have on domain names?

* Domain squatting (typos) will implode, as most of the squatters use tasting to fill up the portfolio.

* Aftermarket sales will increase, so Snapnames and Pool will be making serious bank.

* Hundreds of thousands of expired domains will be up for grabs again.

* Google will see a big traffic hit, as domains are a big chunck of their income...

* Generic one word domains will be more valuable, because domain traffic will be harder to get by.


am I wrong on this?

Discuss! :thumbsup

I think you're overracting

I think he's just quoting a newsletter from a domain company :upsidedow

I don't think so at all... the domain tasting business is so huge it's mind boggling. It's not profitable anymore if you need to shell out 8$ just to "test" a domain for traffic. I suspect the number of domains registered/day will be dropping 90% or more...

Yes, the first part is a qoute from the newsletter of domainsponsor. But Moniker is also implementing this rule.

a large part of tasting already died when icann started charging fees for every domain deleted. this is just the nail in the coffin. good riddens.

I'm currently checking against a list of domains registered in the past year and I'd say your estimate is probably not too far off. At least 70% of the domains on the list do not exist now, even though they were registered <12 months ago, presumably due to (for the majority anyway) tasting.

70% is probably a little too enthusiatic... here's some better estimates, based on domains registered in Jan/Feb this year...

found: 1,876,224 (37.5%)
not found: 3,130,368 (62.5%)

It's not the full list but it's still a decent sample... you get the idea...

Interesting! Always nice to see something backed up with stats.

I never did any domain tasting. Is mine retroactive and I can get refunds for some of them?

that sound like good news

glad they got rid of it

Hm at the start of this month got via the accredited registrars channel this:
"VeriSign is pleased to extend the Promotional Period for the Deleting Domain Names Registration Promotion through June 30, 2009."
So I think they will extend it

i just like poo

i believe moniker still lets you do this

I, for one, am glad to see this gone. :2 cents:

Yeah I don't taste either

No, they do not.

from Moniker: "Per ICANN domain tasting ends Mar 31. All domain deletions after this date will incur the full registration fee."

bazzumppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp

Wow... even if a small fraction of that is actually for real "tasting", it's a huge amount.

fuckin liars...

tasting domain for 5 days..., pretty funny :)

I like Merlot...

It's about time ICANN removed their thumbs from their bureaucratic asses and did something about this problem.

Google: "domain kiting."

Some registrars were scamming the system too.

First the slowdown in adsense arbitrage, then the crackdown on tasting... looks like the low hanging fruit are getting inaccessible one by one. Then again, the old saying still applies: for every door that closes, a new window opens.....

i like this

Finally ICANN did something right, tasting was one of the worst things they ever did. Glad to see it go.

I know people who make 3 million NET a month tasting domains, all sponsored by google... (registrars,really big players).

don't underestimate the power of registering 100 000 domains doing only 5 uniques/day.

My favorite winehouse still is Château Margaux...

Oh sorry businnes thread, nevermind ;)