domain names and just who has the right to "own them"

[completerookie]

new topLevelDomains have just been released, so I registered "wheelchair dot clothing"
paid my fees, and everything says I own the domain :-) - that was LAST WEDNESDAY

just received an email from 123-reg (part of 1and1) and they say

You recently ordered one or more new domains from 1&1. We forwarded your order to the responsible registration authority, but unfortunately the registration of your domain(s) was unsuccessful. This was because, as per the allocation process, the registration authority awarded it to another interested party.*
The following domain(s) could not be registered for you

so just who the heck has the right to "register the domain on my behalf", set up the whois etc, and then get turned down when they fill in the paperwork.

• do I own the domain
• is it "first come first serve"
• can they turn me down
• can I appeal ?

miffed, yup, thought I had a good name, but . . .

any thoughts

[chris ashdown]

new topLevelDomains have just been released, so I registered "wheelchair dot clothing"
paid my fees, and everything says I own the domain :-) - that was LAST WEDNESDAY

just received an email from 123-reg (part of 1and1) and they say


so just who the heck has the right to "register the domain on my behalf", set up the whois etc, and then get turned down when they fill in the paperwork.

• do I own the domain
• is it "first come first serve"
• can they turn me down
• can I appeal ?

miffed, yup, thought I had a good name, but . . .

any thoughts

I guess there is quite a long delay between opening new domain options and the company sending back the data to nominet

So if update daily then maybe a 24 hour period when both purchasers could have brought the domain or maybe every 12 or 6 hours

In your case it looks like someone beat you to it maybe going direct to the register

Don't forget some companies make their living reacting fast to gobble up hundreds of new domains for re-sale so you may see it up for sale soon if you type into the site

[Duncan Rounding]

Sometimes the cynic in me thinks that some 'holding companies' only register domains after 'seeing' a registration or availability check being done.

[NormanRouxel]

the cynic in me

That has certainly happened in the past. If I recall right there was once a way to pre-register a name for a short time at no cost. Some unscrupulous registration companies would wait for you to suggest a name, immediately pre-register it and then tell you that it was reserved but could be yours for an additional fee via a crony company. If you didn't bite, they could just let it lapse at no charge.

Hopefully, that's been prevented from happening nowadays.

[completerookie]

I am as cynical as other people !
looking at my domain, techniclly, I still own it so . . .
I must admit, I always thought "first come" but never thought about the delays between purchase and registration.
I've got another nice name purchased at the same time, but loathed to mention the name just in case.
I'll keep the thread updated

[Mike Hughes]

Just to avoid confusion, 123-reg are part of Host Europe ( Web-fusion, Heart Internet, etc ) and have nothing to do with 1and1.

Mike

Although it is odd that the email quotes 1and1 in it. It's not some sort of scam is it?

[completerookie]

now you've got me,
going to look closer, especially as they then sent a "response to my complaint" saying

Please be informed that there are no contracts activated on this account. Thus, we are unable to billed your account

need to email both as I have accounts with both

[completerookie]

there are some morals here - and I need to also take note of some of the morals and act upon them myself.

• don't pre-order a new domain name and forget that you did so
• don't believe all the hype about "pre-ordering" the new domain names (the concept doesn't work with all companies that promise the concept)
• chose a GOOD domain-registration company to deal with
• think, stop, then think again

it was ME that "pre-ordered" www.wheelchair.clothing back on 27th november 2013 with www.1and1.co.uk and expected them to tell me within hours of the date of release that its now available and then go ahead and register it for me (after all, they did take my credit card details so that they could do just that) - lets hope this all works out !

on the 5th Feb 2014, I got an email from 123-reg that new TLD's have just been released, dived straight in, and bought the new domain www.wheelchair.clothing - whoopee, its mine !

start working on the site

get an email from www.1and1.co.uk on the 11th Feb 2014 saying "sorry, unsuccessful in getting www.wheelchair.clothing, someone else got it (that was ME !) hence this thread

so the bottom line is, www.1and1.co.uk tried to register the website I "pre-ordered" some SEVEN days after the TLD's were released, and of course, they were so bloody slow they missed it.
suggestion to a lot of other people who may be looking at this thread - don't bother with 1and1 on their pre-order offer they are absolute CR*P

I'm going to be talking to them tomorrow asking them "how come their pre-order system" is such rubbish - I'll let you know their response.

If you see an domain name that you want, jump in and commit to it, put a note in the diary and start looking immediatly.

sorry for the red herrings, but I've also learn't some lessons here.

one last thing, Thanks Mike, it was your suggestion that gave the clues.

kev

[Mike Hughes]

brilliant!

- great story
- positive outcome
- educational too