[gnso-pednr-dt] another data-point

["Mike O'Connor" <mike@xxxxxxxxxx>]

i know, i know, we don't have any data.  we just have stories.  here's another 
story for the pile...
> 


http://www.elliotsblog.com/hosting-companies-should-not-be-listed-as-domain-owner-for-clients-6360

Hosting Companies Should Not Be Listed as Domain Owner for Clients

By Elliot Silver

I was looking through some upcoming NameJet dropping domain auctions via 
FreshDrop, and I noticed something that I found to be appalling. Hosting 
companies either dropping the ball on renewals or not doing enough to help 
their current or former customers with their domain name assets.

I generally do a historical Whois search for domain names I might have an 
interest in bidding on at auction. From this, I can see who previously owned it 
and try to figure out why they either didn’t find the domain name valuable 
enough to keep or why the domain name may have been allowed to expire.

On four consecutive searches today, I saw that the previous registrant email 
was a hosting company. What this means to me is that  the hosting company 
didn’t pay the renewal bill either because they didn’t realize it needed to be 
renewed, their client no longer works with the company, or, probably the least 
likely of the bunch, the client no longer wanted the domain name.

Since these were very good domain names I searched, it’s unlikely that the 
client simply opted to not renew the domain name. Another unlikely thing is 
that the hosting company dropped the ball. I presume they manage other domain 
names and they would certainly get emails, so it’s unlikely they simply forgot 
because there would be some severe liability for that I would think.

What is likely in my opinion is that the client no longer works with the 
hosting company, and the hosting company didn’t feel compelled to let the 
client know their domain name was going to expire. They probably just didn’t 
feel like going through the effort of ensuring a safe transfer. Instead, since 
they didn’t have orders to renew the domain name, and since they wouldn’t be 
compensated for renewing it without those orders, they took the easy way out 
and just let the domain names expire.

Of course it’s the client’s job to keep tabs on its assets. However, I think 
it’s irresponsible or a hosting company to register a domain name on behalf of 
a client and keep the Whois information in the name of the company – 
specifically the registrant email where renewal notices are sent. If a 
relationship ends, the hosting company shouldn’t have to pay for a former 
client’s renewals, but the responsibility shouldn’t become theirs either.


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