Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Domain Names : eNoms new "name only" screws resellers?

[thewitt]

How are eNom resellers handing the new "name only" registration at enom.com?

http://www.enom.com/help/faq_nameonly.asp

Before very recently, enom only had $29.95 registrations on their site, which meant that they were not competing with their reseller channel directly at all.

Now, enom are selling $5.99 domain registrations with no access to nameservers or anything, with an option to make them full access for an additional $3.99.

I know I'm a bit thick at times, but doesn't this mean that enom are now selling their $29.95 registration package (which didn't really compete with their reseller channel) for $9.98?

Yes, I see that you have to spend $495 to get one of these accounts set up, but domain speculators do this every week. For someone with 400 domain names, this is not even a discussion point.

Doesn't this put enom in direct competition with their reseller channel now?

I've been looking hard at enom to add to my domain portfolio, but this does not bode well for the reseller / registrar relationship with them.

Comments?

-t

[Chicken]

Enom has some very good points, including services that many registrars either don't offer, or charge extra for. that said, one of their poor points is their pricing policy. I actually don't see where it says you have to set up a $495 account to do this but, yes, it effectively offers domains below $10.

This isn't the first time they've offered lower than $30 registrations. When their registryrocket service was first introduced, you got a URL like registryrocket.com/blahblahID#blah which was fine, except that registryrocket.com worked (it resolved and had the same script without your ID#) and offered a $19.95 price.

They also change policies on a whim, giving one-few days notice, such as reseller pricing changes and credit card fees (recent 3% increase). While I like enom, if I wanted to pay $10 per domain, I would have signed up with OpenSRS. The only reason I was able to retain my pricing was from the help of another reseller (I wasn't really sure what I was going to do otherwise). Basically, from what I can tell, they either didn't have a sound plan to start with, or their plan included the plan to raise prices out of the blue.

There are many things I like about enom, this isn't one of them.

[thewitt]

Here it is on the page in the link I posted - in small print:

How do I get started? 
[clip]
eNom will convert this new account to a Name Only 
account. An initial purchase of $495 in domain credits 
is required.

-t

[dektong]

Originally posted by thewitt
Yes, I see that you have to spend $495 to get one of these accounts set up, but domain speculators do this every week. For someone with 400 domain names, this is not even a discussion point.

For someone that has 400 domain names, he/she will most likely to be domain reseller anyway ... I will be surprised to see anybody having 400 domain names registered at more than $15/domain.

cheers,

[thewitt]

Then you would be surprised.