United Domains sent out an email making customers aware that they were now taking binding pre-orders on some new gTLD domain names.

Interestedly Go Daddy which built its business being the low cost provider on .com, looks like it  may be taking a different path with the new gtlds as there prices are higher on a majority of the extension both are taking pre-orders on.

UnitedDomains.com is basically under cutting Godaddy’s price on these new gTLD they are taking pre-orders  by up to  $10 a domain although on 4 extensions Godaddy.com basic pre-order price is lower than United’s.

However United is not offering the 5 phase priority pre-order which Godaddy is with prices up to $12,500.

Here is the email from UnitedDomains.com:

“The snow is gently falling and the days are turning ever colder — a sure sign the year is at an end. The scene outside your window may be chilly, but here at United Domains, things are just starting to heat up. The very first new domain extensions in our pre-registration program are finally being released. That means the first of thousands of new, valuable domain names are now ripe for the picking. If you need a fresh, relevant domain name for your business or personal website, the time has come to claim your piece of Internet real estate before someone else does. We’re pleased to announce that we are taking binding pre-orders for domains bearing the following extensions:”

The 1st price for each extension is United Domains price/The second price is the Godaddy regular pre-order price:

.bike: $29/ $39.99

.estate: $29/ $39.99

.guru: $29/  $39.99

.holdings: $79/ $69.99

.singles: $29/   $39.99

.ventures: $69/   $69.99

.camera: $29/   $39.99

.clothing: $29/ $39.99

.gallery: $29/  $24.99

.equipment: $29/$24.99

.graphics: $29/ $24.99

.lighting: $19/ $24.99

.photography: $14.90/ $24.99

.plumbing: $29/ $39.99

Registries set the wholesale price.

For all of these new gTLD,  Donuts is the registry.

Registrars have the freedom to charge whatever they like, so once we get into this we may see a lot of price wars going on in each extension as registrars battle for market share.

On their blog United Domains gives some reasons why to pre register with them:

“Pre-ordering your domain signs you up for day-one registration. On the first day your pre-ordered domain’s extension is generally available, we’ll automatically attempt to register it for you. You don’t have to submit your order yourself; simply submit your pre-order now and you’ll be prepared for registration. We’ve had an excellent track record of converting pre-ordered domains to successful registrations in the past (at a rate of over 70%). However, you will receive a complete refund for your domain unless it is registered to you successfully. You read that right: you do not pay unless you get your domain. There is nothing to lose by pre-ordering your domain name. Other pre-registration programs allow multiple pre-registrations of the same domain. Because United Domains only allows each domain to be pre-registered to one customer at a time, you can be sure that your United Domains pre-order is yours, and we will attempt to register it for you alone.”

Go Daddy is also offering a has their priority pre registration, which happens in 5 tiers and goes up to $12,539.99 a domain name.

Let’s take .bike for example, you want Motor.Bike  and you want it bad. So Go Daddy will give you 5 price points on 5 different days.

This period gives you early access to sought after domains. Anyone may purchase a domain during this phase which will include an Early Access fee that is fully refundable if you are not awarded the domain name. Multiple applications for the same domain registered during each priority pre-registration phase will go to auction.

So if someone else is in there with you at Phase 5 you then go to an auction, of course you also have to be on the look out if someone should go to Phase 4, by doing that they have jumped you and as of now Go Daddy does not notify you that you have been jumped over.

Now in the example I used of Motor.Bike, Go Daddy showed me that as taken, so that must be a reserved name being held back.

Same with Super.bike.

So here is what it looks like for an available domain:

 

 

.

You should also keep in mind that if you place a pre-order on Godaddy say for phase 5 the system will not tell you if there is a higher phase pre-order meaning that you will have no chance of getting your name registered through Godaddy.

You’ll get a refund after you don’t get the domain but your money is going to get tied up for a while.

Of course you only get the domain on any pre-order if that particular registrar gets the domain once the GA period opens.