Hi all,

This is our first post to the list but I've been reading the comments with a
lot of interest and felt it worthwhile to comment ...

As a registrar (aswell as a previous reseller ourselves) we've built the
business over many years based on the premise of respect for our resellers
relationships with processes developed to prevent contact of your clients.
We never contact our domain resellers' clients directly unless express
permission has been granted to do so. Frankly it would be commercially
stupid to do so.

We would like to take resellers up on the offer of a Guarantee of
'non-contact' of your clients and formalise this with a document if need be.
The actual drawing up of such an agreement or Guarantee is not as 'easy' as
it sounds and may be frought with legal issues which is why IMO registrars
may have steered away from this. Realistically accidents may occurr as per
Melbourne ITs latest renewal reminder incident which I understand was a
technical accident.

If a reseller body is formed or even looking ahead and there is simply a
special interest group of resellers that get together then we would be
willing to work with you to draw up a formal working agreement that is
acceptable to both your needs as resellers and ours as a registrar.

I can be contacted off list if you wish.

Best Regards,


Amin Kroll
amin.kroll§intaserve.com
_______________________________________________________________________
I n t a S e r v e    P t y    L t d




-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Stark [mailto:ronstark§snapsite.com.au]
Sent: Monday, 23 June 2003 10:53
To: dns§lists.auda.org.au
Subject: [DNS] More on the issue of reseller / registrar relationship


To me the central issue is whether, as a reseller, I'm empowering a
competitor to my own detriment.

My customer list (as distinct from my contact list) is a key asset to my
business.  As a reseller of domain names I'm obligated to not only disclose
that list, but to entrust it to my registrar.  Having inherited my customer,
that registrar can then approach them with impunity, because auDA's
jurisdiction does not extend beyond domain names.

If my registrar offers competing services to my clients I have a serious
reservation in dealing with that registrar.  If a registrar approaches my
_potential_ customer and wins the business, that's fair competition.  If my
registrar simply adopts my _existing_ customer and takes my business, that's
piracy.

I know of no other commercial endeavour in which a business is compelled to
hand over their customers to their competitors, with neither protection not
recourse.  And here's a challenge to registrars - who will give a cast iron
guarantee that I as a reseller am not at risk from such predatory business
practice.

Is there anybody out there interested in establishing a Reseller's
Association to restore some balance / equity in this minefield of reseller /
registrar relationships?

Ron Stark
mailto:ronstark§snapsite.com.au


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