Re: [cobalt-users] Companies accredited as registrars by ICANN

["Brian Curtis" <admin@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Lasman" <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>


> I decided to answer this post even though so many other people have.
>
> OpenSRS is NOT a domain registrar.  It's a way for you to set yourself
> up as a registrar.  It's about as inexpensive as you can get, and if you
> know what you're doing you have complete control.
<snip>

I have to disagree with that statement a bit in order to help clarify
exactly what OpenSRS is.  In the legal terms of things, OpenSRS _is_ an
'ICANN accredited registrar' (same as Network Solutions).  Whereas when you
sign up with OpenSRS to resell their services, you are not and official
ICANN registrar.  You are a reseller for an 'official ICANN accredited
registrar'.

OpenSRS is a wholesale domain registrar, i.e.. they do not sell one or two
domains to the general public.  If you want to purchase domains through
OpenSRS, you must sign up with them, pass a testing phase (which entails
registering 30 some odd test domains plus some other things), then send in
your RCU payment when you pass the testing, which is a minimum of $250.

OpenSRS is not a program for the person/company who registers a few domains
a month.  If that's all you do, I'm sure you can talk to someone like Mr.
Lasman who would probably be more than happy to set you up with a program to
register domains at a reduced fee via their interface.  The money you'd save
by becoming an OpenSRS reseller would not be worth the time it takes to set
the whole deal up.

Again, I'm posting this information just to help clarify what OpenSRS is.
Mr. Lasman's statement was not exactly 'wrong', just a bit over-simplified
in my opinion :)

BC