Questions about registration.

[MikeMike]

Some questions came up this morning when I bought a new domain name and I am sure the experts on this board have the answers.

1. Why is there a price difference between the different registrars? It seems like you get the same from them all, so why pay $25 per year one place when you can get it for $10 per year another place?

2. I noticed a few hours after I bought the domain, Registerclub and Verio still said the domain name was free, while register.com said it was taken. What could be the reason for this?

3. When I look at Icann's list of qualified registrars at [icann.org...] , I do not see Registerclub anywhere. Are they some kind of resellers?

4. Besides the price difference, are there any good/bad list or experiences with the places where you can register your domain?
Where do you register?

I better mention that I am not affiliated with any of the companies above.

[Brett_Tabke]

1) they all buy domains is varying bulk quantities. It takes $100k to get approved to be a domain registrar, then they get charged per domain on a sliding bulk scale. So, it's up to each registrar to optimize their biz model for the lowest price and roi. Some also offer different degrees of support and service that can affect their cost per domain.
2) Updating the local db can take time. They download the Zone access files from verisign at different times each day. Some registrars do it once an hour, others twice a day. The zone files and related whois info from Network Sol are huge beasts (a gig zipped).
3) Appears so. I don't see the Icann tag on their site, so I'd assume they are buying in bulk from an approved registrar. That 100k entry fee is steep.
4) There is another thread around here where we ran down many of the better ones. (sorry don't see it in the list right now).