.ca dn registration - any recommendations for inexpensive registration?

[Evan Leibovitch]

PW Armstrong wrote:

> can anyone recommend an inexpensive registrar for .ca dn's?

My first answer is "none of the above" (see below).

If you really want one, I can vouch for Starnix which is an 
agent/reseller for OpenSRS. They're probably not cheapest but the 
service can't be beat.

> btb, why is it more expensive (so it seems to me) to register a .ca dn 
> than a .com dn?  any reason for this, or just lack of competition?

I have no idea why, considering CIRA doesn't really do much. The 
registration heavy lifting is done by the registrars, and dispute 
resolution is subbed off to third parties. That means that it costs more 
than $1,200 to get a squatter off of a domain you should own, so if the 
squatter wants less than that amount it's cheaper to pay the extortion 
than to get fairness. Anything more than a trivial change in your domain 
info requires identity verification, the complexity of which reminds one 
of passport applications.

I'm involved with two separate issues with CIRA, in both cases all I 
encounter is slowness and bureaucracy. I can't even get anyone to sign a 
human name to an email.

Yeah, being a monopoly probably has a lot to do with it, which is why 
many Canadians wanting domains (just about anyone I know) will prefer 
.com/.org/.net if possible.

- Evan

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