NetSol's pre-order page for back-ordered domain names just went up:
Pre-Orders for Next Registration Rights will be available until the service "goes live" (currently scheduled for October 27, 2003). When you place your pre-order you commit to purchasing the service should you receive the subscription. There is no guarantee that pre-orders will result in obtaining a Next Registration Rights subscription. When the service "goes live", if your credit card is valid at that time, your order will be submitted to the VeriSign registry on a first come first served basis. If the Next Registration Rights subscription you ordered is available, it will be automatically purchased for you. Your credit card on file will be charged $39 for each successful subscription. You will be notified via e-mail whether or not your order was successful.
I'm sure NetSol won't be the last registrar to offer pre-order back-orders.