Comments on Ms Domainer: Is the Domain Auction Aftermarket Corrupt?

You are all scum so you deserve whatever reaming y...

2010-02-07T13:17:20.874-08:00

You are all scum so you deserve whatever reaming you get by the other sharks in the fetid pool of murk you swim in. Purchasing any domain without the intention of starting a valid enterprise under that name and putting a website online at that address, is sleazy on par with real estate scams, spammers, and pyramid-scheme lowlifes.

I have one for you. I recently set a domain for ba...

2007-12-10T09:49:00.000-08:00

I have one for you. I recently set a domain for backorder over at SnapNames, went and purchased the matching .net and .org just in case I did manage to grab it up (to complete my magical three for copywrite).

[Now, keep in mind, I set my email to NOT display in whois for any domains I purchase.]

A week later I receive an email from WebNameSolutions offering me said domain for 199 bucks (try to follow me here lol.)

So, I look up there domain via whois to find out who owns WebNameSolutions and find out it's NS is on PCGLOBE.CA (a so called canadian company [I make note of phone #.])

I then go to Whois to look up PCGLOBE.CA and find out there phone #number is one digit off.

I call them.. hehe.

"Hey, I yada yada a domain over at SnapNames, do you also own that company besides WebNameSolution?"

He responds with "oh, no, but we do business with them"

Me: "How did you get my email address, and how did you know I am actually interested in this domain?"

Him: "Oh, well, uh.. I guess we did a whois?"

(keep in mind, I don't release my email with my domains.)

So, I offer a lower amount, and he says price is firm. Fine, this is already wicked fishy so I decline and decide to do some more research.

(stay with me here lol)

I'm really curouis here and decide to look up PENDINGRENEWALDELETION.COM
and find out this is registered by DomainDiscover (which is who I register my domains with??!) I then do a whois on the two domains I have already registered and see my email address has been released in the WHOIS!! I go back to my account and see that my settings are set to NOT release email address!

1) How can they sell me a domain they don't own?
2) How did they find out I'm interested in it at all?
3) Why is the company that holds the other two domains releasing my email address when I've requested they not?

I can't believe ICANN hasn't picked up on all this "insider trading" of information?

Rackateering at it's finest!!

Thank you, John, for your inside information.I, to...

2007-11-26T22:11:00.000-08:00

Thank you, John, for your inside information.

I, too, wonder about lack of domainer outrage.

They seem to roll over, belly up, and pony up the big bucks.

I predict that when the courts get involved (and they will, make no mistake about that), some registrar heads will roll--right into jail.

Ms Domainer

This analysis was interesting. I worked for a reg...

2007-11-26T10:28:00.000-08:00

This analysis was interesting. I worked for a registrar for quite some time so I know all about how expiring domain names work. I was actually in the department that handled the expired domain names. I personally designed the requirements for the system that handled them.

Basically, if the domain name has traffic, or any interest in the aftermarket during the expiration grace period, the registrar will not issue a delete command.

They will either keep the name for themselves, or auction it via their exclusive auction provider.

So if the domain name was with network solutions, who used snapnames exclusively, then the act of placing the pre-order on snapnames will cause the name to be auctioned instead of deleted.

Same thing now applies to namejet.

I no longer work for the registrar, however, this is all publicly available information and I think it should be more widespread. Where is the domainer OUTRAGE?

I think the practice is unethical. Especially when you have a backorder for an expired domain name, and the registrar decides to keep it for their own house portfolio. I have specific proof of this happening, and it is not based on any knowledge I have from working at the company. If you track what happens to some backorders on an auction site you can clearly see that this is going on.

Part of the problem is that ICANN is completely impotent on this matter and pretty much anything else.

Maybe some state attorney generals will get wind of this practice and take some action.

Thanks for your thoughts, Spambait!I sure would ha...

2007-10-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks for your thoughts, Spambait!

I sure would hate to hand over a TM domain that I paid thousands for, but I agree that turning over a regular reg'd domain would be a small price to pay.

Ms Domainer

I agree that a expiring domain name should actuall...

2007-10-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

I agree that a expiring domain name should actually expire instead of being passed along through the "Good Ole' Boy" network to a action house that's in cahoots with the original registrar.

One thing I refuse to do is show my hand by pre-ordering a auctionable domain. But that's outta my pocket book range anyway.

As far as the backorder system goes , I do sometimes use that mostly to grab a name that should be deleted knowing that I have a slim chance of getting any domain that way.

I have accounts at several registrars who use different systems. One is the GoDaddy/Wild West Domains system, another is a Yahoo/OpenSRS reseller and the the third uses their own account. I've often had a dropped domain (according to DomainTools) still show as unavailable at two registrars to then be avaiable at the third. Of course the name has to drop to be available so a Snapnames type auction domain precludes this working.

As to redirection, My registrars do that for free and I have my own DNS servers and webservers so I can do all that myself when I need to. The minute a domain is registered to me I go in and point the name at my own DNS servers or else park them at DomainTools own parking service.

As to Trade Mark issues, I guess you need to be careful and check to the best of your ability but most Trade Mark owners have already registered their domain. And I've always figured I'd give the name to them if I did get one and they asked.