Comments on: Registrar denies 'front-running' Net registration

Network Solutions, a major registrar of Internet domain names, counters accusations it's grabbing domain names after customers show an interest but before they register them.

[Jesse Chan]

Happened to me yesterday

Actually, it happened to me yesterday. Network Solutions found that I searched for a domain name and picked it up! Then they sold it to me for about $40, when I could have bought it for $10 on GoDaddy if they didn't pick it up.

Network Solutions are front-runners; they wouldn't give out the information from their database to third-parties anyway, to expose the searches.

[inachu]

its safe.

in 4 days they will release it back into the wild.

[MyRightEye]

Apple users - Use NetworkUtility.app to do a search instead of using a site

NetworkUtility.app checks the InterNIC database and will not alert
anyone about your search. It's in: Applications>Utilities>NetworkUtility.app

[mvbirgelen]

NetworkSolutions is a company with questionable business ethics

The questionable business ethics started around the time they were aquired by VeriSign (a company which has some kind of monopoly on SSL certificates and tried to sell your kids expensive subscriptions for mobile ringtones and other stuff you don't need via Jamba/Jamster).

One of the most controversial moves of Network Solutions (in the VeriSign era) was the implementation of a wildcard record in the .com and .net root zone. They directed this wildcard record to a page containing advertising.

This fundamentally changed the way DNS used to work and broke a lot of things around the planet. The only reason to do this was greed, they wanted to profit from the many people that mistyped URLs ending on .com and .net by cashing some extra advertising dollars.

What they are doing now is also very questionable and I would NEVER do business with a company that employs such activities.

I've just tried it myself by entering some stupid domain name ending on .com on their website. I tried to register this domain on another registrars website and it was no longer available. The whois tells me that it is taken by "This Domain is available at NetworkSolutions.com", also featuring some nice advertising:


This Domain is Available - Register it Now!
600,000 domain names are registered daily! Don't delay; there's no guarantee
that a domain name you see today will still be here tomorrow!
Register it Now at www.NetworkSolutions.com.

This alone is probably against any rules ICANN has formulated for the public WHOIS registry...

Even better, they already put up a website on the address telling me "This Domain is available - Get it Now!".

There is no other name for this than "front-running". I hope ICANN will investigate this and put an end to shuch practices.

[andrew999999999]

How Network Solutions Messed it Up

If these were Netsol's intentions, here's how they messed it up:

http://domainnamewire.com/2008/01/09/editorial-where-network-solutions-went-wrong/

[Cr0n_J0b]

yep, this is pretty bad!

It's pretty easy to see this yourself. I just did a seach for "rubiesontuesday.com" on Godaddy and it was available. I did the same search on NetworkSolutions and it was available, albeit at a higher price. I went back to godaddy, and guess what? It was taken. I'm not sure about the legalities here, but this definitely sounds like and unfair or deceptive business practice.

[`WarpKat]

It's a Delicate Balance

Before we get our Cheerio's peed on, let's look at this a bit: they keep the domain for four days when you search it in order to prevent the 'front-running' behavior on more nefarious sites.

Although the practice of this is somewhat questionable, the motive, I feel, is quite sound and the intentions are just. Cybersquatters are more of a threat to a free internet than are companies trying to do the right thing, so before we really start to hammer down on NS for this practice, what we should REALLY be doing is giving voice to help provide a more appropriate method of dealing with domain name searches for the purposes of purchase and saving the grief of someone sitting on them to sell to the 'highest bidder.'

I worked for a guy that purchased domain upon domain just to try to stifle his competition and I'm almost tempted to say he's monopolizing the market for the type of service rendered and although I'm unwilling to say who it was, I can say that I think his practice was more unethical than NS.

NS should drop their prices or perhaps come up with a way to negotiate a fair trade over to a qualified registrar in order for a potential buyer to get it for the lowest price possible - a benefit to the buyer and a benefit to qualified registrars with a kick-back to NS. They wouldn't be getting their asking price for the domain, but at least they'd get a small kick-back for it if they're still holding onto it...

[pinkydoodle]

huh?

Intentions just?
They don't hold the domain for the customer- they are double talking. There is a parked page with a link- ANYONE can buy it as long as they pay NetSol for it. NetSol isn't protecting anyone!

[inachu]

easy to understand.

Since this can be done via a script and if someone searches then someone can gab it and resell it for big money. Network solutions will grab it to prevent no the Original customer wanting it but to keep others from stealing the potential domain. In this case a dead game company was bought out by reseller and on the market for $5,000..... thats wrong!

[pinkydoodle]

NetSol is lying

When they hold a domain for the 4 days, it is parked with a link to buy the name. ANYONE who goes to that parked page can buy the name- through NetSol and no one else. As long as you want to pay $35 (who does that anymore?) you can own the name that someone else searched for. It is not being held for any customer, it is being tasted by Netsol for 4 days.
This is disgraceful- and nothing will be done about it. That is the sick part.

[BitRealty]

They scammed me yesterday...

This just happened to me. I usually check availability of domains with Netsol and then register them at GoDaddy as I like Network Solutions search tool... Earlier in the day I had checked a domain and it was available... later in the day I decided to register it and went to Godaddy to do so and it was "taken". So I double checked on Netsol again and it was available. I called Netsol and said that I wanted to register it and that I was confused as to why it was showing up as available there but not elsewhere... the rep that I spoke to said that they were now locking domains that were searched and found to be available on Netsol "for our users protection". She said that someone "from some foreign country" was watching which domains were being searched for on Netsol and then registering them and trying to re-sell them at marked up rates to the original searcher(s). This seemed within the realm of possibility but probably way way too much effort for a hijacker to undergo simply because the value of most domains is so questionable and subjective. I eventually got her down to $8.75 per year for the registration (3 year min) but this was still 22% more than what I would have paid at GoDaddy (at $7.15 per .com) for only a one year commitment. I agree with all the posters that I've read and Network Solutions is not only cheating, but also their actions could be deemed illegal. Now that this is out in the open, this has got to be something that can't last or should cause an uproar of some sort.

[BitRealty]

They scammed me yesterday...

This just happened to me. I usually check availability of domains with Netsol and then register them at GoDaddy as I like Network Solutions search tool... Earlier in the day I had checked a domain and it was available... later in the day I decided to register it and went to Godaddy to do so and it was "taken". So I double checked on Netsol again and it was available. I called Netsol and said that I wanted to register it and that I was confused as to why it was showing up as available there but not elsewhere... the rep that I spoke to said that they were now locking domains that were searched and found to be available on Netsol "for our users protection". She said that someone "from some foreign country" was watching which domains were being searched for on Netsol and then registering them and trying to re-sell them at marked up rates to the original searcher(s). This seemed within the realm of possibility but probably way way too much effort for a hijacker to undergo simply because the value of most domains is so questionable and subjective. I eventually got her down to $8.75 per year for the registration (3 year min) but this was still 22% more than what I would have paid at GoDaddy (at $7.15 per .com) for only a one year commitment. I agree with all the posters that I've read and Network Solutions is not only cheating, but also their actions could be deemed illegal. Now that this is out in the open, this has got to be something that can't last or should cause an uproar of some sort.

Rob
http://www.bitrealty.com

[BooHissNetSolutions]

NETWORK SOLUTIONS IS DEAD TO ME...

Until this very moment, I had always assumed that Network
Solutions was an honorable company.

Their practice of front-running domain names has caused me to
NEVER trust them again. I will NEVER visit their site and will
NEVER solicit any of their business offerings ever again.

If you ask me, front-running is actually akin to stealing. It is
very typical that someone may visit NetworkSolutions.com do a
WHOIS search to check availability of a domain name, but then
may choose to work through their own hosting provider to
actually register/pay for the domain name. That is what I tried to
do.

My hosting provider charges only $2/year for a domain name
registration. Network Solutions was charging $35/year. Because
I did a simple domain check from their site, I no longer have a
CHOICE (ie. choice = American value) as to who I can order
from, unless I wait until the domain name is released again to
the public.

Network Solution, in the past, was the ultimate authority on all
domain name registrations. So, it makes perfect sense that a
consumer might go straight to 'the source' to find out if a
domain name is available. They are trying to capitalize on the
public's trust.

It constantly disappoints me when businesses implement
business practices that STEAL from consumers.

Goodbye Network Solutions!!

I sincerely wish that you go bankrupt from this business practice
and fall off the face of the Earth... You have lost my support
forever and I encourage anyone else thinking of doing business
with you to reconsider doing so.

[BooHissNetSolutions]

One additional thought...

As a consumer, I feel that this is a very anti-competitive
practice and should be looked into by the legal authorities.

Can you imagine a world where you might use an online tool to
research a house you want to buy, but you then find out that the
search engine you used has already put a tentative bid on the
house and that the only way that you can buy the house is to
pay them a premium...? Insanity.

Hey Network Solutions - How about using your influence to
make the world a better place instead of raping it...

[wolfram2112]

CRIMINAL INTENT! PHISHING FOR $$$$

When a company like Network Solutions, which once had the ultimate responsiblity for all domains, lost its hold over the domain industry and saw other registering and holding domains up for sale (ie, Mobil Oil, Exxon, etc.), they got the idea that domains were worth more then they really are. Now they employ tactics, that if enacted on the stock exchange, would bring the condemnation of the SEC. In the Internet world, we don't have an SEC type organization to watch over it. However, I do not advocate an oversight group developed as it was for the SEC. In fact, the writer of the original SEC rules was one of the top manipulators and con artist of Wall Street in his day (for those of you who do not know, it was Joe Kennedy who created the oversight at the SEC, in FDR's words, "who better to stop the crooks, then to put a crook in place to stop the others). However, we are seeing the same type of manipulation here with domain names, that something has to be done. The economic damage they cause small and medium businesses is incredible, enough to put a minor drag on our American economy (add to it the other ways crooks manipulate various markets and we get the drag on our economy we see today). There should be an Congressional investigation and those responsible be brought up on charges (and prevent their companies from paying for their defence of their criminal actions). However, some there are sub currents the public does not see at work, and this will be what will prevent an investigation, and this practise will continue as long as anyone does ANY business with Network Solutions, or any other organization who takes a public task and tries to control it for their own economic benefit. It not only steals from the propective buyer of domain names, but the American and world economies at large. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ALREADY!

[suethem]

sue them

[e-mail]

[okmi2008]

GoDaddy.com does this too...

I have been doing business with GoDaddy for years. As of yesterday, April 15, 2008 our business relationship is over. I had just finished a website and was now in the process of finding a good domain for it on GoDaddy. I came up with a very simple, short domain that said it all. www.ibuynsell.com "Nice don't you think?" I was very excited to see that is was available. I tested a few others ideas that I liked and some where taken, some were not. I came up with three domain names that that were available. and proceeded to register them. When I attempted to register www.ibuynsell.com it was taken. I couldn't believe it! I typed in the domain in the address bar and sure enough it was parked on GoDaddy's website. Now it was only about 1hr and 45 minutes from when it was availibale to when it was taken. I work from home and got a call that I had to deal with, other wise I would have registered them immediately. This has never happen to me before. So I did a little research. I am not the only person this has happened to. Many other using GoDaddy to search for domain names have had the same expirence. You could say it was a fluke, I say GoDaddy is using unfair consumer techniques. Don't believe me? Come up with a good domain name. Search it on GoDaddy. Wait an hour or then check it again. Boy will you be surprised as I was, how fast a good domain idea gets taken by GoDaddy. Search the web for "GoDaddy steals domain" You'll see. This is no coincidence, This is an unfair practice by GoDaddy.com

[leeham]

Networkk Solutions is at it again. 2008 04 26

I've just whois a domain in network solutions and it says the domain is available. after an hour or two i decided to have it registered to godaddy.com and look what i found. networksolutions had it registered on the very moment i queried that domain.

[Smartdomainers]

It is really bad. How can networksolutions play this game??? now I understand why last month i could not register my domain. I use networksolutions search tool and recorded the domains I would like to register for my blog (it is sunday and i do not have money enough in my credit card account.) I wait for monday to register it. I visited http://www.luckyregister.com/ on monday after. It was gone. I double check it now, it is still available :)

[POWinCA]

BS! Don't let any propagandists tell you this is not happening.

One day I came up with two great ideas for domain names during a conversation with a friend. I typed the URL http://wwww."mygreatURLidea".com into the browser and got a "page not found" error. So there was NOTHING PARKED there.

I already had two domain names registered with GoDaddy and I keep getting coupons from them. So I clicked on their coupon and did a search for the domain name that I had JUST VERIFIED WAS AVAILABLE. Lo and behold, the moment I searched, GoDaddy told me that the domain name was taken. They offered me a .net domain of the same name at a MUCH HIGHER PRICE. I went immediately back to the .com website and what do I find? I find a GoDaddy website parked there with keywords linked to ads based on MY good idea - a website that WAS NOT THERE just two minutes earlier.

This was not an isolated incident. It happened to me THREE TIMES. I reported the incidents to ICANN with the dates and times I visited the URL and requested the domain name. I asked them to verify whether GoDaddy had registered the domain name at those dates and times or sometime prior. That would be the smoking gun. But I got NO RESPONSE from ICANN.

Domain names are the new real estate of the 21st century. People make tens of millions of dollars a year wheeling and dealing in domain names. Why shouldn't we believe that GoDaddy is trying to muscle in to this gold mine? Why should we believe ICANN isn't in on it?

This is outright THEFT of intellectual property by a private company acting as an agent for domain name registration on behalf of the US government. This is analagous to filing for a patent and having the patent clerk tell you it was already invented... by HIM... and he crosses out your name and puts his name on YOUR patent.