NameSecure (NSI) cheating market by front running domains
Jan 8th, 2008 | By Leslie Poston | Category: Internet
In the news this week we hear that NameSecure has recently been busted front running domains. What does that mean, exactly? It means that if you go onto the NameSecure site to hunt for a domain’s availability and decide not to purchase the domain immediately, NameSecure snaps it up.
That is a highly unethical practice. Domain name searchers often hold off on purchasing the domain name the first time they search for any number of reasons: they haven’t yet decided that is the perfect name for them, they want to shop for the best domain name registrar and price, they were doing preliminary research for a site launch, and more. By snapping up the domain, NameSecure is taking advantage of its position as a registrar, and also forcing users to then buy that domain name from them instead of from someone else.
By forcing users to buy a domain name form them instead of being able to shop around, NameSecure is unfairly influencing price and eliminating freedom of choice for domain shoppers. It’s almost as bad as the people who take advantage of the 5 day buyers remorse loophole to set up free money making domains in domain tasting scams. In fact, NSI seems to be using the same 5 day loophole to hold the domains as their own in their front running scam:
The domains are likely being purchased and held in NSI ownership until the potential registrant comes back to purchase the name through NSI. If the purchase is not made at NSI within 5 days, NSI uses the same 5 day grace period that domain tasting operations use and they delete the domain. Once a search for a domain is conducted at NSI the domain name is registered and only available to be purchased by a registrant at NSI. It is not clear if NSI has increased prices on domains that have received multiple whois searches and that they are front running. (source)
ICANN, the international body in charge of domain regulations, has taken a keen interest in front running scams and domain tasting lately. It will be interesting to see how they handle the issue, since front running creates a huge lack of trust in the Internet domain buying community.
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Truly outrageous!
Mike Says:
September 5th, 2008 at Sep 05, 08 | 4:29 pm
namesecure just updated our account 5-6 months ago, contact info and dns pointing. but just to get that done took almost a week by fax, proof who we are by faxed driver liencse & CC used.
now 5-6 months later the site is down? Those j-offs gave our domain name away to black ice domains, inc.
double check really who has our doamain now? IP show up in Hong Kong, or in the US, cant track any one down to find out why namesecure charged us, made us jump throught hoops, did not inform us, and let our domain get taken?
At first I thought namesecure went under or got taken over, NOPE they are still operating, then I thought they got hacked and domains were stolen from their account database, nope!
Namesecure just out right miss handle peoples accounts!
GOD FORBID!!! they have peoples cerdit card inforamation, and routinely request Drivers lienses from people to prove who they are?
They need to be investigated and fined for miss handleing of peoples property, vital info, and not fullfilling service and property rights.
Mike the web guy
Mike Says:
September 7th, 2008 at Sep 07, 08 | 2:42 pm
Check this out here is the reply of a domain squatter “Cenal.com”. little does Namesecure, networksolutions who backs namesecures services, and the registar BLACK ICE DOMAINS INC. as the new registar and this is the new holder of our domain name which NAMESECURE lost do do the mis handling of our account.
I have put a domain formal complaint into ICANN about the mishandling of account services and vital information and poor business response and ethics of NAMESECURE, and also told NETWORK SOLUTIONS how can you allow such resellers work under you?
“In response to your email.
There are over 30,000 domains expire and non-renewed daily.
We have developed a technology that is analyzing traffic generated by these domains and buys selected domains via domain auctions with a bidding process such as Deleting.co.uk , DropWizard.com, DropKing.com, Pool.com, SnapNames.com and many others.
Nevertheless, after reading your letter we are ready to consider giving up the domain name.
But we are expecting at least to be compensated for the time and money spent on the registration process
1,200 USD will cover it.
Regards,
Cenal.com”
final comment: If ICANN really has the over power to step in it would be nice to see them flex those muscle and correct the wrong doings of namesecure.com and also going after the companies which continues to let such resellers operate?!?! Hey ICANN is it true that you can get our mishandled domain name back? I wrote you a few days ago and no response or telephone call which I supplied in my formal compliant form on ICANN.
A client (and friend) of mine got hosed by Black Ice as well. He tried to move his web site between hosting companies back in November of 2008, and isn’t very web savvy. Somehow Black Ice got hold of his domain name, and now it’s locked up at Cenal.com as well (eNom is involved in there somehow). Trouble is…the hosting places he was trying to work with were MySpace and Yahoo. You’d think such entities would be more up front…
My domain has been passed over by JustNet to Black Ice Domains, and I cannot get a scrap of information on them. If someone could let me know how to regain control of my intellectual property I’d be very happy.
Yep, another victim of Black Ice Domains here. My domain expired and got swallowed up by them instantly, now every time it expires they renew it even though they’re not using it. They are evil, horrible, low down bastards out to screw everyone.
I’ve been trying to buy my domain back for five years! And my own domain provider is the one screwing me??? I am BEYOND PISSED OFF. Someone is going to see what its like to have their livelihood f*ckd with.