Bido once again mining the WHOIS db and spamming domain owners

[JuniperPark]

I've already received 4 spam emails from Bido this morning... they are back to spamming people trying to find more unsuspecting newbies to scam, as they did before.

In an amusing twist, you can "opt out" of their emails by clicking a link -- which gives you a message saying you must BECOME A MEMBER before you can opt out of their spam!!!

For the new people: Bido was an "auction company" promoted through mass spam, including mass spamming of DNForm member's PM box. As a result, buyers (like me) refused to deal with them, the few people who sold with them lost their shirts due to lack of buyers, and the company folded.

Of course, it should not go without mention that one of their "domain experts" was Starlita Similian, a con artist who is now apparently incarcerated.

If you want to deal with known can artists and lose a lot of money like their past customers, by all means join Bido!

 

[Gerry]

I just got an email from them wanting me to confirm ownership before it is sent to auction.

I never even submitted the name.

---------- Post added at 03:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:04 PM ----------

Hello xxxxx xxxxxx

This domain was submitted for auction on Bido.com:
(---).com

The next step is for you to verify ownership of the domain. We are sending this email to the administrative contact of the domain name.

If this message was sent in error or you do not wish to list the domain on Bido, there is nothing further for you to do at this time.

Even if you click this link by accident, there is nothing to worry about. You must be logged into the account that submitted the domain in order to verify the domain. So if it was not you and you still click it, nothing will happen and there is nothing to worry about.

If you would like to proceed with the listing on Bido.com please click the following link:
(link)


If you have any questions, or if you need any help or clarification, please contact support.

--
This message was automatically generated by Bido.com

 

[JuniperPark]

Yep, that is what mine says too. They are playing "fake submissions" game.

Anyone who would do business with these crooks after this kind of nonsense is crazy.

 

[PRED]

i label every email from them as spam or phishing scam
if everyone does it i guess they get blacklisted?

 

[urlurl]

there is a chance (slight) that someone is submitting names that aren't theirs to bido

 

[JuniperPark]

there is a chance (slight) that someone is submitting names that aren't theirs to bido

It would have to be a MASSIVE list of names that don't match WHOIS, and coincidentally hit the portfolios of 2 different DNFers. VERY VERY unlikely. And any chance of it being an accident is negated by the "must be a member to ask us to stop spamming you" nonsense.

 

[katherine]

Would you post the E-mails you received ?

 

[Gerry]

Would you post the E-mails you received ?

Mine is posted above.

The most curious statement is this:

If this message was sent in error or you do not wish to list the domain on Bido, there is nothing further for you to do at this time.

 

[JuniperPark]

Mine is posted above.

The most curious statement is this:

If this message was sent in error or you do not wish to list the domain on Bido, there is nothing further for you to do at this time.

Yep, it contradicts the excuse for emailing you in the first place.

 

[Gerry]

Yep, it contradicts the excuse for emailing you in the first place.

The email (as a whole) has to be one of the most vague sounding, double talk, double speak emails I have ever seen.

 

[MediaHound]

This is just nonsense and follows a pattern of repeated attacks by JuniperPark on Bido.

Those emails are verification emails sent to domain owners when someone lists the domain on the platform. Bido is not doing marketing via email.

Secondly, Bido once had a popular "Expert" program where people from the domain community could apply to be an Expert. Being an Expert allowed you to leave commentaries on domains.
When it was brought to our attention the antics of Starlita, she was removed from the program as well as Bido entirely.

This is just nonsense and follows a pattern of repeated attacks by JuniperPark on Bido.

---------- Post added at 12:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:48 AM ----------

And as for the PMs that were sent here on DNF, it is well-known that this was an advertisement that we purchased from DNF.
The PMs were sent by DNF to all the DNF members, and was discussed ad nauseum in another thread.
Anybody was welcome at that time to purchase this type of advertisement here on DNF, and so we did.
This was a campaign that was delivered by DNF and approved by DNF, and funds were paid to DNF in order for it to have been sent in the first place.

Lastly, sigh, as for the comment about sellers who supposedly "lost their shirts", this is a huge assumption and really not true. Sellers select their reserve pricing, so that also makes no sense.

Juniper, I really dont know why you are so out to attack Bido over the years, but by all means could we take this in private and discuss?
I would be glad to attempt to resolve whatever it is that is prompting you to post such nonsense. Thanks in advance.

 

[Gerry]

Those emails are verification emails sent to domain owners when someone lists the domain on the platform. Bido is not doing marketing via email.

Secondly, Bido once had a popular "Expert" program where people from the domain community could apply to be an Expert. Being an Expert allowed you to leave commentaries on domains.
When it was brought to our attention the antics of Starlita, she was removed from the program as well as Bido entirely.

Well, the current emails have nothing to do with Starlita or names submitted.

What is the source of these emails? Is this listing from months or a year ago? I have not submitted anything to Bido in perhaps 8-12 months. Are submitted names that old still showing up in your database of "send to auction"?

 

[JuniperPark]

This is just nonsense and follows a pattern of repeated attacks by JuniperPark on Bido.

Those emails are verification emails sent to domain owners when someone lists the domain on the platform. Bido is not doing marketing via email.

Secondly, Bido once had a popular "Expert" program where people from the domain community could apply to be an Expert. Being an Expert allowed you to leave commentaries on domains.
When it was brought to our attention the antics of Starlita, she was removed from the program as well as Bido entirely.

This is just nonsense and follows a pattern of repeated attacks by JuniperPark on Bido.


Lastly, sigh, as for the comment about sellers who supposedly "lost their shirts", this is a huge assumption and really not true. Sellers select their reserve pricing, so that also makes no sense.

Juniper, I really dont know why you are so out to attack Bido over the years, but by all means could we take this in private and discuss?
I would be glad to attempt to resolve whatever it is that is prompting you to post such nonsense. Thanks in advance.

As the old saying goes, when the facts show you're guilty, resort to personal attacks on the messenger as a last ditch effort.

1) Get real -- nobody is suddenly trying to list domains that I (and Doc Com) own on your system. There would be no purpose in doing that.

2) The wording of he email itself suggests that the email was NOT generated by someone claiming to own it, as Doc Com already pointed out.

3) Every legitimate company that sends email has an OPT OUT option that actually works without having to "become a member". Bido follows the con artist's method, with the "you must become a member before you can opt out" policy.

When Bido stops operating like a Nigerian Transaction scam, they might be taken seriously one day. Until then, they are just another spamming operation going nowhere.

 

[MediaHound]

Back up for a second and imagine if we didn't have this verification system, people would be submitting your names and actually getting them to go to auction... how would THAT make you feel?

Both of you guys are more than welcome to send me a list of the domains in a PM and I will investigate who submitted them, and this will explain the source of why you got those "please verify your listing" emails.
I assure you that we dont send those verification emails out to people if otherwise unprompted by someone submitting your domains into the system.
As a courtesy, if you want your email address blacklisted (for example if someone is abusing the system and repeatedly submitting your domains, which it seems may be the case here) just let me know what email address and I will have it taken care of for you. Whats very likely here is someone who you sold domains to is trying to list them but the domains still have your info in the whois. So when you sell domains, make sure they transfer properly and the new owner has their info in whois. I've seen that happen before.
We're here to help, just let me know.

 

[Gerry]

Both of you guys

Please address post #12...

 

[britishbulldog]

To be honest i feel sorry for the guys who purchased this shit sight for six figures,they clearly got stitched up and are desperate to make it work which may or may not resort into some kind of spammy skulldugary,who really knows ?

 

[katherine]

Off topic but today I received an E-mail about their current .bz auction. I am surprised they are even wasting time promoting such a non-event.

 

[MediaHound]

Please address post #12...

I did..
"Both of you guys are more than welcome to send me a list of the domains in a PM and I will investigate who submitted them, and this will explain the source of why you got those "please verify your listing" emails."
If you forward whatever was sent to you, over to me, I can investigate for you. Ready when you are.

 

[GeorgeK]

It'd be very easy for Bido to "fix" this --- simply have the Verification email list:

1) the IP address of the person making the request verification, and
2) the name, phone number, address and email address of the person making the request

That would tend to eliminate the abuse, as the person receiving the verification email would have direct insight into any abuse.

 

[JuniperPark]

I did..
"Both of you guys are more than welcome to send me a list of the domains in a PM and I will investigate who submitted them, and this will explain the source of why you got those "please verify your listing" emails."
If you forward whatever was sent to you, over to me, I can investigate for you. Ready when you are.

Here is one I got late last night:
tribaltattoos.info

This one I dropped, and a new owner just registered it a registered it a few hours ago -- LONG before he owned it. Here is the current registration info:
Registrant Name:Hung Lam
Registrant Organization:
Registrant Street1:154/52/10 Street 41,
Registrant Street2:Ward 16, District 8
Registrant City:Ho Chi Minh
Registrant State/Province:Ho Chi Minh
Registrant Postal Code:70000
Registrant Country:VN
Registrant Phone:+84.82607712
Registrant Email: [email protected]

So now you know at least one person who is violating your policy. Let's see if you ban him.

---------- Post added at 08:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:21 AM ----------

It'd be very easy for Bido to "fix" this --- simply have the Verification email list:

1) the IP address of the person making the request verification, and
2) the name, phone number, address and email address of the person making the request

That would tend to eliminate the abuse, as the person receiving the verification email would have direct insight into any abuse.

George - this is a company that requires you to become a member to even be placed on their 'do not email' list. This is a company that violates the anti-spam law with every email by not having a working opt-out link.

That's a company void of business ethic and intelligence - no way will they waste resources trying prevent spam. They encourage it.