Please help: Caught a domain successfully at namejet then it was stolen by registrar

[Compassion]

Thank you for all your feedback and assistance.

I let some domains expire from enom.

After speaking with an enom rep I decided to try to catch the domains for 69 dollars each with namejet as per her suggestion if I did not opt for the redemption cost.


I successfully catch two domains, both originally registered the same day, one the inverse of the other as far as the domains themselves.

The domains were scheduled to drop Jan 04

I was the lone bidder on each domain @ 69 dollars

Both domains show up as pending, one becomes active to purchase and I receive the invoice.

The other domain switches to "wish list" and now is registered to "domain asset holdings"

The registration date Jan 11 - A week after I caught the domain name.

The actions of the registrar are completely unethical and a violation of terms and agreement.

I'm in the process of working with namejet to retrieve the domain that was stolen.


In recap

I won two domains, the inverse of each other on Jan 04 as the lone bidder.

One domain moves to successful catch and I receive invoice
The other domain changes to wish list and is registered Jan 11 to domain asset holdings, presumably enom's holding company.

The rep from namejet is saying I backordered the domain which is 100% false. I caught the domain in prerelease.


I'm seeking help from members here as to what to do next.

Thank you,

 

[VirtualT]

Not surprising, Enom have always been unethical dodgy bastards

 

[britishbulldog]

Happens all the time,it's the way this corrupt business goes.........

 

[Melly]

Actually domain asset holdings is not enoms company. Please pm me the domain and I will see if its in our inventory.

 

[katherine]

Enom are well known for keeping expired domains to themselves.
Probably little you can do because they have terms that allow them to do so. If they still have the name they will probably ask you to pay an 'extended RGP' (sic) ransom.

How come it's landed in the hands of domain asset holdings ?

 

[Melly]

If it landed in DAH then we purchased it on the drop but again without knowing the domain I cannot confirm that we own it.

 

[Compassion]

Thank you for everyone's support and assistance,

I'm confident this will be resolved soon.

Melly PMed

 

[Melly]

Okay I looked into it form DAH side and apparently we purchased the domain on January 11th via OpenSRS (tucows) as a new registration - so it was clearly deleted prior to that, or we wouldn't have been able to purchase it. This was a new registration for us, not a namejet backorder. If namejet or enom did the wrong thing, you will have to take it up with them - we didn't do anything wrong. Anyone could have registered the name at the point that we did.

I am sorry this happened to you and if something did go wrong it definitely was on enoms side and should definitely take it up with them one way or another.

 

[Theo]

So enom deleted a domain and didn't send it to Namejet even though it was backordered?

 

[katherine]

It sometimes happens with Snapnames. Domains drop even though I have placed a backorder in advance.
Perhaps their systems are not always in sync.

 

[DaddyHalbucks]

If you sleep with dogs, you get fleas.

I moved all of my domains out of eNom YEARS ago.

 

[Onward]

Do you have any screen shots? I take a screen shot of every pre-release I get 1 min after the time period is up and I am the only bidder.

I do this because I have been screwed too many times by namejet. Once they let someone in - the next day - on a pre-release name which I was the only bidder for the night before...this person/company they let in was a big player who missed getting in. after that...I take screen shots every time.

---------- Post added at 12:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:00 AM ----------

I do have a name of a rep there that can look into it...I do not think he is too shady....but I do not trust anyone over there really.

They let Register.com actively shill bid names which were dropped by their customers (that they assume ownership for)...never put the name through the drop process...come on pre-release a few months later @69 (now owned my Register.com)...you are the only bidder.....and then namejet reserve gets in the auction...I was in an auction where I was the high bid @69 for 2 days..then NJreserve (as register.com) out bid me. to be clear...this was not a preset reserve price this was an actual person who later bid against me...I was not going to get shilled any more and let NJreserve take it....the name is still with Register.com ownership...

I call it the wildwest...no rules...we can still get some crumbs.

 

[DC20]

Sounds like NJ missed it, and someone else's grabber worked better. NJ is all kinds of screwy, it does work both ways though as they are messy in general.....but it is horribly irritating when it works against you. One would think they are creating an opening for competition, but....

DC20

 

[Onward]

Sounds like NJ missed it, and someone else's grabber worked better. NJ is all kinds of screwy, it does work both ways though as they are messy in general.....but it is horribly irritating when it works against you. One would think they are creating an opening for competition, but....

DC20

Not with a "pre-release" name. Those are exclusive to NJ

 

[DC20]

Ah, indeed...missed that part of it.

 

[Compassion]

Ok so apparently Melly somehow was able to register it Jan 11???

I had it as the only bidder on prerelease which closed 9am on Jan 4

I successfully "caught" the other domain that is the inverse of it and had bids on both.


What is ethical and fair here?


Melly - Will you accept 69 dollars and a 600 percent profit on the registration and a boatload of good karma?

It sometimes happens with Snapnames. Domains drop even though I have placed a backorder in advance.
Perhaps their systems are not always in sync.

Seems like a simple fix, how many people have been lone bidders on a name and not received it?

What to do now?

So enom deleted a domain and didn't send it to Namejet even though it was backordered?

Exactly - as a pre release drop.

Lone bidder was me.

Showed as pending for a week, then switched to wish list and apparently Melly / DAH was able to hand register it a week after the prerelease ended


This is the first time I've attempted any sort of catching through namejet, sadly to catch domains I let expire.

 

[katherine]

I agree Enom is a dodgy outfit and downright unethical. NJ = Enom + Netsol + the prerelease partner registrars involved. Can anything good come out of it ?

However, in that particular case, I would not be surprised that the name simply slipped through the cracks. Why drop the name and let somebody grab it for regfee upon deletion when you someone ready to pay $69 ? No conspiracy theory here imo.

 

[Melly]

Chad unfortunately I did not personally purchase the domain. It is now owned by domainmarket and hes not going to let it go for $69. At this time there isn't even a price on it but usually the lowest prices on the site are $350. I'm sorry that you lost the domain but my hands are tied. I can get a price for it if you like but I know its not going to be $69.

 

[DomainsInc]

Ok so apparently Melly somehow was able to register it Jan 11???

I had it as the only bidder on prerelease which closed 9am on Jan 4

I successfully "caught" the other domain that is the inverse of it and had bids on both.


What is ethical and fair here?


Melly - Will you accept 69 dollars and a 600 percent profit on the registration and a boatload of good karma?




Seems like a simple fix, how many people have been lone bidders on a name and not received it?

What to do now?




Exactly - as a pre release drop.

Lone bidder was me.

Showed as pending for a week, then switched to wish list and apparently Melly / DAH was able to hand register it a week after the prerelease ended


This is the first time I've attempted any sort of catching through namejet, sadly to catch domains I let expire.

there must of been some kind of error. for DAH to be able to hand reg it on the 11th means it was already in redemption for at least a month when it supposidly closed on the 4th. pre-release names don't go into redemption. they only go into redemption and then pending delete if no one puts a bid on them.

 

[Compassion]

Chad unfortunately I did not personally purchase the domain. It is now owned by domainmarket and hes not going to let it go for $69. At this time there isn't even a price on it but usually the lowest prices on the site are $350. I'm sorry that you lost the domain but my hands are tied. I can get a price for it if you like but I know its not going to be $69.

Namejet still has not replied recently on the ticket. Their clearest answer has been this:

Hello Chad,

This happens occasionally, where a domain we were supposed to get got renewed by the registrant, or the registrar retained the domain name and the auction is suspended. Just because a domain is slated to go to auction doesn't mean that we are going to be successful in retaining it for our customers. I did a WHOIS lookup of the domain at the Registry and found the folowing information. Please note the expiration date and the updated date. This indicates that on the date 01/11/2011 it was retained by the registrant or the registrar and could now listed for sale at DOMAINMARKET.COM. I am sending you informaiton about how Wich List works at NameJet as well as information that explains a Pre-Release listing and why a domain will be removed from that list. Which might help clear up this matter for you.

Domain Name: CALIFORNIALOCAL.COM
Registrar: TUCOWS INC.
Whois Server: whois.tucows.com
Referral URL: http://domainhelp.opensrs.net
Name Server: NS1.DOMAIN-IS-4-SALE-AT-DOMAINMARKET.COM
Name Server: NS2.DOMAINMARKET.COM
Status: ok
Updated Date: 11-jan-2011
Creation Date: 11-jan-2011
Expiration Date: 11-jan-2012


Name on Backorder Disappeared or Changed to Wish List
Answer ID 1075

Here are the reasons why a name might have disappeared from your Backorder list:

* The name was placed into an auction.
* The name was awarded to you because you were the only bidder.
* You deleted the name from your backorder list.

Reasons why a status would change from Pre-Release or Pending Delete to Wish List:

1) Pre-Release listings are domains that have expired and are typically still in the renewal grace period at the sponsoring registrar. If you have added a Pre-Release domain to your backorder list, and the previous registrant renews their name, the backorder status will change to Wish List and it will not go into an auction. Per the NameJet agrement, a registrar can remove a domain from auction any time before, during or after an auction for any reason (such as UDRP settlements, legal issues, previous registrant claims, payment resolution, etc.). If a registrar removes a domain from Pre-Release status, the domain will transition to Wish List.

2) Pending Delete listings are names which are due to be deleted from the registry, which means they will soon become available to the general public to register. Our registrar partners will make an attempt to acquire every deleted domain with a backorder request on our system. However, other registrars are competing for many of the same names. If NameJet does not successfully register a domain, the backorder status will change to Wish List.


Process after you add a domain to your wishlist or backorder list.
Answer ID 1205

A Backorder request is an expression of interest for a domain name. The domain status may fall into many categories, and will determine if and when you may be able to become the new registrant. If an auction starts, you will receive an email when the auction starts, indicating the exact ending date and time. Auctions typically last for three days. If you are the only bidder, there is not an actual auction, and the domain is typically awarded to you within 24 hours.

This domain may be expired with one of the partner registrars and be found on the Pre-Release list of domains coming available within the next 30 days to NameJet members only. The domain will have a backorder status in your account. If the domain falls into the Pre-Release status and is not renewed by the previous registrant, you will be notified when the auction starts.

Once a domain expires with non-participating registrars, and goes through the 30-day redemption period, it will then enter a 5-day pending delete status. Once the domain has a pending delete status, the name will become available for anyone to register within the next 5 days. It is important to add the domain to your backorder list before it drops. NameJet will attempt to register the domain when it drops on behalf of our NameJet members. There are no guarantees that NameJet will be successful, but we have an extremely high success rate. You will be notified if an auction starts on these domains.

If the domain is currently in an active status (has not expired and is not ready to drop), the domain will be added as a wish list item. It's possible this domain may not become available for a long time. We will send you an email when the name comes up as a Pre-Release or Pending Delete and change the status of your Backorder automatically.

We encourage you to read some of the Frequently Asked Questions on the website to familiarize yourself with the various terms and procedures of this website: NameJet FAQs

Likewise, there are many articles (under the Answer tab) in this Support Center that will provide you with valuable information to help you become more knowledgeable about the processes. This will make your auction participation much more successful for you!


Thank you,
Jack M.
Technical Support



My hands are tied now and apparently Michael Mann's outfit is setup to grab prerelease domains with single bids more successfully than namejet and perhaps the lowest he will accept is 350 dollars?

Sure get a price Melly, let him know the circumstances....

Lone bidder in prerelease was original registrant and mysteriously the domain wasn't caught and was registered for the minimum