Sedo bug: Adding a domain that I don't own

[Theo]

Actually I own those 2 domains - but in theory I don't - and yet I was able to list them under my account. Confused yet? :-D Let me explain.

I won 2 domains on Snapnames, then duly added them to my Sedo account - as soon as I had access to the registrar. The domains were added in a matter of minutes (they briefly appeared on the Sedo homepage as well).

Now, these domains still have the Snapnames contact info all over them, except for the DNS which I changed to Sedo's.

So why were they accepted?

 

[octobus]

Because SEDO validates ownership when nameservers are changed to ns*.sedoparking.com, so the first one to add the domains after changing the nameservers is the owner.

You can also add a domain to your account that does not have your contact details, then SEDO prompts for ownership check and asks you to change namervers to SEDO's.

At least this scenario happens to me.

 

[Theo]

I didn't add first and change the DNS later. I changed the DNS first and then added it to my list. Therefore, how is Sedo's automated system supposed to know when the DNS changed?

 

[octobus]

Because you were the first one to add the domain to SEDO after the DNS had been changed.

 

[Theo]

That makes no sense. According to your logic, if a domain does not exist in Sedo and its nameservers are changed to those of Sedo, ANYONE with access to that domain's records can add it to anyone's Sedo account? So if my employer owns 50 domains under their corporate name and I found that 5 generate lots of traffic, I can add them to Sedo by changing the nameservers and Sedo will accept them, even though my name is Jim Bob and the WHOIS says Acme Inc.

 

[octobus]

Here's an email from SEDO that I recieved few weeks ago.

Dear Mr X,

Thank you for using Sedo to sell your domain names!

In order to ensure that domains are only listed for sale by their rightful owners,
Sedo double-checks the ownership of all newly listed domains. However, at this
time we have been unable to confirm ownership for the following domain(s):

xxx.com
xxyyy.com

To clear this up, all we need is a brief e-mail from the address listed as the
admin contact in the domain's ownership record.

Alternatively, you can simply set the name servers of your domains to be
NS1.SEDOPARKING.COM and NS2.SEDOPARKING.COM. This will let us identify you
as the owner of the domains so that you will not need to email us.

I apologize in advance for the inconvenience that this causes you, but I hope
you'll understand that this check helps ensure a fraud-free and better
functioning marketplace for all Sedo users.

Your assistance is greatly appreciated!

Sincerely,

Your Sedo Team

It's not my logic, it's what has happened to me several times. Why do you have to get so pissed at me? I find it hard to understand your hostile attitude.

Don't even know why I bother with this. Thanks a lot for supportive remarks, Radistar.

 

[Theo]

LOL I am not pissed at you, how did you come to this assumption? As of the question "why I bother with this" - it's something I often ask myself when Sedo doesn't respond on the forum.

Also, on the subject of Sedo's email - that applies ONLY after they send out that email (and after the initial listing failed). In my case, the domain was listed right away even though it didn't match my WHOIS.

 

[octobus]

Also, on the subject of Sedo's email - that applies ONLY after they send out that email (and after the initial listing failed). In my case, the domain was listed right away even though it didn't match my WHOIS.

Not sure what you are after. In this particular the domains were listed prior to changing the DNS. Therefore, SEDO prompts for ownership verificitation. If you list the domain after changing the DNS, there should not be any ownership check-up. Thus the first one to add a domain with SEDO's DNS is seen as the "owner".


I do even have domains listed at SEDO with trustee contacts and external DNS, and SEDO has never questioned my ownership over them or even asked for a verification.


Why did I get the impression that you were pissed at me? Maybe because you called my explanation illogical and not making any sense. I probably took it too heavily after a bad sleep.

 

[Theo]

Octobus, it still makes no sense to me. But let me break down the logic into steps.

1. I snap a domain - it still has SnapNames contact info.
2. I change the DNS to ns1/ns2.sedoparking.com
3. I add the domains to my Sedo account

At that point, because the WHOIS info is not matching either my name or my email so that the automated process gives it a "go", Sedo should go into manual mode: they email the same email that you listed, so that you have to either:

1. Email them from the admin contact email addres, or
2. Change whatever DNS was there to that of Sedo.

In my case, we never went into this manual process at all. The only deciding factor was that upon me adding the domains to my Sedo account, the DNS was already pointing to Sedo. However, Sedo had no prior knowledge of what the DNS was before!

See what I mean?

 

[octobus]

I see what you mean and that's how SEDO functions. If the domain uses SEDO's DNS prior to you adding it to their database, they consider the ownership verified. Of course with the condition that you were the first one to do add it.

 

[Theo]

Do you agree with me that their assumption is false? I could be adding domains that belong to someone else.

 

[Theo]

I just added another domain, captured with Snapnames. I only changed the DNS to that of Sedo's. The WHOIS info still shows SnapNames as the registrant, admin, tech & billing contacts.