SnapNames and Moniker Return Domain to Prior Owner after Win

[Dave Zan]

So the original poster has no right to be frustrated?

Did anyone say that?

Not meaning to add insult to injury, but I forgot to add that of SnapNames:

https://www.snapnames.com/legal.jsp

You grant SnapNames, in our sole discretion, the right to refuse to register your chosen domain name through one of our registrar partners, to refuse to subscribe you for other SnapNames services, or to request deletion of your domain name at the acquiring registrar or cancel your services within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of your payment for such services. In the event we request deletion of your domain name or cancel your services within such thirty (30) calendar day period, we may refund your applicable fees. You agree that we will not be liable to you for any loss or damages that may result from any such refusal, deletion or cancellation.

This kinda brings back (bad?) memories because I dealt with this exact sort of
thing in my past registrar life. The customer renewed the domain name, it did
not show up on our systems, we subsequently auctioned it, we returned the
domain to its registrant after confirming renewal, and we refunded the person
who paid for the auction.

Someone was going to be unhappy one way or the other. But a tough choice
had to be made that time.

 

[Poker]

Good Afternoon Bill,
Thank you for previously bidding and winning the auction of XXXXXXXXXXX.com, unfortunately that domain was erroneously included in an auction. You have been refunded for your purchase and the domain has been returned. I apologize for the misunderstanding.

Thank you,
Jonathan
SnapNames

If I were you I would press them on the issue, the email that they sent you really comes across as a hopeful first strike. In other words they are not really comfortable about this themselves and seem to be just hoping that you will let it go.

 

[DNBA]

does the owner of the name own the .net and the .com? cause to be that would seem like bad business if the original owner then makes a statement that "oh thats the price of the .net" only trying to pull a switch.

were both tlds up for auction?

 

[Adapt Web]

Very invasive as well.. I think the seller lost his right to have the domain returned the minute you paid for the domain you won in auction..

by the way, this leaves the possibility of Sellr XYZ to claim he posted the wrong domain in auction if he/she does not pull the amount $$$ they wanted.. it's b.s., i'd press the issue

 

[Dave Zan]

I think the seller lost his right to have the domain returned the minute you paid for the domain you won in auction.

But was the domain name "intended" to be sold to begin with? SnapNames had
emailed the OP it was included in error.

But...I agree Bill at least ought to "press on" to try to get answers as to what
caused this, such as if the domain was actually renewed and not supposed to
be listed in the first place.

 

[bhartzer]

Just out of curiousity, was the .net scheduled to expire?

Yes, I was told that the .net was the domain that was supposed to be put up for sale.

 

[draggar]

Yes, I was told that the .net was the domain that was supposed to be put up for sale.

That's not what he asked. Was it set to expire?

Another question - what if the owner of the .com puts it back up for sale at a higher price?

How is the domain being used now? (Developed, parked, no resolve, etc..)?

 

[bhartzer]

Was it set to expire?

From what I can tell from the whois history, the .com was not set to expire. The .com was parked and from what I can tell has been parked for quite some time. The .net, according to the whois archive, was owned by Snapnames themselves.

The domain name is currently parked.

 

[Deleted member 70408]

I've sold domain names before in the Snap Seller Program. When it first started, I accidentally typo'd the domain name I wanted to sell. I believe I added an "s" to the end when I submitted it. The sale went off and ended at somewhere around $750. I was psyched that the name sold for so much, until I went into my account and realized I had the singular. Unfortunately I made a mistake when the name was submitted, and the buyer didn't end up with the name he thought he won. It was a case of human error, but fortunately I caught it the day the auction ended, so the winning bidder didn't pay or receive the name. It's kinda strange the name landed in your account, but I guess the .com was at Moniker, too.

RE the .net being owned by Snap: They take possession of most names they auction (even in the Seller Program) unless it's registered at Moniker. If that's the case, the name stays with Moniker.

I know Snap now verifies ownership before auctions, but perhaps the .net name was first listed back when the program started, and slipped through the cracks.

It sucks, but it's human error.

 

[HuntingMoon]

perhaps snapnames will give you a good faith credit in your account well beyond what you had paid to make up for the error.

 

[jberryhill]

When it first started, I accidentally typo'd the domain name I wanted to sell. I believe I added an "s" to the end when I submitted it.

These sorts of mistakes do happen, and are not always caught when one is dealing with many auctions at a time. I am aware of one instance in which a seller had intended to list several .com's and a .net for auction with Moniker, and had accidentally sent the list as all .com's. The seller had notified Moniker of the mistake, but the notification was overlooked and the errant .com name was auctioned. It took a while to sort that one out.

 

[Domagon]

So much for the idea of Moniker of being more "secure" :lol:

Let me see if I got this straight :undecided: ...

Folks with domains registered elsewhere were protected somewhat from such errors in the aspect that Snap (or the seller?) would likely have to initiate a registrar transfer beforehand.

However, folks with domains at Moniker could lose their domains without even knowing it, since Moniker would, without proper verification :?:, transfer a domain from one registrant to another. Yikes!

Ron

 

[Dave Zan]

Let me see if I got this straight :undecided: ...

Folks with domains registered elsewhere were protected somewhat from such errors in the aspect that Snap (or the seller?) would likely have to initiate a registrar transfer beforehand.

However, folks with domains at Moniker could lose their domains without even knowing it, since Moniker would, without proper verification :?:, transfer a domain from one registrant to another. Yikes!

Ron, Moniker isn't alone on what happened here:

http://about.tucows.com/2008/06/25/domain-auction-ethics-the-tucows-response/

I read somewhere of Network Solutions having done the same. It can happen
to anyone regardless of registrar and backorder service provider as long as it's
within their ability to fix.

 

[bhartzer]

[quote[RE the .net being owned by Snap: They take possession of most names they auction (even in the Seller Program) unless it's registered at Moniker. If that's the case, the name stays with Moniker.

I know Snap now verifies ownership before auctions, but perhaps the .net name was first listed back when the program started, and slipped through the cracks.[/quote]
As I understand it, Snapnames owned the .net domain. They entered the .com into the auction (which they didn't own) and sold it. They transferred the .com to me upon completion of the auction (domain was at Moniker). They were supposed to sell the .net and not the .com. A third party owns the .com

 

[Deleted member 70408]

RE the .net being owned by Snap: They take possession of most names they auction (even in the Seller Program) unless it's registered at Moniker. If that's the case, the name stays with Moniker.

I know Snap now verifies ownership before auctions, but perhaps the .net name was first listed back when the program started, and slipped through the cracks.

As I understand it, Snapnames owned the .net domain. They entered the .com into the auction (which they didn't own) and sold it. They transferred the .com to me upon completion of the auction (domain was at Moniker). They were supposed to sell the .net and not the .com. A third party owns the .com

Just as an FYI, this is how the names I transferred to my account at Snapnames look according to the Whois info (not the ones I have with Moniker):

Registrant:
SnapNames.com
Senior Administrator ()
1600 SW 4th Ave.
Suite 400
Portland
OR,97201
US
Tel. +1.5032199990

I don't know if they told you they own it or if you assume they do based on the Whois, but if it's the later, you should know that's how some look even though they aren't owned by SN.

 

[domaingenius]

I think is the domain was, say A.com THEN I would be a bit more suspicious, but I think looking at it all in the round Snapnames and/or Moniker made a mistake and corrected it. Why it took so long to tell the buyer I don't know. I think if I owned the domain wrongly put up for auction I would think that this was fairest outcome.

DG

 

[Kjel]

Let me summarize here what happened with the erroneous sale of a domain name to Bill Hartzer, and the return of that name to the previous registrant.

A customer recently made a domain name available for sale at SnapNames. The name intended for sale was the .net version of the name; however, an employee mistakenly listed the .com version for sale. That name was auctioned and registered by Mr. Hartzer.

The previous registrant for the .com name contacted us to let us know of the error. Of course, as he had not authorized the sale of his name, SnapNames reversed the sale, refunded Mr. Hartzer, and restored the .com name’s Whois record to the correct registrant.

It’s an inconvenience to our customers but at times we are obligated to reverse sales to address legal or other issues. In this instance, however, it was an error on our part. Although SnapNames has handled tens of thousands of domain name sales and has an outstanding record for accuracy and efficiency, such an error is troubling and we are developing safety checks we believe will help prevent similar situations.

We are sorry for the inconvenience to Mr. Hartzer and the name’s previous registrant and have done everything possible to satisfy the parties involved.

Kjel Holmberg
Oversee.net

 

[Theo]

Kjel, since you're on this thread - when will Snapnames stop the notorious "halvarez" and his carpet-bidding method?

 

[Sonny Banks]

Kjel, since you're on this thread - when will Snapnames stop the notorious "halvarez" and his carpet-bidding method?

Good question.

 

[DNBA]

also i would like to ask, since it took so long to send a reply to the auction winner, What would happen if the auction winner took out a loan based on the assumption that they had won the domain name? If theres a binding agreement for the loan would SnapNames take the responsibility for any damages?