Unique.org Problem Resolved

[Duke]

Last week, using Snaps.com (SnapNames.com) subsidiary, I got Unique.org. I got a confirmation saying I would get a login ID and password from the registrar - PairNic, within 24 hours. I never got it. I wrote PairNic support. They said there had been some problem with the registration and that SnapNames never sent them my account info, but they had registered the domain and were working on getting it straightened out. Several days passed with nothing and I wrote them again, as well as Snaps.com.

Haven't heard anything from Snaps.com but Pairnic wrote yesterday with a User ID and said my Snap password should work. It did not. So they told me to follow a URL to reset my password (which I did) and that if I did not hear from them in 24 hours to let them know. I did not hear from them so I just let them know in scathing language because there is now a PORN SITE on unique.org and the PairNic WhoIs information is showing someone else from Canada as the registrant.

I talked in this forum about getting this domain last week, so now thanks to this screw-up, people I do business with will think I am a porn merchant. I am so mad right now I can barely see straight.

 

[Duke]

Here is the WhoIS info for the person who has my Domain and put a porn site on it. If anyone has any suggestions on how to deal with this let me know.

* info deleted as it was not longer relevant *

 

[izopod]

I know how you feel Duke. About 3 1/2 weeks ago I had a "situation" with a registrar. I paid money for renewals, and I kept getting emails saying my domains were going to expire. I called everyday, and customer service "assured" me everything was o.k. Finally, I got a "your name expired" email, even after everyone told me everything was o.k. I don't believe I've ever been that angry in my life. A quick call the next day to someone other than "customer service" finally yielded the results I was looking for. My names were renewed. Something so simple, yet seems so difficult nowadays.

As far as your situation, that company should be held liable. You won the name fair and squre. They will have to deal with telling whoever has it now that they made a mistake. I would also write the new .ORG registrar and tell them about the situation. As well as seek competent counsel.

Good luck Duke!

 

[Duke]

I have all of the Snaps.com paperwork that shows the domain was won and supposedly registered for me. By allowing someone else to break in and put a porn site on it the responsible parties are destroying the value of my domain as well as harming my own reputation.

 

[CoolHost.com]

Holy sh*t, Duke!
I just visited the new porn site. Talk to John Berryhill, Steve Sturgeon, or Ari! Tonight, if possible. I'm sorry to hear of this, but if you have all of your paperwork and, especially, credit card receipt(s) ... I feel confident that you will prevail with the help of some EXTREME pressure on the Registrar/Snapnames by legal counsel!
All these Registrars care about is making money hand over fist, and if this could potentially cost them a LOT more than their fees recieved, you stand a good chance IMHO.
Good Luck with it, Ron!

 

[Duke]

I just got this note back from PairNic support:

"From what I can tell, it looks like the contact changes were submitted through the snap-system, rather than pairNIC.

For the interim, I've placed the domain on hold, and locked the account. I'm going to need to have the programming staff investigate this matter further, as this is beyond my knowledge the snap system; they will let the pairNIC support staff know what is going on as soon as they are available.

Regards,
XXXX
pairNIC Support Department [email protected]
pairNIC v2.4

So they are saying it is Snap's fault. I have written a letter to an executive at SnapNames so they will know what is going on from the top rather than let is bounce around at lower levels for several days.

I will say this about Pairnic - their support people have been answering promptly. I have heard nothing from the Snap side yet. With their afilliated site system, I don't know if it is Snaps.com or Snapnames who is reponsible for getting the correct account information to the registrar, but I am going to find out.

 

[CoolHost.com]

Oh yeh, that's right ... contact the owner of Snaps.com, as well!
Seems as though now the Registrar (Pairnic) is tossing the responsibility back to either one of them (Snaps.com or Snapnames.com). I think you'd know who to call there, though in no way am I suggesting that it was their fault. It's just smart to talk to everyone at this point. Record everything for the attorneys.
W W
I'd be so pissed off! Grrrr. I loved that domain name.
Good Luck.

 

[Duke]

I have now heard from someone of importance on the Snap side and have been assured they will get on this immediately, find out what happened and get it fixed. I'm going to calm down and let them get to the bottom of it. It looks like all sides are on the case so I can't ask for anything else right now.

It looks like Snaps.com basically just provides a front end for a limited edition Snap product and SnapNames themselves takes the responsibility for the delivery of the product. I'll let you know what happens.

This could still make a good DNJ story

Maybe we should do a regular feature to help other people who get caught in the middle of something like this.

 

[CoolHost.com]

Originally posted by Duke
This could still make a good DNJ story

Maybe we should do a regular feature to help other people who get caught in the middle of something like this. A little publicity can go along way in getting people to do the right thing.

Bingo! I'm sure there's plenty of stories out there.
Please keep us posted here on your case ... and thanks for sharing it with us. This stuff is **important**, IMO.
See you.

 

[NamePopper.com]

Heyo Duke - I just discovered this thread. Sorry to hear about the mess - but I'm sure glad it *seems* to be on the way to being resolved. Good luck and keep us posted. This might give everybody some useful information in case it ever happens again - which is highly likely.

By the way - I'm still trying to figure out why somebody would use Unique.org for porn. Weird choice.

 

[Duke]

Originally posted by NamePopper.com
This might give everybody some useful information in case it ever happens again - which is highly likely.

You are frighteningly right Nick. One thing I learned tonight from talking to the people involved in the process is how easily this can occur. The porn on unique.org was a mystery to me too, but I have gotten an explanation as to how that could have happened. I won't be able to say for sure until everything is corrected but once that happens I will fill everyone in. The people who appear to have made the mistake are owning up to it and are trying to get it fixed right now.

 

[Ciqala]

hope you get your name back duke...

Ciq

 

[Mr Webname]

I would be so peeved if that happened to me. I think the registrar gets the info from Snapnames so it wouldn't surprise me to see that's the source of the problem - good to hear that they're working on it.
Current whois indicates that they are doing something:-

Domain ID96791813-LROR
Domain Name:UNIQUE.ORG
Created On:06-May-2003 10:06:03 UTC
Last Updated On:14-May-2003 01:25:56 UTC
Expiration Date:06-May-2004 10:06:03 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:R103-LROR
Status:CLIENT DELETE PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT HOLD
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Status:CLIENT UPDATE PROHIBITED
Status:TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Registrant ID:103-C


Hope it all works out well.

 

[mole]

Nice name. And it looks like duke will finally get it.

 

[CoolHost.com]

Originally posted by mole
Nice name. And it looks like duke will finally get it.

Hope so!
And, yes, nice name ... I'm gunna have to re-visit that "appraisal" ($$) thread now, based on all the recent publicity.
However, first, let's make sure Duke got it back okay.
Looking good so far.

 

[.com.net.org]

the porn site has been shut down.

Duke will have it back.

So they told me to follow a URL to reset my password (which I did) and that if I did not hear from them in 24 hours to let them know.

What's the url ?

 

[URLtrader]

It was a unique name. Hope and pray you get it back. If need be,
talk to an attorney. This is ridiculous.

 

[Kjel]

Just so we're clear, the error here was entirely the fault of SnapNames. There was no screw-up by Snaps.com or by pairNIC, and in fact pairNIC was as helpful as they could have been in this situation. Also, the person incorrectly listed as the owner of unique.org was completely uninvolved.

A bad piece of code in the system that passes SnapNames' customer information to pairNIC manifested itself by applying incorrect ownership information to Duke's recently acquired domain. Errors like this do not occur often, but they can happen.

The good news is that Duke's situation should be resolved before the end of today.

 

[Mr Webname]

Good news - it shows that problems can be resolved.

 

[Duke]

I didn't want to say anything until this is wrapped up, but I will echo what Kjel said. If I hadn't been so angry I would have given PairNIC more credit than I did above. From the first message I sent them when the LogIn info was overdue, right through last night, their support people answered faster than any internet company I have dealt with in years. I am impressed.

I was also a little surprised when I contacted SnapNames and they immediately stated that it was almost certainly their error. No finger pointing, passing the buck or pussyfooting around. The honesty was refreshing and they jumped on the situation immediately. Mistakes happen in every business (including more than a few in my own). A series of coinciding factors - especially the apperance of a porn site on the domain - turned this mistake into the Perfect Storm of mistakes but it looks like calmer weather is coming.

I'll fill everyone in once all is corrected.