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Did I get ripped-off by a major registrar?

by Phillip T Garcia
6 replies
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Hi, all.

I guess this is the best place to ask that question?

Years ago I lost a domain name by expiration. First I was not given proper info by a CS at the registrar, in regards to not losing the domain. I found out later I could have paid the additional money/fee to keep the domain.

Not much later, after I had actually lost the domain, I bought the registrar's back-order service. As stated, it's been years now of me hoping by some chance that I could reacquire the name through that service. (Of course, I finally realized that was never going to happen, so I started researching, which brings me to this post.)

Well, just today, I have come to realize that the owner of the name is the privacy company that is owned by the registrar! Apparently, instead of reacquiring the name for me, they acquired it for themselves. I guess if I want the name, now I have to buy it from that same registrar?

Does this reek of 'foul play'? Has anyone seen this before? Does anyone know if I have any recourse that would help me get the name back?

Man, right now, I am really tense in a big way, to say the least, thinking I got 'back-doored'.

Any help or advice would be appreciated. Hopefully, in the future, I can come in the forums and help, instead of posting problems.

NOTE: Bare in mind I am a complete newbie in regards to all matters concerning domain names (other than just buying them at a registrar).
  • Profile picture of the author Clyde
    If you don't renew they'll keep it. The domain will go to pending delete, ready for backorder etc

    Where's the foul-play?

    The only foul-play is probably CS giving you misleading info.

    or another theory is, he might have bought the domain for himself using staff's credits.
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    • Profile picture of the author Phillip T Garcia
      Thanks for the reply.

      My biggest prob right now, in regards to determining what has transpired, is that I cannot obtain a history of the domain name owners, starting with me, of course.

      If memory serves me right, the name was not obtained by the registrar or its privacy company, initially, but by another individual or company, that later lost the name, also.

      Since I had the back-order service, would it not stand to reason that the registrar should have reacquired the name for me, instead of its own privacy company?

      And sorry I was not more clear about that.

      EDIT: I was actually concerned about calling and challenging the registrar with that same question. Thus, the post here. I do need the history, though, too.
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Cyop,

    Backordering is illegal. By that, I mean that ICANN forbids it, and they set the rules for how US based domain names are to be handled. COM is a US based domain name, subject to ICANNS rules. So nobody can actually lock a domain so you get it when it deletes, NOT EVEN VERISIGN! VERISIGN is the one that runs the domain name database, no matter WHERE on the planet you register it. "backorder" services are merely services that at SOME point poll AND, IF the domain is deleted, register it for ONE of the person's that backordered. They USED to have a SET time that they deleted domains, but they changed THAT also!

    In short, "backorder services" aren't what the name might imply. And the private address doesn't even mean the owner changed.

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Sandgrown
    Originally Posted by CyOp View Post

    Well, just today, I have come to realize that the owner of the name is the privacy company that is owned by the registrar!
    The privacy company won't be the owner of the domain.

    In the example below - GoDaddy are the registrars and Domains by Proxy, Inc who are listed as the registrants are merely acting as nominees for the real owner of the domain who could be anybody because DbyP are protecting their privacy.

    Sponsoring Registrar:GoDaddy.com Inc. (R171-LRMS)
    Status:CLIENT DELETE PROHIBITED
    Status:CLIENT RENEW PROHIBITED
    Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
    Status:CLIENT UPDATE PROHIBITED
    Registrant ID:CR61584126
    Registrant Name:Registration Private
    Registrant OrganizationDomains by Proxy, Inc.
    Registrant Street1DomainsByProxy.com
    Registrant Street2:15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
    Registrant Street3:
    Registrant City:Scottsdale
    Registrant State/Province:Arizona
    etc..

    Check out domaintools.com which will give you an overview of the domain's history although you will have to pay for the full details.
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    • Profile picture of the author Phillip T Garcia
      I apologize in advance for the long posts. (I do not know, yet, what is proper etiquette on these forums.)

      OK, I called the registrar. No help, other than to say that my back-order service is trying to obtain the name. However, the CSR did say that they were "monitoring" the name, which would seem to validate the "poll" explanation seasoned gave me. I only ever know something about the name after the fact. That's been for 5 years now.

      Yesterday, I went to domain tools and got a free account. It will not let me get the history without upgrading, which I am not able to do.

      In regards to the privacy, I thought about that being on the name, however, 'it' looked different from other names I had found with privacy. The whois looks like this:

      Domain Name: NOT POSTED BY CyOp, but it was the actual doman name.
      (I did not know if it is appropriate to post the name.)
      Registrar: GODADDY-COM, INC. (Link broken by CyOp.)
      Whois Server: whois-godaddy-com (Link broken by CyOp.)
      Referral URL: Domain Names, Web Hosting and SSL Certificates - Go Daddy
      Name Server: NS37-DOMAINCONTROL-COM (Link broken by CyOp.)
      Name Server: NS38-DOMAINCONTROL-COM (Link broken by CyOp.)
      Status: clientDeleteProhibited
      Status: clientRenewProhibited
      Status: clientTransferProhibited
      Status: clientUpdateProhibited
      Updated Date: 27-oct-2010
      Creation Date: 26-oct-2004
      Expiration Date: 26-oct-2011

      --------------------------------------------------

      Well, I am going to change direction here, somewhat. I will try to be concise.

      My situation is really bad in a really big way. So, I thought that maybe I could learn how to sell some of my domain names. One of my probs with that idea was that I was missing that one name, in a suite of names I own. I have others I can sell, though. One, in just a basic appraisal, has a possible value of over $5000 USD. (And how do 'I' know if that appraisal is any good?)

      Bad way, big way... so, I need expert help, in a FAST way! I am just a few short baby steps away from being homeless.

      Now, I want no one to feel sorry for me. It was very difficult for me to post the above. I just did it because I need to know...

      what is the most concise, proper and best way to sell a domain name, or a suite of names? I was hoping to get that help here, at the Warrior Forum!

      BTW, I read the rules, and perused the forums. Hopefully, I am not doing anything wrong. Also, I guess it is not wise to post domain names here (like I did not do above)? And on my currently held domains, I have no privacy.

      Thank you all for the replies, and thanks in advance for any further help.

      EDIT: Heh, I am still reading, and re-reading rules, the FAQ, etc, and don't even know what most of the abbreviations mean.
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  • Profile picture of the author garyv
    Your best bet is to go to one of the auction sites, like flippa, and do a history search of domain names similar to yours and see what they are going for. Things people look for when pricing a domain are: age of domain name, Page Rank score, alexa rank, length of the name, popularity of the words in the name, etc.
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