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Iam confirming that Network Solutions steals domain ideas when peoplecheck domain availability on the Network Solutions website. They seemto have started the practice of stealing domain ideas on December 16th2007 according to our Domain History database but I was just made awareof this practice today. I am appalled at the concept of taking people’sdomain ideas and registering it before the consumer has the ability tomanually register the domain.
It is a deplorable action that Network Solution would announcepotential domain names to the entire world. If a customer chooses notto register the domain name with Network Solution they are forced towait 4 days for Network Solutions to delete the domain name in the FreeAdd Grace period. After the four day hostage period the consumer isfree from the hostage situation and can register the domain somewhereelse. However Network Solutions has now exposed those domains to DomainTasters that will snipe those domain up milliseconds after Network Solutions deletes them.By registering the domain Network Solutions is exposing the domain inthe DNS and every computer in the world now knows about the domain.These domains are now easy fodder for scammers and it is mind blowingthat Network Solutions would expose their customers queries to the world in this manner.
Domain has never been registered before: Network Solutions is now the best friend of Domain Snipers and Spys.I tested the system by going to Network Solutions and looking up theavailability of Neiman Marcus Verizon.com.Sure enough the domain was available to be registered, however when Icheck the whois it now said it was taken by Network Solutions. I wasnot able to register the domain at GoDaddy.
Network Solutions says it is available: Network Solutions sets up a website on the domain: The domain is now registered to Network Solutions, LLC Network Solutions really screwed up on this one. The exposer oftheir customers was put before corporate profit on this one. If you useNetwork Solutions to check if a domain is available they will literallyregister the domain without your knowledge and hold it hostage for 4days with a price tag of $34.99.
This easily makes Network Solutions the worst Registrar in theworld. I hope that they cease this activity immediately as this hasgiven them the worst black eye and makes the entire industry look bad.They actually think they are doing customers favors with this littledirty trick. These guys are clueless!
Network Solutions is front running domain name registrations, temporarily preventing competitors from selling domains that web users show interest in. But the popular registrar insists this is merely a way of preventing others from front running.
As originally noted by the URL-obsessed webbies at DomainState - a message board for domain name owners - Network Solutions is now self-registering URLs that customers search for but don't immediately buy.
Network Solutions did not respond to multiple requests for comment. And we mean multiple. But the company did toss a statement at CircleID - a news and information site dedicated to internet infrastructure and policies. In the statement, Network Solutions vice president of policy Jonathon Nevett says the company is front running to prevent others from front running:
Quote:
In response to customer concerns about Domain Name Front Running (domains being registered by someone else just after they have conducted a domain name search), we have implemented a security measure to protect our customers. The measure will kick in when a customer searches for an available domain name at our website, but decides not to purchase the name immediately after conducting the search.
After the search ends, we will put the domain name on reserve. During this reservation period, the name is not active and we do not monetize the traffic on these domains. If a customer searches for the domain again during the next 4 days at networksolutions.com, the domain will be available to register. If the domain name is not purchased within 4 days, it will be released back to the registry and will be generally available for registration.
This protection measure provides our customers the opportunity to register domains they have previously searched without the fear that the name will be already taken through Front Running.
Nevett says this is an effort to "take an arrow out of the quiver" of so-called domain tasters. You see, domains have a pretty good return policy. When you register a domain, you can get your money back if you return it within five days. A domain taster is someone who uses this ample grace period to "test the marketability" of a domain without actually buying it.
Network Solutions' Mr. Policy point out that "domain tasters are the largest Front Runners." In other words, many domain tasters have found a way of monitoring searches on registrar sites like the one run by Network Solutions, and they use those searches to nab URLs they'd like to taste.
"Due to no fault of registrars, Front Runners purchase search data from Internet Service Providers and/or registries and then taste those names," says Nevett.
This may be true. But Mr. Policy fails to point out that in nabbing domain searches - taking advantage of the same five-day grace period domain tasters exploit - Network Solutions has itself become a front runner. If you search on a domain and don't immediately purchase it, you can still go back and buy it. But for the next four days, you can't buy it from anyone other than Network Solutions.
"Some folks may not agree with our approach," says Mr. Policy, "but we are trying to prevent this malicious activity from impacting our customers."
But how does this practice in any way protect the company's customers? Domains tasters can still purchase the Network Solutions-registered URLs. It's just that they can't purchase the from anyone other than Network Solutions.
So, Network Solutions profits from innocent buyers as well as thieving domain tasters. In the short run.
Network Solutions isn't breaking the rules with its nasty little trick. ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) has yet to ban the practice. But one thing's for sure. If Network Solutions keeps this up, its regular customers will quit coming back.
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