Reminder- Domain Registrar Network Solutions Front Running On Whois Searches

[Head Boy]

Domain Registrar Network Solutions Front Running On Whois Searches » Domain Name News

I've just had someone request a domain name registration only to find that NetSol had seized it first. One of the limitations of my domain reg service is that all account updates need to be performed manually. I hope to change this, but at the moment, I'm afraid there is no alternative. The service was set up for Netponders who were being charged double for regs via Money Bookers, and because there was no reg service which accepted points. I appreciate that times have changed, and that I need to expand the payment options. I want to keep prices at their current low level, and that is why epass and credit cards are not viable for me.

Domainers should be careful when checking availability, and not use services which support "front runners" like NetSol. If you aren't sure which service to use, then register your names as quickly as possible - you can do this yourself if you have pre-loaded your account. In the event that you don't use the credit in your account, then pm me and I will refund the unused balance. Of course you can leave your account in credit and use that for future regs or renewals.

[TiredOldFool]

Interesting. I just read on NetSol's site yesterday how they were using the 4 day hold period to "Protect" domain buyers. So if they search using NetSol's search feature, NetSol will automatically put a 4-day hold on the domain "in case" the user comes back and wants to buy it. The irony of this is their marketing department is promoting this as a feature to combat against front running.

You can read about their "protective feature" here : Customer Protection Measure | Network Solutions

-ToF

[daedal]

It just seems to me as a way for Network Solutions to force people to register domains through themselves. They may promote it as a 'protective feature' but its obviously a money making feature for them.

[Hentaikid]

Yes that's exactly what it is.

[Head Boy]

Domain registrars have got a problem at the moment as margins are tight to non existent. Some are even selling registrations at a loss. They need to pick up extra income, and they do this in a variety of ways. Extra paid services is one obvious one, and so are extra charges for recovering expired names. Persuading customers to register additional (and more profitable) TLDs is yet another trick. You should always check the small print to see if there are supplementary charges on top of the advertised price - Godaddy is the obvious example with their $6.95 regs that turn out to have a supplementary charge when you come to pay for them. Watch out for credit card surcharges as well as higher renewal fees and charges for transfers out.

I cover costs with my reg services, but I don't make enough profit to offer the service outside Netpond. If I were to expand the client base, then I would need to start introducing some of the extras, and I don't want to get involved in that. However parking pages, and name sales might be useful additions at some time in the future.

[goddess0169]

thanks for the heads up with this. i wasnt watching who i was checking it with really

[glowlite]

The "supplementary charge" at GD is the 20c mandatory ICANN fee and it's clearly labeled multiple times and places throughout the site and in the shopping cart at checkout time.

Of course you always word it to sound as if GD and GD resellers are trying to f*ck somebody out of 20c. Yet somehow the GoDaddy Group has managed to hold/sell nearly 27% of the domain names on the planet Earth. That's 26,000,000+ (26 million+) domain names housed at the GD Group.

I don't think GD got to be #1 with such a big lead on Enom by using deceptive business practices. The nearest contender holding the distant #2 spot in global domain sales is Enom with 8,000,000+ domains.

[Head Boy]

It's misleading advertising Glowlite, and adding an asterisk isn't clear labelling. Many resellers don't even bother with the asterisk. Why don't they say $7.15? It's still a good price, but it doesn't have the same impact as $6.95 with/without a "*"

[glowlite]

It's misleading advertising Glowlite, and adding an asterisk isn't clear labelling. Many resellers don't even bother with the asterisk. Why don't they say $7.15? It's still a good price, but it doesn't have the same impact as $6.95 with/without a "*"

Well here's the sad news HB. All resellers DO display the asterisk* on their custom pages, or, upon discovery and warning, they are no longer resellers.

It is not misleading, that is just your opinion. Your posts are more misleading than the use of the asterisk. "supplementary charge"? WTF? it's labeled "ICANN fee" not "supplementary charge". I agree "supplementary charge" sounds like an underhanded deceptive term. "ICANN fee" does not and the ICANN fee doesn't apply to all TLDs and is only added to the ones that it does apply to.

Why don't they say $7.15? - it doesn't really matter why, it's their chosen method of marketing, maybe you should email GoDaddy or Wild West and ask them. It's (*) quite common in US marketing on web, TV, and print. I guess the time and $$$ Bob spends on market research is for naught? Log in to his blog and ask him.

As a member of NP you have the rights to express your opinions about almost anything. But as a Mod I would think you would be more cautious about the way you word things. Everything you do or say as a Mod reflects on Netpond as 1)an online entity, 2)the Netpond owners, and 3)Netpond advertisers and potential advertisers.

I can tell you if I owned Netpond the first time I saw a Mod use the term PreyPal in a derogatory manner that Mod would be making an instant career decision. DON'T recant all the PayPal stories HB. We've all heard it and each of us has formed an opinion. I feel the use of the term PreyPal is a step over the line. As an NP members opinion? yup, fine, use it. As an appointed NP Mod? nope, very unprofessional, lose it.

Maybe you should be a GoDaddy reseller.
Embrace the 21st century and ride the domain wave. It's easy!

[GTP Dave]

I am a "wild west reseller" and fall into this category... an "asterisk" is mandatory, otherwise it would be misleading representation and false advertising...
As glowlite pointed out, an * is not only used in the USA, but as well internationally, even on legal forms.

But as a domain reseller I am not reaping benefits or profiting by selling domain names, but on the upsell of "other" services...
I couldn`t give a flying F*** about $.10 profit even if I grabbed a whale who registered 5000 domains in a year...

Too bad this thread got a smack in the face and is no longer about "Front Running"

[glowlite]

Originally Posted by GTP Dave

....Too bad this thread got a smack in the face and is no longer about "Front Running"

Sorry ... I got started and couldn't get stopped GTP Dave *

Yes, front running and how it affects all of us is important for everyone to know about and understand. I cited the minutes of an ICANN meeting recently in the domain forum. In that meeting front running was on the agenda but the board members didn't get around to discussing it thoroughly.

They did however put a lid on tasting in the same meeting.



* Sorry 'bout derailing the thread ...