Network Solutions caught registering all searched domains

[k0nr4d]

Looks like network solutions has been caught registering every domain customers search for on their site so that they cannot register them at another registrar

http://www.domainnamenews.com/featur...-searches/1359

example: youguysseriouslyregistereverythingisearch.com

[Mutt]

registrars are all sleazebags

[Oracle Porn]

wow
everyone is scum no matter what u say everyone is here for the money and will fuck you if the price is right

[Garvin]

Whois.sc did (and maybe still does) the same

[k0nr4d]

Whois.sc did (and maybe still does) the same

They do, I had a friend who was looking for a cosmetics company domain name, and she searched for it on whois.sc. Next day when she went to register it the domain was taken. It was a very obscure name too, specific to her brand.

[BSleazy]

I just confirmed this is true. http://whois.domaintools.com/youfuck...bigphatass.com

[tony286]

isnt that against the rules?

[rowan]

NSI's response:

http://www.circleid.com/posts/81082_...front_running/

I wonder if registrars (or high end domainers with access to an API) are already doing proactive registrations - pick a keyword, get a script to munch on keyword data such as overture or wordtracker, spit out 500 variants, then register them all and see what happens.

[rowan]

I wonder if registrars (or high end domainers with access to an API) are already doing proactive registrations - pick a keyword, get a script to munch on keyword data such as overture or wordtracker, spit out 500 variants, then register them all and see what happens.

^^ BTW this is referring to tasting, not actual permanent registration

polluting the domain name pool like blackhat subdomains pollute google

[FightThisPatent]

isnt that against the rules?

Apparently ICANN's 'rules' are either like swiss cheese or a thin veil.

I posted up some links to this story on my Fight the Blog blog


Fight the .$$$!

[k0nr4d]

lol at the responce by network solutions.

Protecting us from the front-runners by front-running. How nice of them!

[FightThisPatent]

I went to do a lookup for: StealThisDomainFromMe.com at Network Solutions, and the domain was available to register with the result: Domain Status: Never Registered Before

Then i did a lookup at: domaintools and look what it says not more than 1 minute later:

ICANN Registrar: NETWORK SOLUTIONS, LLC.
Created: 2008-01-09
Expires: 2009-01-09


Fight the virtual stick-up!

[Martin]

Thats why I use Godaddy. Always search there and buy there. Not one problem since day 1.

[FightThisPatent]

Found this quote:
http://www.circleid.com/posts/711281...front_running/

I’m Jon Nevett, Vice President of Policy at Network Solutions. Regarding Nominet’s study of domain name front running, I don’t know about .co.uk, but the practice certainly exists in gTLD space. Based on our experience and investigations, we disagree with the suggestion that front running cases are merely coincidental with other online activities, and that the problem is little more than a “public perception” issue. Our customers certainly have suffered from this troubling practice, and other registrars have stated the same thing. We are in a much better position than registries to know that it’s happening. Something should be done to protect consumers from such practices—it cannot wait for endless ICANN studies and policy development. Unfortunately, the failure to act is undermining consumer confidence in the domain registration process.

this is from the same company that brought us the little scam that when you type in a domain that isn't registered, that a parked page comes up??? The only protecting that Network Solutions is doing is their wallet.

Fight the Hooded Robin!

[DutchTeenCash]

NSI's response:

http://www.circleid.com/posts/81082_...front_running/

I wonder if registrars (or high end domainers with access to an API) are already doing proactive registrations - pick a keyword, get a script to munch on keyword data such as overture or wordtracker, spit out 500 variants, then register them all and see what happens.

just reading that

smart answer of NS

[BSleazy]

Thats why I use Godaddy. Always search there and buy there. Not one problem since day 1.

Same here.

[d-null]

I've had nothing but good luck with Godaddy as well.

and I think they run their tdnam.com site fairly as well

[FightThisPatent]

I wonder if registrars (or high end domainers with access to an API) are already doing proactive registrations - pick a keyword, get a script to munch on keyword data such as overture or wordtracker, spit out 500 variants, then register them all and see what happens.

of course.. that's what the 5-day (domain tasting) loophole allows. they can register 10,000's of domains a day, and see which ones are getting traffic, and then return the ones they don't want within 5 days. They have to pay the ICANN fee of like $0.25/domain and then purchase the domains they wanted to keep.

Fight the skript kiddies!

[mn]

no costs at all when using the grace period? I mean is it possible to reg 10000000000000000 domains and drop them after 5 days, then do it again etc. ?

My registrar charge a small fee for this I think, but never really looked into it.

[FightThisPatent]

no costs at all when using the grace period? I mean is it possible to reg 10000000000000000 domains and drop them after 5 days, then do it again etc. ?

$0.25 to taste for 5 days.


Fight the $0.02!

[mn]

$0.25 to taste for 5 days.


Fight the $0.02!

oh ok... didn't know, thanks

[BV]

I've heard of this before a long time ago and since then I never search for a domain using a registrar's search tool. I just type it in Google or in my browser to see if it is being used and if it doesnt show up I go straight to directnic and register it all in one quick swoop.

[pornguy]

Thats why you check them in a browser first. then if you find one that is not registered, or at least has no holding page or anything, you go and check with namecheap or something like that. If available reg it right then, You can let it expire later.

[LFCII]

I went to do a lookup for: StealThisDomainFromMe.com at Network Solutions, and the domain was available to register with the result: Domain Status: Never Registered Before

Then i did a lookup at: domaintools and look what it says not more than 1 minute later:

ICANN Registrar: NETWORK SOLUTIONS, LLC.
Created: 2008-01-09
Expires: 2009-01-09


Fight the virtual stick-up!

That is very sad. I want to rant more but I am getting tired of fighting the cluster fuck of business ethics this series of tubes has become.

[tranza]

That's fucked up...

[V_RocKs]

No... someone else was doing it when they released them.

[FightThisPatent]

That is very sad. I want to rant more but I am getting tired of fighting the cluster fuck of business ethics this series of tubes has become.

should be more than ranting, should have stakes and pitch forks and bondfires at the doors of ICANN (in santa monica) for the crazy stuff they do (*cough* .XXX *cough*).

There are plenty of ICANN haters who I am sure will use this issue to rally against ICANN.

Domain Tasting is flat-out wrong that provides for an uneven playing field.

Network Solutions "solution" of registering the domain to "protect" their customers should be calling for FTC investigation as it prevents anyone who conincidentally is thinking of the same domain but checking at another register, from being able to register it.


Fight the Taste Buds!

[FightThisPatent]

how long did that take?

my test took less than a minute.

Try this game at home:

http://www.networksolutions.com

put in a domain that is totally made up. notice it is available. click the stop watch. check back in a minute or two.

Can also verify by looking at another registry:

http://www.whois.sc


Fight the home version!

[Zorgman]

Damn, thats sucks. I remember using them for my first domain back in 1999. It was like $70 for 1 year I think.

[Boobs]

sad but true .. i tink godaddy does this too

[pornask]

Thats why I use Godaddy. Always search there and buy there. Not one problem since day 1.

[FightThisPatent]

sad but true .. i tink godaddy does this too

i did some tests with GoDaddy and DomainTools, and no results.

That doesn't mean they couldn't database those lookups and potentially sell them to third party who can get them later.


Fight the Conspiracy Theories!

[sortie]

my test took less than a minute.

Try this game at home:

http://www.networksolutions.com

put in a domain that is totally made up. notice it is available. click the stop watch. check back in a minute or two.

Can also verify by looking at another registry:

http://www.whois.sc


Fight the home version!

Trying that now. So far the domain I search on is still available.
So maybe this only happens if I add it to my shopping cart.
Holding the name after I add it to the shopping cart is a bit different since I
am implying that I want to purchase it.

I'll give it a few more minutes to see what happens.

[sortie]

Hmmmmmm? After I added it to shopping cart the whois.sc is showing a totaly blank page. Maybe I got blocked becuase I kept reloadng the page.
I got a blank page when trying another domain.

someone do a whois sc on this domain and tell me what you get

isthisafuckingscamyousleeze99.com

[FightThisPatent]

Trying that now. So far the domain I search on is still available.
So maybe this only happens if I add it to my shopping cart.

i didn't add it to the cart, just did the search, then went to whois.sc to view the results about a minute later.



Fight the jeopardy theme song!

[FightThisPatent]

Hmmmmmm? After I added it to shopping cart the whois.sc is showing a totaly blank page. Maybe I got blocked becuase I kept reloadng the page.
I got a blank page when trying another domain.

someone do a whois sc on this domain and tell me what you get

isthisafuckingscamyousleeze99.com

i tried your domain as well as: http://whois.domaintools.com/google.com got a white page..


Fight the there can be none whiter!

[sortie]

i didn't add it to the cart, just did the search, then went to whois.sc to view the results about a minute later.



Fight the jeopardy theme song!

Please do a whois on the above domain I posted.
I got blocked by whois.sc for some reason.

[filthydesign]

What a joke...

[baddog]

Thats why I use Godaddy. Always search there and buy there. Not one problem since day 1.

shhh, didn't you know? GoDaddy is scum.

</sarcasm>

[FightThisPatent]

Please do a whois on the above domain I posted.
I got blocked by whois.sc for some reason.

I jumped onto a different machine (diff IP, host, etc).. and got the white page.. its not you, its them.

Fight the finger pointing!

[sortie]

i tried your domain as well as: http://whois.domaintools.com/google.com got a white page..


Fight the there can be none whiter!

I tried it here and it shows NOT registered and available!

http://www.whois.net/dnr/index.php?d...eeze99&tld=com

Hmmmmmmm? Maybe there is a hidden cooperation going on.

[FightThisPatent]

I went to Network Solutions and put in:
thisdomainshouldbeavailable123.com

it was available, then tested by going to: http://www.whois.com/
and it was not available.. under one min!

I tried a previous test with random garbage letters and it didn't take. they may have a filter to only register domains with dictionary words.

Fight the sneaky sneaks!

[sortie]

I jumped onto a different machine (diff IP, host, etc).. and got the white page.. its not you, its them.

Fight the finger pointing!

Stop fighting everything!

Ok, it is a coincidence that whois.sc went down after I added the name to my shopping cart.

So, so far I cannot confirm that searching on the name alone will cause
NS to hold it. At least not a crappy name like the one I used.

[FightThisPatent]

I tried it here and it shows NOT registered and available!

Hmmmmmmm? Maybe there is a hidden cooperation going on.

i think they are running dictionary keywords through the lookup domain to only get those. i put in asdfaldsjflajdslfaja9sdfsd.com and it didn't take, but thisdomainshouldbeavailable123.com got snatched immediately.


Fight the picky!

[FightThisPatent]

Stop fighting everything!

Ok, it is a coincidence that whois.sc went down after I added the name to my shopping cart.

So, so far I cannot confirm that searching on the name alone will cause
NS to hold it. At least not a crappy name like the one I used.

you can use: http://www.whois.com/


Fight the fighting of everything!

[FightThisPatent]

Ok, it is a coincidence that whois.sc went down after I added the name to my shopping cart.

whois.sc is back up... maybe they had to remove the "shaving" feature


Fight the and now back from our unplanned downtime!

[sortie]

Fight the fighting of everything!

ok

[sortie]

whois.sc is back up... maybe they had to remove the "shaving" feature


Fight the and now back from our unplanned downtime!

Fuck! They grabbed this name

moneyfreetimenews.com

First I did a whois.sc and it was available.
Then I did a whois.net and it was available
Then I searched on NS and it was available
Then I went back to whois.sc and it was taken and registerd by NS
Then I went to whois.net and it was taken also.


Yep, all I did was search! I didn't add it to my shopping cart and I checked the shopping cart to see exactly what was there.

How long do they hold the name?

[Bear]

I just tried fuckyounetworksolutions.com on networksolutions.com, it was avaialbe when I search. But after 1 min, I do a search on whois.com :

Domain Name: www.fuckyounetworksolutions.com
Availability: No

Fuck you Network Solution!

[sortie]

50 stolen domains