WARNING with Register.com / Snapnames expiring domains!

A warning was posted at the popular domain name forum NamePros.com from user “werty” about how register.com and snapnames.com treat expiring domains. Werty claims that he won a domain name auction at Snapnames for an expiring name from Register.com. The domain name was put into werty’s register.com account after werty paid for it. But then suddenly, 2 weeks later, the domain was removed from the account without any explanation given:

So this is what happened: Over 2 weeks ago I won an expiring domain auction on snapnames for $214.00. The domain was with register.com. So I noticed the whois wasn’t displaying my info and I tried updating from my register.com account with no luck. I contacted both register.com support and snapnames support to fix this whois issue. Well today, the domain was removed from my register.com account and given back to the previous owner who let it expire. When I spoke to snapnames on the phone, they admitted that register.com simply decided to take the domain back. They admitted it was dirty on register’s side but that they can’t do anything about it because it’s part of their partnership agreement. Anybody else with similar issues!?

He is supposed to get a refund but that is not the point. Paid for domains can’t be removed from people’s accounts. Go Daddy does something similar where the original owner can renew a domain after the expiring auction has ended (and the domain is paid) but at least they don’t put domains into accounts and then take them back.

Register.com is probably the worst registrar. They won’t send me an auth code so I can transfer out a domain name unless I call them from Greece! And when I do call them they can take up to 5 days to send the authorization code.

Sold.Domains

About Konstantinos Zournas

I studied Computer Engineering and Computer Science in London, UK and I am now living in Athens, Greece. I went online in 1995, started coding in 1996 and began buying domain names and creating websites in 2000. I started the OnlineDomain.com blog in 2012.

4 comments

  1. It’s the same policy that applies via NameJet to all pre-released domains registered to NetSol, eNom, Register.com and Fabulous. The previous registrant can ‘wake up’ and regain the domain within a set number of days (up to 42 days at NameJet.)

  2. *

    When will we “wake up” and stop supporting these companies?

    I’m getting close…

    🙁

    *

  3. snapnames is getting worse and worse. they’re using more random registrars, not emailing login instructions, putting the domains under privacy, and then we win and pay for them, but can’t log into an account to transfer them. i just deleted 4500 backorders from snapnames. In looking at the year in review, i have 12 domains I paid for and can’t get from snapnames.

    but this is how it’s always been with any of the pre-release domains. drops are different. if you get a drop at snapnames or namejet, it’s yours. you just can’t move it to your registrar of choice for a few months. but anything on a pre-release you can’t count on actually having that domain till you pull it out of that registrar into a different one. backdoor deals aren’t called backdoor deals for no reason.

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