If you use SnapNames.com you need to check the domain names you acquired since October, especially November and December.
You may not be the owner of the domain.
There are a few issues going on with SnapNames.com which I was first informed about by another large domainer yesterday who asked to remain anonymous.
He reported that 10 domains that he got through SnapNames.com in November and December were not owned by him.
I checked my account since October and found a total of 7 domains that we got through SnapNames.com and paid for that are not currently showing my company Worldwide Media, Inc. as the owner.
From what I been able to tell there are at least three problems most of which all relate to domains caught by Dotster.com
Dotster was acquired by Domain.com a few months ago and is apparently having some integration issues.
First of tall there is a stuffing problem, where the corporate parent of Dotster is showing as the owner of the domain rather than the domain holder who either successfully back ordered the domain or won the auction for it.
These domains appear to be owned by Endurance International Group, the parent company of domain.com which Dotster is now owned by.
I logged in to Domain.com to manage one of the domains in issue and although I can see the domain in my Domain.com account, I can’t manage it as the domain is whited out.
So at the moment these domains are showing as being owned by Endurance are not usable or changeable.
Another issues is that one some of the domain names another party is showing as the owner of the domain we acquired through SnapNames.com
These domain names were also caught through Dotster.com, but have a completely different owner.
In two cases TopWebNames.com in Hawaii, which seems to be another domainer, is the listed owner of the domain names, including GreenScreens.com, which we just won at auction on December 13th for $775.
The third issue is that one some of the domain names, the former owner of the domain is still showing as the owner of the domain.
At least one of the domains at issue, thesynergy.com, a domain I won a auction for back on October 16th for $184 according to DomainTools.com seems to have been owned by the same company since December 2011, Synergy Solutions, of Athens, AL. Again according to DomainTools.com the domain was never expired, in redemption or pending delete, yet I acquired it and paid for it in October.
The bigger issue is that this is not a self curing problem at this point.
I chatted with SnapNames.com yesterday about these issues, and for now, you as the domain holder is going to have to figure out what domain(s) you have an issue with and notify SnapNames.com so they can get it resolved. For now if you don’t identify the problem and bring it to SnapNames.com attention its not going to get fixed.
SnapNames.com has decided at least for now, not to be proactive and contact the customers that got the domains to let them know there is a problem.
So I am.
How wide spread is the problem?
I don’t know, but I suspect if two large domain holders have an issue there are other domain holders out there with issues they just don’t know about.
In light of the problems with my account and the other domainers account, I thought it was only right to give everyone a “heads up” to check their Snapnames.com account and make sure that you own every domain showing in your account.
All the domains I have an issue with at Dotster domains with the exception of one domain which is registered with “Chinesedomains”
In your Snapnames.com account you can click on “History & Profile, then “Purchase History” you can sort by Registrar Name to sort by Registrar and then look for Dotster.
Just for the record here are the domain names I have an issue with:
greenscreens.com
freeflushot.com
brainwasher.com
thesynergy.com
finecigar.com
onthedayyouwereborn.com
saladcart.com
Once you check your account you can report back any problems here or hopefully lack of problems.
If you do find one or more domains that you won or back ordered showing under your purchase history that is not in your name, you should contact SnapNames.com support immediately.
SnapNames.com asked that problems to be reported directly to them at snapnames.com/support.jsp
If you prefer to call SnapNames.com here is the numbers and hours of support:
General SnapNames Support:
Toll free in the U.S. and Canada: 866-690-6279
Outside the U.S. and Canada: 503-241-8547
Languages spoken: English
Hours of operation
Monday through Friday
7:00am to 8:00pm US Eastern Standard Time
4:00am to 5:00pm US Pacific Standard Time
11:00am to 12:00 Midnight UTC
Saturday and Sunday
8:00am to 6:00pm US Eastern Standard Time
5:00am to 3:00pm US Pacific Standard Time
Noon to 10:00pm UTC
Happened to me twice last two months.
Support does not answer. No refunds, no domains. Totally fail..
Popcorn Please.
Here we go again!
The real scandalous catcher is Pool.com and how they dropped the ball on paid customers.
Mike
Thanks for bringing this information public – I am also having issues with the following domains:
TimeToReflect.com
EverlastingJoy.com
Snap supports continues to reply with the Dotster support phone number and link to Dotster support. The problem is their support phone number does not answer and with your domain not associated with Dotster, you can’t create a support ticket.
Dan
thanks for the report Mike,
I had a similar problem last March via SN/ Rainydaydomains / Moniker…
“SnapNames.com asked that problems to be reported directly to them at snapnames.com/support.jsp”
Of course Snapnames can’t be bothered to send their customers this information.
Had MAJOR problems with Dotster several months ago trying to renew… then move out a couple .vc domains.
RUN away from Dotster.
Halvarez is back at it again !!!
Lets See – are Moniker and Snapnames under the same (mis)management / ownership. Not good PR for these other businesses under the same ownership 🙂
Dotster and it’s affiliate registrars (such as MyDomain.com) .. where most of my SnapNames wins have been consolidated & managed over the past few years) have been undertaking a “migration” to a new & different (they say upgraded) platform at Domain.com (as alluded to above) over the past few months…. the set & scheduled migration/import date of this has been delayed & pushed back a few times now for my account (as wel as many others I’m sure)
I have had great difficulty transferring domains out since October … and spent/wasted volumous hours on the phone following up on the already longstanding & unresolved support tickets… on many domains I can NOT UnLock them I keep on getting a “500 Internal Error Code”…. for some I can’t get EPP Auth codes…. so on some that are close to renewal/expiration I “Have To” renew them there at a higher price than my main registrars that I want to transfer & consolidate to… cuz the support tickets along with follow-up phone calls go unresolve for Sooooooo long … Argh !
Then when I paid with PayPal (rater than Card on file) for a few… they misplaced or can’t the funds received (double confirmed by PayPal).. then started support ticket… then 3 follow-up phone calls over 2 weeks along with typing a few update requests in support ticket system… Then they can only resove/find payment on some…then I have to pay “Again” via credit card… When they escalatedcthe issue to senior msanagers …it actually went backward..really
Now as for domains won at SnapNames via affilated patner registrars Dotster, MyDomains and Domains.com… I noticed that many of my Domains were Not going into my “:main/primary” account…. a brand new account with different login info was set up for such domains won… they said they would help me locate consolidate all domains with my same E-mail Address going back 3 weeks ago…but have Not done so yet…. Argh !
Seems like an effective way to scare customers Away… Eh ?
Now…after this “Alert” here …I’m gonna have to spend time seeing if any Snap wins are Not showing under my “ownership”….Argh !
I think I’m gonna have to send Dotster/Domain.com a Bill….. to reimburse for all the needless expended and lost time… Eh ! …. It has been written “Time is Money” !
Thanks for the “Heads Up” on this other serious problem MB !
Reeally gotta go now and Search & see which names I won & paid for but apparently don’t really own currently… and I thought I was gonna have a productive day today …….Argh !
Thanks for the important heads up Mike – I’ve found a December win of mine with Endurance International Group whois details and will act now to seek a fix.
We sincerely apologize for any issues currently being experienced with Dotster domains won through SnapNames. We will make issues right working with each and every one of you to confirm your purchases and to fix problems where they exist.
We stand behind our customers and partners in good and bad times and will work tirelessly for resolution in each and every case. We own it, and will work to help you resolve all issues even if it means working throughout the holiday.
Some buyers have not experienced issues, some buyers have had issues resolved and some buyers still require a resolution. The known possible problems are as follows:
• Purchased domain transferred to the buyer’s Dotster/Endurance account but the Whois was not updated with the buyer’s contact information.
• Upon purchase from SnapNames, the buyer received account login information via a confirmation email that did not work to access their Dotster account that the domain purchased resides.
• A very small subset of expiring names in November did not get renewed when transferred to the buyer’s account. We will work with you to resolve these cases.
Please contact me directly so that I can work with Dotster and our team to expedite your request. My personal mobile number and work email is below. Again we apologize and will investigate each and every report for a resolution.
Best Regards,
Michele Van Tilborg
SnapNames, CMO
michelev@snapnames.com
(Mobile) 310-467-2549
@ MicheleVT
Could you PLEASE help get Dotster/MyDomain/Domain.com to Consolidate ALL domains won at SnapNames by Dotster affiliate Registrars into One Main Account … or Orgiginal Master account …ASAP… instead of them have so many new accounts for individual domains.. with multiple “new” usernames/account numbers and passwords ???
As, this has made things very and needlessly time consuming, confusing and frustrating.
I have made 3 requests for this an the 2nd & 3rd time they said the request would not be ignored or taken lightly… but Nothing has been resolved there on this yet… also they even close out support tickets Before things are resolved or fixed as promised
@MVT , I’m very appreciative you made this Post…. and very much wish Dotster/Domain.com would chime in here too … They need to show they care and really act & cooperate fully rather than just talk the talk
Hi JNet,
Can please send me an email so that we can research your request at michelev@snapnames.com.
Thank you.
Michele Van Tilborg
having had dealings with her before, I can tell you that there is no better person to sort this out with than Michele. She will help get this mess fixed, so be nice when you talk to her 😉
Dotster.com would like to sincerely apologize for issues being experienced by some our customers for domains won through SnapNames.com. We are working with a sense of urgency to ensure domain Whois data updates as quickly as possible. Dotster is committed to working with SnapNames and each of our affected customers to resolve these issues quickly. You can contact us at gary@dotster-inc.com or you can call 1-800-401-5250 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
Sincerely,
Gary Engel
Senior Vice President Customer Service & Sales
DBNR
Raynelle Sibel
Executive Response Team
@JNet,
I have had most of the exact same problems you described, to a T. I’ve already commented about it in passing on another blog …
On the record: http://acro.net/blog/domains/pool-kicks-snapnames-in-the-gonads/comment-page-1/#comment-23767
Fortunately none of my recent acquisitions were affected by this current snafu.
Hello again,
Thanks to this blog post and Michele Van Tilborg,
Finally my problem has been solved. Money is refunded and second domain is in my panel now.
I just discovered a problem with a few of my domains at MyDomains.com and thought I’d pass on a heads-up.
A couple of my names expired in December and I renewed them shortly thereafter. However, the DNS was changed (as is often the case) but did NOT change back once I had renewed them. The DNS was changed to
NS1.NOLONGERUSEDDOMAIN.COM
(and so on) and actually they did not even resolve. Not really happy about that but at least I caught it before too long.
Many registrars change the servers after expiration to their own to get the parking revenue and don’t change it back after renewal
Thanks, Mike.
Guess I’ve just been “fortunate” for the most part.
And the key is don’t let them expire in the first place.
Just called Snapnames main number… press 1 to dial by name or stay on the line. I stay on the line.
Then I get message that this number is no longer in service and hangs up.
Great customer service.
I’ve experienced a similar case after I won a Snapnames auction a few days ago. I received email confirmation from Snapnames that the name was mine, I had an email from MyDomain.com with the account details. I logged in, made some DNS changes and all was apparently good. Then the next day the domain was missing from my account. I called MyDomain and they told me the name was now in somebody else’s account. They wouldn’t move it back for me and couldn’t explain how it got moved or by who. After two days of raising support cases neither MyDomain or Snapnames have been able to explain what has happened, return the domain to me or give me a refund. I guess I’m going to have to claim the money back from my credit card company.