I was looking back through some posts over the years that we wrote relating to the SnapNames bidding Scandal and found this one which I wrote arising from a from November 2009 press release by Namejet.
Our post was entitled “Namejet Plays The “This Can’t Happen To Us” Card & That’s Troubling”.
We cautioned Namejet that “Shill bidding” could take many forms and it was the time to be more vigilant than less in light of the SnapNames bidding Scandal
Well I guess I was right in 2009.
Here is how our that post read back in 2009:
“Late today, we received a notice from NameJet.com, basically saying that what happened at Snapnames.com could not happen at NameJet.com
“””At NameJet we have the necessary security protocols in place to prevent this kind of incident.”””
“”We have security procedures and policies in place that monitor all activities to ensure that “shill” bidding does not occur. “”
All of the domain community hopes so.
However, it’s a little disconcerting to me that NameJet.com is taking the position; what happened there can never happen here.
I’m sure if you asked SnapNames.com a few months ago, they would have said the situation they find themselves in today could never happen to them, could never even be imagined.
An employee engaging in shill bidding is just one of the many games and scams that can victimize bidders in an auction. There are tons more.
I would hope that today’s news from Snapnames.com would cause everyone in the space to open their eyes to all the possibilities that exist and be vigilant to find issues, rather than close their eyes and say it can’t happen to us.
Here is the full announcement from NameJet.com:
“””Dear Valued NameJet Customer,
As you may have already heard, another company in our same line of business, SnapNames, was the victim of an internal security breach. We wanted to address any concerns you may have and assure you that at NameJet we have the necessary security protocols in place to prevent this kind of incident.
What Happened at SnapNames:
According to SnapNames, an employee set up an account on SnapNames under a false name. Under this account, the employee bid in SnapNames auctions. In many instances the bidding by this employee caused the ultimate auction winner to pay more for a name than had the employee not participated in the auction. In addition, on certain occasions, when the employee won an auction, the employee secretly arranged for a refund from SnapNames. This was in violation of SnapNames internal policy, and once discovered the company immediately closed the account in question and the employee was dismissed.
We commend SnapNames for taking quick and decisive action once it discovered its security breach.
NameJet has Strict Security to Prevent Anything Similar:
You should have full confidence nothing similar has occurred on NameJet. We have security procedures and policies in place that monitor all activities to ensure that “shill” bidding does not occur. Further, employees are strictly barred from bidding on auctions and NameJet has both internal and external monitoring to ensure all security procedures are enforced. These procedures were developed and are maintained by two of the world’s largest and most trusted registrars.
Thank you for your business and for your ongoing trust in NameJet.
If you have any questions regarding this issue, please contact us at customers@namejet.com.
Sincerely,
Steve Brown
General Manager
NameJet.com””
Hubris can be an incredibly sneaky and destructibe mofo.
Thanks for taking the time to resurface Michael
RP
I was on the phone with Namejet this week behind the scene trying to get them to come to a good decision, with Mr Schwartz on occasion as well
So I’m around, I will have some thoughts on the situation tomorrow
One more thing Michael. I dont like this:
https://www.benzinga.com/news/17/07/9802219/web-com-shares-down-1-60-over-last-few-mins-as-traders-circulating-word-co-may-no
Exactly “who” circulated an apparent false rumor on why web.com stock dropped on 7/17/19?
Enough bullshit. Perhaps the SEC should take a look into this.
Corrected: date of article published 7/20/17
URL is incorrect w/ date
As long as they escape the law this will happen again.
The “industry” is still very much a Wild West without much good useful pro-consumer regulation. George Kirikos’s point about relying on apathy in the July 19 “biggest problems” thread is also spot on, such a typical tactic. I’ve never even told the horror story of what one registrar did to flat out sabotage .US after its release for instance, requiring registry intervention, which to my surprise actually even occurred like the US Air Force swooping in no less, but some day perhaps I will. And that’s just one story I could tell about companys behaving badly…
*companies, that is. 🙂
P.S. Now that I mention it, I also have quite a story from some years ago regarding NJ itself, but I can’t share that now. It was not completely under a rock at the time, however.
Aren’t there enough Steves already, now there was a Steve Brown at NameJet in denial over damage caused by an individual named Brady at SnapNames …too much.
That’s it, I’m changing my name to Silvio Dante, Ritchie Aprile or better yet Ralph Cifaretto.
@steve brady,
Come on! Domainers like names. Let us domainers pick your new name!
“Surely you can’t be Serious?” “I am Serious and don’t call me Shirley.”
“We have security procedures and policies in place that monitor all activities to ensure that “shill” bidding does not occur.”
It’s pretty obvious that they have absolutely nothing in place to protect their customers. Who’s on the take at Namejet? People are stupid, so just look for the guy that just bought the $200,000 boat on a $50,000 salary. It happens all the time. LOL
they need a new slogan : ‘ never say never ´ :)))
Namejet put profits before people, and ethically they had some bad seeds, doing some things that went against TOS, and they let it slide, and then it all comes out.
Who at Namejet will be held accountable?
So they have found wrong doing, they have suspended people, now the victims of these suspensions, compensation is due.
Namejet – Jetting Your Money Off To Gibraltar