Network Solutions, one of the few companies left in the domain registration world that I had retained my trust in has just bit off a bit more than they can chew. Slashdot & a number of other sites are running stories about Network Solutions purchasing domain names immediately after a user checks if they're available.
DomainNameNews has some additional information on the story:
Domain Registrar Network Solutions Front Running On Whois Searches
"A story is developing regarding domain name registrar Network Solutions front running domains. According to multiple sources on DomainState.com, it appears that domains searched via NSI are being purchased by the registrar thereby preventing a registrant from purchasing it at any other registrar other than NSI. As an example, a random domain which DNN searches such as HowDoesThisDomainTasteTaste.com can be seen in this whois search to now be unavailable to register at other registrars but at NSI it can be purchased"
While purchasing domain names in advance to resell them to clients isn't directly forbidden by the ICANN rules and terms of service, it certainly leaves a bad taste in anyones' mouth who uses Network Solutions to search for available domains.
In the future use sources like Enom or Namecheap to search for available domains. Stay safe!
This isn't the first provider to have done so but it's certainly the most vocal, given Network Solutions' size. A number of providers in the past have been caught redhanded with similar tactics.
More information regarding this story is available at Slashdot and Dotsauce:
Fri, 11 January 2008, 00:28
Well probably, but at what point would ICANN turn round and say "well this is getting silly" if somebody were to, I dunno - make a little script that looks up a few thousand random domains ever hour?
Or if a few people did that.
Thu, 10 January 2008, 01:15
Streaky,
Well, I don't think it costs them a single cent. They're allowed to get refunds from domains up to 7 days after the fact -- some people disagree but even Bob Parsons makes reference to it.
This costs them absolutely nothing to do.
Wed, 9 January 2008, 10:03
Wow, y'know I didn't really believe this until I saw it with my own eyes.
Well - I believed it but I expected that maybe they'd be doing it manually on the domains that look useful.
What I didn't expect is for them to automatically insta-register every single domain that goes through their lookup tool. I was a true believer myself after I tried to lookup NETWORKSOLUTIONS-LIKE-TO-STEAL-PEOPLES-DOMAINS.COM on their site - which was unregistered, then checked at enom - taken :/ What the?
Now its NS is pointed at:
ns1.reserveddomainname.com. [205.178.190.55]
ns2.reserveddomainname.com. [205.178.189.55]
Whois?
Registrant:
Network Solutions
ATTN: RESERVEDDOMAINNAME.COM
c/o Network Solutions
P.O. Box 447
Herndon, VA. 20172-0447
Ugh!
Are they not worried about somebody might automatically lookup millions of random domains a minute? Seems odd they wouldn't be.
But most of all.. Ugh wtf? Don't use their site.