While you might want to think so

April 1, 2002 1:53 PM

While you might want to think so none of the stories on this site are jokes. Ever since Network Solutions was assimilated by Verisign ("Trust is the foundation of every human relationship"), their tactics to obtain (or retain) your business have gotten sneakier. Be warned, non-Verisign domain registrants, you may get an invoice from Verisign that looks like this. Ethical? Hardly. Try as I might, I can't find anyone trying to stop Verisign from these practices. I'm beginning to think Verisign is really run by these folks. By the way, this is my first post. Please be gentle.
posted by WolfDaddy (15 comments total)

I hate sites that DEMAND my using the webmaster's preferred browser...


nH
posted by niteHawk at 2:20 PM on April 1, 2002

I wouldn't expect service to get much better now that Microsoft bought Verisign.
posted by waxpancake at 2:37 PM on April 1, 2002

I had a similar email sent to me by Register.com for a domain that I had registered with them back in '00, but moved it to a new registrar (Gandi) in '01. They sent me an email on Saturday saying I have only 72 hours left before my domain expires, but my domain doesn't expire until 2003.
posted by riffola at 2:38 PM on April 1, 2002

I just got one of those in the mail, even though Verisign/NetSol isn't my registrar. I almost signed it and sent it in - it was that convincing. Luckily I noticed the word "transfer" in the instructions and promptly shredded it. This is one of the sneakiest things I've seen in a while.
posted by laz-e-boy at 3:02 PM on April 1, 2002

hah. i was charged by register.com for the renewal of a domain that i had every intention of letting expire. i guess it's my fault for not reading the slew of "your domain name is about to expire" e-mails they had sent me, which, frankly, i ignored because of the sheer volume of spam they typically send out.

and the kicker is that they likely know how shady their practice is, because the renewal invoice had a link on it to a page where i could cancel the order and get a refund.
posted by damn yankee at 3:02 PM on April 1, 2002

I just got an email from NetSol for a domain I tried to register [and they charged me for] six months ago. The domain was a two letter .info domain which is against the ICANN rules, I guess. However, instead of the online signup machine saying "hey, that's against the rules, you can't sign up for it" they signed me up, took my money and didn't let me know until months later that there had been a mistake [theirs]. Money was refunded roughly 3 months later, apology email followed in three more months.
posted by jessamyn at 3:31 PM on April 1, 2002

I wouldn't expect service to get much better now that Microsoft bought Verisign.

That had better be an April Fool's Day prank.

Please?
posted by WolfDaddy at 3:50 PM on April 1, 2002

Well, the general lack of responsiveness combined with just plain predatory behavior resulted in me movie my domains off to Doster quite a while back. Their site is easier to use, updates just work and they are cheap. There are other third party registrars that make people just as happy. The sad part is that I still get renewal mail from Verisign/NSI for domains they haven't had in nearly 2 years.
posted by shagoth at 4:11 PM on April 1, 2002

hah. i was charged by register.com for the renewal of a domain that i had every intention of letting expire. i guess it's my fault for not reading the slew of "your domain name is about to expire" e-mails they had sent me, which, frankly, i ignored because of the sheer volume of spam they typically send out.

No, it's not your fault. Register.com has a "Safe Renew" feature where they automatically renew your domain name using the credit card information you gave them when you registered the domain in the first place. Trouble is, this feature is turned on by default. I learned the hard way after having several domains that I intended to lapse re-registered without my consent. Go turn this feature off on the domains you're not interested in keeping long term.
posted by laz-e-boy at 4:12 PM on April 1, 2002

Yeah, um, those renewals really make me mad..

But that bunny site *really* pisses me off!
posted by punkrockrat at 4:41 PM on April 1, 2002

We've been getting something kind of similar (well, at least similarly annoying) for a while in Australia. All .com.au registrations are done through Melbourne IT, but a number of companies "compete" to reregister you...some time before your domain is ACTUALLY due for renewal, a company who has NOTHING to do with Melbourne IT sends you a notice telling your domain is due for renewal, would you like to renew it. The naive domain owner says "Yes thanks" and sends them a shite-load more money than is actually required to renew the domain through Melbourne IT. The said sad excuse for a corporate entity makes a whole pile of money simply from the fact that they send you a renewal notice a month before Melbourne IT does.
posted by Jimbob at 5:05 PM on April 1, 2002

As long as we're recommending alternate registrars, I'd like to recommend these guys, a division of TuCows. The ISP for whom I'm the hostmaster uses OpenSRS and we've never had any problems. They charge us $10/domain, and let us charge whatever we feel is appropriate to our customers. Their service is excellent, they're knowledgable, and, at least as of yet, haven't started spamming people with fake invoices. What's not to love? :)
posted by WolfDaddy at 6:05 PM on April 1, 2002

Agreed, Wolfdaddy, OpenSRS rocks. Not just "they don't suck", they actually rock.

Our favorite is updating records on our server, and those changes propogating right away, instead of waiting for a registrar to get around to it.

Several months ago they were also collecting information to document Verisign screwing transfers up in such a way that it (surprise)favored Verisign.
posted by dglynn at 6:35 PM on April 1, 2002

I have seen half a dozen companies pull this "renewal" thing. They've been poaching NetSol-registered domains for years. Looks like the poachee is trying to get even. Doesn't make it right of course, although a significant percentage of domain holders don't even know what a domain IS, let alone care who the registrar is.

Let 'em eat cake.
posted by wiinga at 9:30 PM on April 1, 2002

I think this is pretty disturbing.
posted by dobbs at 9:33 PM on April 1, 2002