I only found out after buying a domain and setting up an account with DirectNIC that you have to pay $15 (another years reg fee) to transfer a name to another DirectNIC account! Wont be using them again, dont care what other features they offer!
I've been using DirectNIC for domains for about five or six years now. I've tried RegisterFly before but was never sure if they'd just take my money and give me "credits" without domain names. DirectNIC has provided excellent service and is reliable so I'm still using them even though I've got tons of domains.
Wave, please try this link to add your star ratings to your review. I'm sure they would appreciate a positive review offsetting some of the previous ratings.
although they charge $15.00 for single registrations, the cost is offset with free hosting! you can get reduced pricing by buying credits in bulk also.
These people are also known as Intercosmos Media Group, Kenyatech.com as well as a slew of other aliases. They pose as an international domain reseller from Kenya but they're actually in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. They snatch domains from WHOIS searches prior to the original person searching gets to register it and then tries to "resell" it to people at a huge cost. They have been known to snatch already registered names from people and then ask for exhorbitant amounts of money to get it back. The sometimes pose as a "service" that knows how to get the domain back for you, but for a fee.
They are known to hijack websites and demand outrageous money in order to return it to you.
There is a TON of evidence about this. Start with threads:
No serious probs in 4 years... though they have not lowered prices in step with the market. At first they were a deal, now not so much, especially on .tv exten. (so they lose out there as I push away my .tv's) though for basic, bannerless, hosting $15 a year is a Good thing!
While customer service has been good, I thought they could have done data co-location during Katrina instead of knocking down websites, and making email molasses, a they fought the good fight to keep the generators fueled. On the other hand, I did not complain at the time... I thought it was great marketing. It was like a picture-blog-movie tugging at the viewers heartstrings. I'm sure that got a HUGE boost in biz after the *show*.
Are you DUPED or what? They're a fraud! READ everyones complaints! Its posted all over the place. The only reason they're still a registrar is because that whack-job Solares is in deep with ICANN. Not for long.... not for long.
You have been duped. These people are about to be shut down. Many news agencies are formulating stories about them and it WONT be the "heartstring" stories that directnic.com wanted you to see, instead it will be the reality of what they are up to.
Ask yourself just how they were able to get in and out of New Orleans and have deisel fuel delivered with relative ease when everyone around them was drowning and being shot in the streets. Dont be a fool. These people were protected and have connections and now they're about to be on 60 minutes and 20/20 and the story wont make you tear, it will make you angry that you gave them your money.
As you even said, it was all a "show" in order to distract you all from what they're really doing.
Embedded within the first link's thread is this post:
How Kenyatech is able to snag names.
The answer is simple. They are a Domain Registrar themselves. That gives them first dibs on any expiring domains. Also in light of Mr. Solare's Nomination to the ICANN's board, it's apparent someone there likes him.
Tom Barnett was also nominated, who may be related to Michael Barnett (The infamous Interdictor Blog) Mr. Solares's (I believe) ex-crisis manager.
Now the other question raised. Why are they taking domains? Is it for Traffic? Is it for extortion..
Well the answer is yes to both, in varying degrees. They don't care if the site gets 500 hits a month or 5000 hits a day. If they can get their hands on it, they will. They just change the price to something a little higher if there's alot of traffic. Their reasoning is purely to get money from people.
Most times, as I've found in my research, they charge less than what WIPO Arbitration would cost, which is the form of fighting Cybersquatting that the world is most familiar with. Most people are not familiar with the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, or ACPA.
WIPO arbitration only returns the Domain to you. ACPA returns the domain to you as well as monetary compensation for lost profits and legal fees. Minimum $1000, maximimum $100,000 per domain. Also ACPA is federal, not state. This is why I am working on forming a class action lawsuit under the ACPA. Sigmund has already pretty much guarenteed a win for the victims as he has asked for money in excess of registration and hosting fees from each of the victums, which proves "Bad Faith" in the eyes of the court.
I strongly encourage any victims to contact me, as I am collecting names to go on the lawsuit. Unfortunately I am not a business owner or wealthy, and lawsuits are expensive to get started. I know that as the end result I will recoup any expenses incurred, but once I get a cost I will be taking donations (also selling T-Shirts with all profits going to the legal fund). The more people who sign up the better as the expense can be spread out amongst everyone.
My site is www.rederon.net and I strongly encourage you to read it and spread the word. As I get updates on the lawsuit I will also update my site with that information.
Read this article:
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=124791
It goes on to say: "An unidentified person has also registered www.rachelentwistle.net through Directnic.com, a New Orleans-based domain seller."
Of course, a quick check reveals that the hijacking arm of directnic.com / intercosmos media - whatever, KENYATECH has registered this name. And yet this statement appears toward the end:
"Directnic spokesman Sigmund Solares said it’s common for cyber squatters and other Internet entrepreneurs to snatch up Web names tied to crime cases that make national headlines."
Guess he would know a snake when he saw one.....
“Anytime someone is in the news, someone from anywhere is going to register a bunch of names and variations of them. It happens every day,” Solares said. “What’s the motivation behind buying the Web site, I can only speculate.”
I dont know, maybe I am dense or something... I see a lot of links way down below and they go all over the Internet with tons of people discussing the same stuff about the same people - but, again, maybe I am just seeing things.
Im Signatureless 
