Beware of (some) Snapnames registrars e.g. webbusiness.biz

[kokopelli]

If you catch a domain via Snapnames, you may end up with more than you bargained for ... a crappy, obscure, registrar!

Normally you won't realize that you're saddled with a crappy registrar (although the bad interface should have been a dead giveaway), until the time comes that you want to transfer that domain to your usual registrar. Then you will pull your hair out in frustration trying to deal with their bad account/domain management interface, unresponsiveness and the "little games" they play to try and prevent you from leaving.

Case in point: http://webbusiness.biz (yeah, that's their home page and web interface!) - I have had no joy or cooperation from them now for days, trying to get a domain I caught via Snapnames unlocked/auth. code sent/private WHOIS lifted, so I can transfer it out. Either there is no response, or if there is, they request you to again "submit a request" via their web interface (although I have already done it several times) ... and so on.

I have even gone so far as to report them to ICANN. Will have to wait and see what happens ... but I, for one, will not use Snapnames again, until they start partnering with more reputable registrars, and are able to tell me beforehand who that will be, should I be successful in backordering a domain.

 

[Erdy]

I had the same experience at register.com which I ended up at through snapnames as well. It appears it is not only the small registrars that can totally crap. Here is my story:

http://www.namepros.com/warnings-and-alerts/666820-avoid-register-com-at-all-cost.html

 

[Ja$on]

Snap caught me one at webbusiness.biz yesterday and so far it has been a pain in my ass to even change the name servers.

 

[Erdy]

A few days ago I ended up with a registrar called panamanames.com after a snapnames pending delete backorder. Two days later after I caught it, I sold the domain and I need to push it to the buyer but those guys don't have a page to sign-up. How can the buyer create a new account with them? It is stupid. They don't answer their phone or their email. It looks like an abandoned registrar. They also use a few different names like pana names, panana names and panama names.

 

[Ja$on]

I would probably recommend not selling a snapped domain until you can move it out of that registrar. Some of these places are a joke.

 

[kokopelli]

until you can move it out of that registrar

Good luck with that! Get ready for some major aggravation and be sure you start the process well in advance ...

 

[Erdy]

Yes, that's absolutely true. Especially if you sell at sedo like I do, then the domain needs to be transferable or the buyer can decide to wait until it is. This happened to me many times with transfer locked godaddy domains. Some of my sedo sales took 6 weeks.

In this last instance I wasn't going to sell it if the buyer didn't contact me. He wants the domain now. Luckily the registrar uses the directi interface and we found an URL that works to create new accounts.

 

[Ja$on]

Good luck with that! Get ready for some major aggravation and be sure you start the process well in advance ...

Lol, I just got it yesterday, so another 59 days to wait.

Step 1, change my nameservers so I can use it!!!!

 

[Kate]

Need I say, don't hesitate to report them to Snapnames too. In fact they should and probably will assist.

 

[silentg]

Some of the names I bought ended up at crappy registrars as well. I managed to transfer them to Moniker account.

Why are they doing this? To avoid paying taxes?

 

[Kate]

Well, they need as many registrars as possible to increase the connection pool to the registry. And some of those shell registrars are truly shabby.