eNom warehouses domains for Demand Media

[webcom]

So when a customer doesn't pay for the renewal of a valuable domain name, what eNom does is renewes the domain, justifies it's action by saying the domain is in "Extended RGP" status, changes the whois reflecting the bogus "Extended RGP" status and then at some point after renewal, they either add WHOIS privacy entirely or.. change whois to Demand Media, it's parent company!

Here's an example below. In this case they forgot to change the registrant and only changed the billing/admin/tech contacts. A nice way for Demand Media to stock their portfolio with valuable domains.. for free!

Is this practice in accordance with ICANN's rules and guidelines for registrars?

Domain Name: 375.US
Domain ID: D3818476-US
Sponsoring Registrar: ENOM, INC.
Domain Status: clientTransferProhibited
Registrant ID: C8F242D4089D2103
Registrant Name: DNS Admin
Registrant Organization: Extended RGP
Registrant Address1: P.O. Box 7449
Registrant City: Bellevue
Registrant State/Province: WA
Registrant Postal Code: 98007
Registrant Country: United States
Registrant Country Code: US
Registrant Phone Number: +1.4252744500
Registrant Email: [email protected]
Registrant Application Purpose: P3
Registrant Nexus Category: C11
Administrative Contact ID: FA502F3248A62670
Administrative Contact Name: Demand Domains
Administrative Contact Organization: Demand Domains, Inc.
Administrative Contact Address1: 15801 NE 24th Street
Administrative Contact City: Bellevue
Administrative Contact State/Province: WA
Administrative Contact Postal Code: 98008
Administrative Contact Country: United States
Administrative Contact Country Code: US
Administrative Contact Phone Number: +1.4252744500
Administrative Contact Email: [email protected]
Billing Contact ID: FA502F3248A62670
Billing Contact Name: Demand Domains
Billing Contact Organization: Demand Domains, Inc.
Billing Contact Address1: 15801 NE 24th Street
Billing Contact City: Bellevue
Billing Contact State/Province: WA
Billing Contact Postal Code: 98008
Billing Contact Country: United States
Billing Contact Country Code: US
Billing Contact Phone Number: +1.4252744500
Billing Contact Email: [email protected]
Technical Contact ID: FA502F3248A62670
Technical Contact Name: Demand Domains
Technical Contact Organization: Demand Domains, Inc.
Technical Contact Address1: 15801 NE 24th Street
Technical Contact City: Bellevue
Technical Contact State/Province: WA
Technical Contact Postal Code: 98008
Technical Contact Country: United States
Technical Contact Country Code: US
Technical Contact Phone Number: +1.4252744500
Technical Contact Email: [email protected]
Name Server: DNS1.NAME-SERVICES.COM
Name Server: DNS2.NAME-SERVICES.COM
Name Server: DNS3.NAME-SERVICES.COM
Name Server: DNS4.NAME-SERVICES.COM
Created by Registrar: ENOM, INC.
Last Updated by Registrar: ENOM, INC.
Domain Registration Date: Tue Mar 04 19:10:16 GMT 2003
Domain Expiration Date: Tue Mar 03 23:59:59 GMT 2009
Domain Last Updated Date: Mon Nov 19 07:42:02 GMT 2007


The physical address of Demand Domains Inc is nothing but Demand Media's Seattle office location (retrieved from http://www.demandmedia.com/contactus.asp)

 

[Dave_Z]

Is this practice in accordance with ICANN's rules and guidelines for registrars?

On warehousing? There's not even one to begin with, much more defined.

 

[Coopey]

Read the T&Cs when you register a domain name.
In short- if you choose not to renew (or don't pay) you've given eNom permission to renew the domain for themselves. They can do whatever they like with the domain then.

 

[DotWeekly]

eNom is not the only one doing this. Register.com does it all the time with Premium Generics.

It is simply WRONG, but since ICANN allows them to do it, there is nothing we can do about it. If there is a fix to this, the only way I see it, is to join them!! Start your own registrar, offer somthing amazing to get people to have there domains with your registrar and hope at somepoint, they forget to renew the domains, then you can take them. :yell: :talk:

 

[ipodxpert]

godaddy does it. there are names which i didn't want to renew and godaddy is holding it after i let it drop.

 

[wikes82]

yup, godaddy expired domains goes into tdnam for auction. If no one buys it, then godaddy let it expired.

godaddy does it. there are names which i didn't want to renew and godaddy is holding it after i let it drop.

 

[Name Trader]

Here's an example below. In this case they forgot to change the registrant and only changed the billing/admin/tech contacts. A nice way for Demand Media to stock their portfolio with valuable domains.. for free!

This is just another example of the conflict of interests which exist between eNom/Demand Media and us domainers. But to be fair. You should renew your domains and then you won't get into this position.

 

[MadAboutDomains]

Ive just been shat on by Enom and Qwertyuiop.org and Qwertyuiop.info

 

[JMJ]

They've been doing it for years. But, they are starting to let them go to namejet auctions now I'm seeing.

 

[smashfactory]

godaddy does it. there are names which i didn't want to renew and godaddy is holding it after i let it drop.

godaddy tries to sell it during the time you can still renew it. if you renew, you get it back and anyone who bid on it is out of luck- if you dont, and they dont sell it, it drops- but the do not hold it past the point it should have dropped- 2 weeks before i think is the time they try to sell it. but, you can still renew.

 

[harkster]

Enom used to be a good outfit but no longer. In addition to the abuses you describe above watch the same names being 'supposedly' auctioned time after time after time etc. etc through their Name Jet auction ripoff.

Just as well face it. The day is fast coming when any name which isn't a long random sequence of letters will never be available to us 'little guys'.

The scum bags will still claim to be really nice 'guys' by letting the public buy average names at grossly inflated prices through the sham auctions.

I think they can be compared to the railroad robber barons of the 19th century.

 

[Dangerous Dan]

If you quit paying rent on your apartment, at 12:01 am the apartment manager has the legal right to kick your a$$ out on the street. The terms of the lease might give you a grace period, but that's at the property owner's discretion as governed by the law.

If you have a name that valuable and don't pay your rent on time, you have recourse to reclaim it through ERGP. But I don't see why it's a crime for any registrar to charge what is essentially a "domain late fee".

 

[TheWatcher]

This is simply what you call a "business". There's nothing wrong with that even godaddy do the same approach if you don't renew your domains.

 

[Kate]

Enom has been doing that for years.
What is peculiar with them, they create confusion with the so-called extended RGP which is pure enomspeak.
Then they will even apply whois privacy on the name so you have no idea THEY are holding the name.
In fairness to enom other registrars are doing just the same thing but I don't have must trust in enom.

Sometimes I am wondering if registrars as asset managers should not be held to the same standard as banks/financial institutions for example.

There is so much money at stake that registrars now have every interest to screw you, and conflicts of interest can arise. There is little you can do against an allmighty registrar and don't count on icann to stand up for you.

 

[seeker]

all points of view about it being legit is fine.
The problem is on quiet a few names in the summer that I didnt renew (yep, my fault), they NEVER went to RGP, as soon as they expired +20 days (instead of 30+RGP or extended RGP) they went the auction road.
Still, they have the right to do so, after I tread the TOS.
There are worse registrars out there. Enom and Moniker are among the best.