.MOM registrar scam?

[atsproperty]

First I looked for a thread titled "Extensions" but couldn't find one. So I hope it fits here.

My story:
About the middle of April 2016 I started researching dot MOM and decided to pre register some generic keyword single word domains. I know I had high hopes but I figured I might get lucky on 1 or 2. I pre registered 13 domains with .mom that day. I had to sign and acknowledge about 8 trademark notices. I paid 38.88 each at whois dot com and I received emails for each domain that i had to confirm my purchase and then I received a email for each after the purchase was made. I received emails saying that the Early Access starts on April 26th and then the price drop on the 28th and then another price drop on the 30th and then yet another price drop on May 2nd and finally on May 3rd its open to the public.
I received a email on May 2nd saying one of the domains I pre registered wasn't any longer available. I fully expected to get more emails like that on the other domains but they never came. I waited with anticipation all day and night and even all day the next day. I never received any more emails. So here it is late evening on May 4th and I decided to email whois dot com and ask about my pre order. Here is the email I received back...

Hello ,

Please be informed that all the domain name that you have mentioned are listed as premium at the Registry and as of now we do not support the Premium domain Registration for .MOM TLDs that is the reason your domain order got stuck .

All the stuck orders are now deleted.

I apologize for the inconvenience caused due to this and as soon as we start the registration of Premium domains for .MOM TLDs then we will inform all the customers through appropriate means of communication.

Hope this helps!

Regards,
xxxxxx
Ticket Details
Ticket ID: UUF-731-15922
Department: Whois dot com Support
Type: Need Information
Status: Open Priority: Critical

So I replied -
I need to speak to someone from this company. Someone in America. ASAP by phone.

Your statement contradicts the whole process and check out process and the fact that I had to agree to the trademark notices.

Jeff

And they replied -
Hello,

Please be informed that all the domain name that you have mentioned are listed as premium at the Registry and as of now we do not support the Premium domain Registration for .MOM TLDs .

As soon as we start supporting it, we shall inform our customers.

If you want to speak to someone from our support team then kindly contact us by going to this link:

Thank You.
Ticket Details
Ticket ID: UUF-731-15922
Department: Whois dot com Support
Type: Need Information
Status: Open
Priority: Critical

So I believe and feel like they seen the value in these names and have screwed me on the purchase.

Question: Has anyone else felt that this could or does happen?
Or am I just crazy?

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[atsproperty]

Bump

 

[lotk]

Has happened many times to me. Registries are allowed to change normal renewal domains to premium renewals OR to registry reserved at anytime.

 

[johname]

No scam, I knew what was going to happen in the first sentence. These extensions live on three sources. The 'meat' labeled as premium, which is any logical slam dunk domain. The people covering their tms. The other is all the crap that people flood into when they attack the extension later.

You went after the first group. Which is an instant fail. They are not going to let you have premiums for regfee. (even if we chuckle at the thought of Dot MOM premiums)

Good Luck

 

[Kate]

So does that mean you are going to get a refund for the orders that didn't go through ? Personally I would say this is a good thing. Especially if you preordered them for speculative ends and not to develop them.