SnapNames makes me angry!

[downloadfreak]

I can't fault their success of acquiring backorders, however I have a few things I just really hate.

When you win a domain they register it with the worst registrar on the web, sites which look like they haven't been updated in years, the worst design and interface ever, worst support and so on. Why can't they just give you a decent popular registrar with a good reputation? EVERY domain I have won is with some crappy registrar.

But this is why i'm really angry, I recently won a domain however snap names gave the registrar my old email address (eventhough I changed it in my SnapNames account ages ago) which I don't actually have access to any more. They gave me the registrar http://alohanic.com which has to be one of the worst on the net. The registrar has NO login section, in order to edit your info you must email them via a form and they send a confirmation email to your email, only problem being the email with my domain is my old one, so what the hell do I do? I try and select "I no longer have access to this email" and then I change it to my new one via a form, they then say "Please confirm this, an email has been sent to your old email address!" grrrr.

So I don't have access to a domain I won, SnapNames cant do anything about it and the registrar has non existant support with a defunct site.

 

[Troubled1]

Sounds like a bad deal. You would think that if snapnames gets a lot of complaints that they would start using a decent registrar. If snapnames had your correct email at the time of the sale and gave the registrar the wrong one then they should be the ones to straighten it out.

 

[RogueWriter]

How terrible! I would think that Snapnames would have access to the registrar by phone, they just have to have a contact there. I see a fax number, (213) 947-1328 ....... put through 50 pages or so of your contact phone, maybe they will call you to stop faxing them...

 

[wow!]

You're right...
I did won some by some realy worst registrars.
And it took a week at least till I could manage the domain.
I dont have time and nerves to transfer them to my favorite registrars.
I guess it'll take ages to do it.
I think we all must demand answers from Snapnames.

 

[RogueWriter]

icann lists this number:

Tel: 808-891-8741

Icann.org

 

[fonzie_007]

You'd figure the prices they are getting for some of these domain names would allow them to offer a little bit higher quality service when it came to who they regged the domains with. In fact, it almost seems like they should give you the a free push of where you want the domain regged at.

I haven't won anything on snapnames, so I can't comment any further on their practices.

 

[SKG]

Wow, what a catch-22! Snap must have a number if they are the ones who selected the registrar. I would haunt Snap about this.

 

[gazzip]

Hi, the reason Snapnames is so good at Snapping names is the fact they they are partnered with so many registrars thus improving the chances of getting the names. Unfortunately this also creates other problems along with it :td:

In the case above your best best would be to call the registrar concerned IMO - good luck and I hope you get it sorted out. :td:

 

[creekway]

One of the names I won through snapnames went to a really shady registrar, and when I sent a transfer request to them to transfer the name to my usual registrar, they tacked on a "renewal fee" of more than $35 and said that I had to pay that before it could be transferred. I told them that I would sooner let the domain drop than pay their bogus fee. I got snapnames involved and in the end they dropped the charge, I just hope that I do not have to deal with them again.

 

[gazzip]

One of the names I won through snapnames went to a really shady registrar, and when I sent a transfer request to them to transfer the name to my usual registrar, they tacked on a "renewal fee" of more than $35 and said that I had to pay that before it could be transferred. I told them that I would sooner let the domain drop than pay their bogus fee. I got snapnames involved and in the end they dropped the charge, I just hope that I do not have to deal with them again.

That sucks - who was the registrar ??

 

[downloadfreak]

I should imagine the registrar wants some fax proof or something, as I live in England this will be such a pain. Im still waiting for snapnames to reply to my support ticket, hopefully they can contact the registrar.

 

[ryan2829]

Same problem i had. Thats why i stopped using them.

 

[stscac]

Same problem i had. Thats why i stopped using them.

I find it hard to believe that you can just avoid this giant, if you're in the dropcatch biz. They are by far the best out there and have so many registrars under their wings trying to register the domain name first so they can get a cut of the revenue that it sells on SnapNames for.

-Steve

 

[Sir Regalot]

I paid $2272 for a dropped domain at Snapnames three weeks ago and I still have not be able to access it. The registrar say they have sent me the password at least 12 times but I have never received it. Maybe anti-virus or anti-spam software is blocking it. I wrote to Godaddy.com, who've I got my email account with' and explained the problem. Never had a reply. The registrar suggested I fax proof of my identity such as a driving license or passport and they will send me the password in the emails I can receive from their support section. I didn't know anyone still used fax machine and with an international fax I wouldn't it could be expensive and I didn't know the right country codes for faxing. I just photocopied my identity documents and put them in the post.

 

[fonzie_007]

I find it hard to believe that you can just avoid this giant, if you're in the dropcatch biz. They are by far the best out there and have so many registrars under their wings trying to register the domain name first so they can get a cut of the revenue that it sells on SnapNames for.

-Steve

Maybe we should start up a competitor company and share revunue from it for all members of NP. I am sure there are quite a few members here that would support a "locally" owned company over snap names.

 

[ryan2829]

Maybe we should start up a competitor company and share revunue from it for all members of NP. I am sure there are quite a few members here that would support a "locally" owned company over snap names.

I would lol

 

[stscac]

Maybe we should start up a competitor company and share revunue from it for all members of NP. I am sure there are quite a few members here that would support a "locally" owned company over snap names.

I see where you're going with this, and it sounds like a great idea. But this is a rather large investment, and we would have to make agreements with many registrars to become trusted and successful. Plus, with the drop market heading where it will inevitably end up (registrars working with their own domain names, realizing they can make a heavier profit) it will most likely not be worth it.

Also, from an investing standpoint, the investing among NP users would have to be done in a fashion that the amount of the whole that they invested would be as percentage return they get.

-Steve

 

[fonzie_007]

I see where you're going with this, and it sounds like a great idea. But this is a rather large investment, and we would have to make agreements with many registrars to become trusted and successful. Plus, with the drop market heading where it will inevitably end up (registrars working with their own domain names, realizing they can make a heavier profit) it will most likely not be worth it.

Also, from an investing standpoint, the investing among NP users would have to be done in a fashion that the amount of the whole that they invested would be as percentage return they get.

-Steve

You make some very good observations. It would be interesting to know what other people think about the issue. If we can get most of the people together who do domains after they drop, we could get a service up and running so that each backorder was at cost to the company. In other words, instead of SN charging $60, the company may be able to offer the same service (pay only on delievery of the domain) for a charge of $20.

I'm not saying it would be easy work to set up, but it would save all of us reseller a bundle.

 

[Grrilla]

I am glad that this has been brought up, as I have had the same problem w/ Snapnames and haven't seen much previous mention of it. I am, in fact, currently cleaning the mess up and am faxing, (w/ picture ID), 3 different registrars who were given an ancient email address and the incorrect whois contact info by Snapnames. Maybe this doesn't seem like a big deal, but when multiplied out 20 or so times and added onto an already busy name management schedule that is inherrant to a large portfolio, it's can be a real headache. Snapnames is well paid for their service and they should take more care w/ their bookeeping. It's unfair and negligent on their part to add this extra, unnecessary burden onto their customer's plate.

I find it hard to believe that you can just avoid this giant, if you're in the dropcatch biz. They are by far the best out there and have so many registrars under their wings trying to register the domain name first so they can get a cut of the revenue that it sells on SnapNames for.

It could be my selective perception but, over the past 6mos or so, it seems that there has been an increase in the number of smaller, independent registrar's who are not partnered up and who will pick-up names for you. Some of them have actually beaten out the lowcost drop services for some of the drops I had sought and than offered the name to me in the $30-$40 range. At first, this p~ssed me off, but I am now considering contacting them to see if they would be interested in doing some bidding for me on certain names- mainly in the low/midrange category. However, Snapnames network of partners would still be the way to go if you are only into highend names and you have deep enough pockets to stand your ground in their auctions. IMHO.

 

[downloadfreak]

Same problem i had. Thats why i stopped using them.

Problem is, if you backorder a lot, then you haven't a chance catching any big names with any other company than SnapNames.