What's this all about?

[verbster]

Got this e-mail tonight for several domains. Anyone else get one or know what it's all about? Is it a scam of some sort?

Background: The domains are registered at Moniker, and until a couple of days ago the DNS pointed to Fabulous. I decided to try voodoo.com and changed the DNS to them.

I didn't realize there was some sort of connection between moniker, fabulous and 1&1. Still don't understand the connection with 1and1. Thought they were owned by Sedo.

Here's the e-mail. I've inserted <yourdomain.com> for my domain's name.

We at 1&1 Internet have noticed that you have changed the name server of
<yourdomain.com> Your new settings are:

DNS1: ns1.voodoo.com
DNS2: ns2.voodoo.com
DNS3: not set
DNS4: not set

Because of these new settings, your website hosted with 1&1 Internet can
no longer be reached via <yourdomain.com>. The e-mail addresses included in your Developer Package, if any, have also been disabled.

If you still intend to keep using our services, you can enter the following name servers with your registrar by January 04, 2012 at 01:38:42 AM and continue using our services as usual.

DNS1: ns1.fabulous.com
DNS2: ns2.fabulous.com

If by January 04, 2012 at 01:38:42 AM you have not registered with our name servers, we will
remove <yourdomain.com> from our systems. If you want to use your domain with your 1&1 Package after January 04, 2012 at 01:38:42 AM, you can specify this configuration on the Control Panel once more and enter the name servers specified there with your registrar.

If you want to keep the current name servers, we kindly request you to inform our support and/or host masters. They will then delete <yourdomain.com> from our systems.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact our support team using the contact form in your Control Panel. You can access your Control Panel using the following link:
admin.1and1.com Please click on the button 'Help & Contact' to access the form.

You may also like to know that you can register your .com, .net, .org, .info, .name and .us domains directly with the 1&1 group. For more details please go to 1and1.com

Sincerely,

Your 1&1 Team
1and1.com

 

[Ms Domainer]

*

I would get in contact with Moniker support directly, using their standard support platform (not clicking on any link provided in the email message because that can be spoofed).

This COULD be an attempt to hack your site, so be very careful.

Are you using 1&1 for hosting? If so, you may be required to use 4 Nameservers.

If not, then this message really seems hinky.

*

 

[Name Trader]

Is this a domain you've had a long time or purchased recently? Although I've never seen this email before, but it looks like a previous owner had it registered at 1and1 and hasn't canceled his hosting there. Which will be a problem for them when it's time for renewal.

I also agree with Ms Domainer that it might be an attempt to hack into your account, so don't click on any links in the email.

 

[Kenny]

I hate to be like this, but I dont trust anything that comes from 1&1.
You need to contact them and find out exactly what this is about.
You dont want them to gain ANY kind of control over your domains.

Just an aside, I have seen 1&1 hosting comercials on T.V. lately... scary.

Good Luck.

Peace,
Cy

 

[alien51]

According to the words in the email, they told you this:

If by January 04, 2012 at 01:38:42 AM you have not registered with our name servers, we will
remove <yourdomain.com> from our systems.

Then, on the succeeding paragraphs, they told you this:

If you want to keep the current name servers, we kindly request you to inform our support and/or host masters. They will then delete <yourdomain.com> from our systems.

So following the logic here, it would mean the DNS mapping (or whatever issue they have with the DNS) will be automatically deleted whether you contact them or not.

In fact, the mapping was deleted already when they told you this:

Because of these new settings, your website hosted with 1&1 Internet can
no longer be reached via <yourdomain.com>.

DNS settings are just pointers anyway. If it got screwed, you should be able to reinsert the pointers back on your own, through your registrar account. Your paid domain, and your paid web hosting, are never in danger of disappearing.

If you check your website using your browser, and it's working fine on Voodooo, then simply ignore this email.

 

[Dave_Z]

but it looks like a previous owner had it registered at 1and1 and hasn't canceled his hosting there.

Or 1and1 hadn't "scrubbed" the said domain name from their system if it's been dropped and re-regged since then.

If WHOIS indeed shows the domain names are with Moniker, then you don't really have to do much (or anything at all) to that 1and1 email.

 

[verbster]

For a parking test with voodoo, I changed the DNS on about 50 domains registered with Moniker. So far, I've received four e-mails from 1and1 about four of these domains. I've owned each of the domains for about five years. They are not registered or affiliated with 1and1 in any way. I don't think I ever had them at 1and1, but I can't swear to that as I did have some there several years ago (until i learned my lesson). For sure they four have all been registered at Moniker for at least 2-3 years, maybe more. i've not noticed anythind different at moniker, which is where I recently changed the DNS to voodoo. Before that, I had the DNS for each set to Fabulous for at least a couple of years.

I agree I don't think I need to do anything, but the fact that 1and1 sent the e-mails as though they had some claim on them or that I had some e-mail or website configured with them is disturbing. More confusing is them saying that if I set the DNS back to Fabulous, i can continue using their service as usual... even though I'm not using any of their services... but why would they be okay with me using Fabulous? What does their service have to do with Fabulous or Moniker?

It's just a weird situation that makes no sense to me. It seems to be a way to get me to use 1and1, even though I want less to do with them now than ever.

I'll take the advice offered and contact moniker. In fact I'll contact all three and see what they have to say, as this doesn't quite pass the smell test.

 

[Dave_Z]

While you're at it, perhaps explain to 1and1 when and where you eventually acquired those domain names, especially if they indeed dropped and were re-registered. There's been a bunch of posts here and outside wherein they turned out not to have removed them from their database when they eventually lapsed, which is what I'm guessing happened in your situation.

 

[Ms Domainer]

*

Whew!

That registrar sounds like one scary place--they even have their tentacles reaching outside their platform.

I have seen the 1&1 TV ads, and I just cringe and am glad I never had the "pleasure" of doing business with them.

*

 

[Bannen]

Actually it sounds like GOOD news... if you don't do anything, all record/inclusion of your names will be dropped from 1and1's database. Since your names presently have no affiliation with 1and1 or their services, do absolutely nothing and 1and1 will delete everything they need to at their end.

Sounds like it's just erratic particles of past accounts still ghosting in their notoriously sloppy systems anyway, nothing to do with your present domains since you are not using 1and1 for anything.

Personally I'd do nothing, not even contact 1and1. At best it's ghost remnants of previous accounts for those names thru previous owners; at worst it's an underhanded play by 1and1 to confuse people and get new business.

How can the worst registrar on the planet be so bad and yet still get so much business? Now on TV?! I still shudder that I used to have a dozen or so names with them back in my noob days

 

[verbster]

Bannen, you are correct. It's like a ghoul returning from the grave to haunt me because of noob mistakes.

1and1 said it was because "You added this domain as an external domain on your cancelled package." I did what?

This had to have happened many years ago after I gave into temptation with regfly (remember them?) and 1and1. After learning how shady they were (are?), I cancelled all my accounts with them. Somehow, these four domains got added as external domains to a deleted account (figure that one out). Just like the old days with 1and1, I still don't understand what they're doing, and they won't explain things.

I tried to go back into my old account, but was met with a screen that first wanted payment info...not a chance. Same old stuff as years ago.

 

[Kenny]

Yuppers!!!!!

RegFly and 1&1 are cut from the same cloth.
Easy in... hell to get out of.

My trip started with all those free dot infos, plus a few buys that were already reg'd there.

Nightmares from both...

Peace,
Cy