Think hard before a domain name search!

I advise everyone to THINK HARD BEFORE DOING A DOMAIN NAME SEARCH on certain sites. See Network Solutions, ICANN Sued Over Domain Front Running to see what I mean. (Read the comments, too.)

That article is dated February 28th, 2008. Unfortunately I just found it today, after the registration of an "available" domain with another (cheaper) registrar company was kicked back as suddenly "unavailable". This is after buying it and waiting around 24 hours for the NIC process to complete. On the "Who Is" info now... sure enough... Network Solutions has my domain name snagged. Nice. So every single ".com" domain name option we searched for (not for me, but for a family member's company) is now "unavailable".

Do you ever have those moments when you want to scream?

On Network Solutions' help page they say it will only be "reserved" in their name for four days. I have to wonder, since I went back to them earlier today and tried a search again before I figured out what was going on, if that original four days is going to turn into eight days. I personally don't buy this "protection against front running" claim. It seems they just want you to get frustrated and buy it from them for full price. Not to mention that if someone IS indeed trying to "front run" you, they will then succeed! You'll go to a cheaper registrar, "buy" the intended domain, wait 24 to 48 hours to find out "your" domain is now unavailable (i.e. it's "reserved" by N.S.), meanwhile anyone out there who goes straight to Network Solutions can buy it outright that very second, before you even know what's hit you! It's not reserved for you. It's reserved for anyone who wants to buy it through N.S.

What crap.

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Update: So, on the N.S. website it says that a person can call them personally and request that the domain be removed from the "reserved" state before the 4 days is up. So I did.

At first I was told the domain is reserved, so that's that. I then read to him this info from their website. The guy tried to convince me, of course, that I should register the domain with them rather than going anywhere else. (Standard customer service tactics.) Eventually, after much attempted selling, I told him how I used to own a web design company (true) and that we actually used Network Solutions sometimes (true again), but due to what I view as their current unethical behavior of "front running" I simply will not use them again. I therefore will go somewhere else. He seemed intent on arguing with me, so I interrupted, "Look, I don't want to argue the points with you. I know it's not your fault, but I also know there's a class-action lawsuit against your company for this very thing. That said, all I want is for you to please release my domain name from reservation." He then said I can't register it with another company anyway because it's reserved. Good grief. I again read to him what it says on their own website. He finally said he'd do it, but that he must again ask if I'd register it with them instead. NOoOoO!

So it's supposedly been released now. Let's see how quickly (or if at all...???) it returns to the world of available sites. Obviously I will not be using their site to check on its status again =;-) !