Looking For a Domain? Don’t Search With Network Solutions!
January 12th, 2008
Have you ever went looking for a domain you really wanted, only to be disappointed that it was already taken? That happens to me 100’s of times a month, so I’m very familiar with the feeling. Now, imagine the feeling you would have if you went and searched for a domain, found it was available, then discovered that the company you used to search for the domain just registered it based off your search?
This is something that was happening a lot to the people that used Network Solutions to do their domain searches. At first, someone might think that it is coincidence. Maybe someone just registered it and the search you are using hadn’t updated yet. Apparently it happened enough that people started talking, and an experiment was eventually conducted.
Here is the domain that was searched for:
http://www.youguysseriouslyregistereverythingisearch.com/
You can check out the WhoIs here. If this doesn’t prove that Network Solutions is using front running (sniffing searches) techniques, I’m not sure what does. It looks like the overwhelming evidence caused Network Solutions to respond:
I’d like to clarify what we are doing. In response to customer concerns about Domain Name Front Running (domains being registered by someone else just after they have conducted a domain name search), we have implemented a security measure to protect our customers. The measure will kick in when a customer searches for an available domain name at our website, but decides not to purchase the name immediately after conducting the search.
After the search ends, we will put the domain name on reserve. During this reservation period, the name is not active and we do not monetize the traffic on these domains. If a customer searches for the domain again during the next 4 days at networksolutions.com, the domain will be available to register. If the domain name is not purchased within 4 days, it will be released back to the registry and will be generally available for registration.
This protection measure provides our customers the opportunity to register domains they have previously searched without the fear that the name will be already taken through Front Running.
You are correct that we are trying to take an arrow out of the quiver of the tasters. As you know, domain tasters are the largest Front Runners. Due to no fault of registrars, Front Runners purchase search data from Internet Service Providers and/or registries and then taste those names. Some folks may not agree with our approach, but we are trying to prevent this malicious activity from impacting our customers.
The problem with this is that by purchasing it and holding it for 4 days, this requires you to then register the domain through Network Solutions, instead of getting to choose where you go.
Moral of the story? Don’t use Network Solutions to do your searches.
how can i add my website url on facebook for back link? 
Great work man! I only use SEO for firefox and SeoQuake 
No, Gravatar does not have an affiliate program. 
Does Gravator have an affilitate program? 
Great list. All the important ones covered. I've made my own Top 10 list at the following;
http://thatimportantblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/10-best-greasemonkey-userscripts-2009.html
Please leave a ...
Loading ...
That is pretty interesting research. The domain name mentioned as well as the whois report shows that the owner is an individual and not NSI, but the name is managed through NSI. Is that what you meant? I was expecting to see the domain name listed above go to some kind of NSI splash page.
It does seem kind of fishy, especially this line:
I don’t know about you, but the word, generally, kind of worries me a little bit.
Anyway, you said:
I think many of the people that use NSI to search for names are probably going to be very likely to purchase from them as well. So, that is probably why there hasn’t been too much more of a huge viral rant or stink about the issue.
For me, I use and enjoy GoDaddy. People don’t need to come back and tell me, “Garry… GoDaddy is way expensive, you can get names cheaper, etc… ”
I know this… I pay $10 dollars for my domain names, which is double the cost of most other places. However, I am a dedicated customer and their level of support is superior over that of anyone else. Could I be mislead? I don’t know… but I am still very happy with using GoDaddy and will continue to use them for a long long time. At any given moment of any given day I can call them on the phone and have instant live support from a very qualified support specialist. To me, I am willing to pay more per domain name to have the excellent level of care and support.
Great article Kyle, thanks for publishing it. It was a total blast to read.
So this is called “front running”? This troubles me greatly. I don’t use NS to search or register my domains, but I’ve always wondered in the back of my mind if the place I was searching on (whatever place it was at the time) was taking my names after I leave or if someone was sniffing. (That’s the paranoid side of me.)
When they say “protect” their customers, are they saying that this security measure is used for customers of their’s who have logged in? Otherwise, are they saying that the domain will be available to anyone who searches on the domain in question?
So the domain will be available for the next four days after it’s searched on. And if a customer does search again on it, they can register it. Does that mean after the four days it hasn’t been searched on, they’ll grab it up?
A lot of questions. Sorry, but my alarms go off when I read a company’s response like this.
lets see what GoDaddy has to say about this:
I’ll keep you posted on what they say, if I have permission to do so, I’ll capture a screen shot of their response back to me and post it here.
Wow. It never dawned on me this practice could be happening, but apparently, it might be. Network Solutions was where I bought my first domain names years ago, but it’s conceivable that other outlets can/could be doing the same practice. Which is lousy.
Thanks for the heads-up on that. Someday I’ll tell you about how Dotster scammed me out of $45 for nothing.
Tom
@ Garry – What is happening is that NS is registering domains that you search for in your name (sort of), so if YOU come back to Network Solutions and search for it, you can register it. Anyone else can’t. They are basically attempting to front run to protect customers from front running, which doesn’t make much sense.
The problem is, they are holding a domain names that you search for hostage. When you search for something, they go out and register it then tell you that you can get it from them in 4 days. You can’t go to GoDaddy to register it, etc.
GoDaddy is the leading registrar, so I don’t think they behave like this. They would have a lot more to lose.
@ Mark – There have been myths for years that domain registrars use some sort of search sniffing (front running) to obtain quality domains that people find available for registering. Nothing had ever been proven.
The domains are registered by Network Solutions for 4 days and then made available only to that searcher, so yes, you would have to be logged in I suppose. According to their official response, it looks like the domain is then released and made available for anyone to register.
@ Thomas – Feel free to share your story!
Wow, GoDaddy was very quick to respond back. That was pretty cool. I have to say, I am impressed.
Here is the response back from GoDaddy.com:
@ Garry – Thanks for the follow up! I’m a big GoDaddy fan also, so I had no worries about their practices, but it is always good to see it in writing.