Am I over reacting or am I justified in my anger?

[pmhoran]

I have 7 domain names that I use (the websites are just a hobby ... only a few of them have pages actually useful ) ... and I have them all with one Registrar. I also "manage" the domains of a number of friends and I convinced each of them to use the same Registrar as I use.

Yesterday ... just because I had nothing better to do I did a Whois search on one of my domains ... one which I own the .net, .com & .org versions of. I noticed that someone had apparently registered the .info version of the site so out of curiousity I checked out who it was.

Imagine my surprise when it was registered in my name. It also listed my REAL email address ... which is masked in all my other domains with a "Whois Privacy" feature offered by my registrar.

Examining the details ... I could only assume that for some strange reason my Registrar decided to register the .info domain in my name. I assumed that because the name servers listed are owned by my registrar.

I contacted the Help Desk and asked them what was going on and told them I did not register the domain and I did not want the domain. And I told them I wanted answers to my questions about who gave them permission to use my name & info to register a domain ... and what gave them the right to just unilaterally assume they could register ANYTHING in my name without my knowledge and without my permission.

Their response ... they would fix it and "These domains were registered as free domains on your behalf, and would have been added to your account shortly to manage, no strings attached". The Registrar had a "promotion" in November where you could register .info domains for free.

I responded that if I had wanted the .info domain I would have done it myself during their promotion. Now I also wanted to know who at my registrar was now making decisions for me about what I do and do not want.

I got so wound up I ended up phoning the registrar ... but I couldn't get talking to someone I felt I could verbally tear the head off. Only could speak to the "underlings" that weren't directly responsible for any of it.

Anyway ... today I am still fuming about it. I am soooo angry ... I told them I am seriously considering terminating my accounts with them and move all my domains and the friends domains I manage to another Registrar. Up to now my registrar has been excellent and I am really hesitating on following through on my threat ... but I am still considering it.

Am I right to be so angry? Or am I over reacting about it all? If it happened to you .... would you be as angry do you think? I can see where a business might like a free gift of a .info domain .... but I am just me, an individual, and the last thing I need is another domain I don't know what to do with.

Take care
Peter

 

[Exon]

You have every right to be angry. Rather than assuming that you wanted the domain the registrar should've first asked if you wanted to take advantage of it, and to use this coupon "xxx" if you wanted to register it.

Out of curiosity would you be willing to share your registrar? Personally I use GoDaddy, the owner use to help out a local LAN group here (http://www.carnagge.com) in Cedar Rapids.

Edit: Help out like physically help setup and staff the events.

 

[pmhoran]

I did not want to name the registrar I use because ... aside from this incident ... for the 5 years I have been using them they have been nothing short of excellent. In my opinion.

But I now realize anyone could find out who my registrar is simply with a few mouse clicks ... so there is really no point in not naming the company. So ... the registrar I use is Dotster.

Take care
Peter

 

[Exon]

I understand about you wanting to keep it a secret - Dotster, never have used 'em. I'll probably stick with Godaddy as I only need them for domain registrations and not hosting. Their hosting prices are CRAZY expensive for what I'd need

 

[pmhoran]

I understand about you wanting to keep it a secret - Dotster, never have used 'em. I'll probably stick with Godaddy as I only need them for domain registrations and not hosting. Their hosting prices are CRAZY expensive for what I'd need

Yeah ... I know what you mean I only use Dotster as a Registrar and thats it. For that ... except for this incident ... they have been the registrar I have needed them to be. And their prices aren't too bad either

 

[ldcdc]

I wouldn't get so wound up about it. I'm quite sure they meant good, just that they handled things the wrong way, as some people would've preferred for the gift to be "opt in".

However, if here, in Romania, where I live, you receive a gift, you don't refuse it/complain about it. Anything that is completely free, no strings attached, is welcome.

I can see where a business might like a free gift of a .info domain .... but I am just me, an individual, and the last thing I need is another domain I don't know what to do with.

Tip: you don't have to do anything with it. Just let it be/let it expire.

 

[onederlnd]

I agree that you should be angry with you registrar. The registrar should have never registered domains in your name without first getting permission from you. Under no promotion should a registrar just give you a domain... as appreciative as we would all be to get free domains, if we don't want it, we should have every right to say no.

But at the same time, moving your domains away from them after 5 years of good service over a "minor" problem like this, is just not worth it at all.

 

[pmhoran]

However, if here, in Romania, where I live, you receive a gift, you don't refuse it/complain about it. Anything that is completely free, no strings attached, is welcome.

I guess that is why I was looking for feedback on other peoples perspectives. Instances like this ... I am not completely sure I am reacting logically or if my "health issues" are clouding things. Normally I am very accepting and appreciative of a gift ... but I think what is different about this is that this gift basically was sharing on the net personal information about me (most notably my email address) that I normally try to keep protected. If I do it, thats one thing ... but I get real upset & paranoid when someone else feels they can do it without my knowledge or permission.

I might have reacted differently if they had gone ahead and registered it ... put it in my list of domains so I could activate the "Whois Privacy" option ... let me know with an email what they did and why .... and then I probably would have just let it sit there until it expired. But they chose not to do it that way.

know what I mean?

 

[pmhoran]

But at the same time, moving your domains away from them after 5 years of good service over a "minor" problem like this, is just not worth it at all.

Yeah ... I am cooling down enough now that I am kind of tossing the "move the domains" reaction out the window

Thanks for the input
Peter

 

[ldcdc]

For me the whole privacy thing is way lower down the scale of priorities and that must be influencing my view on the situation quite a bit. I agree that you should complain and explain them what you feel regarding the situation. There are better way of doing things and they should know that.

 

[ANMMark]

We noticed this with our domain as well.

I stumbled across it and was shocked. We used enom to register our .com a long time ago, and this is where the .info came from as well.

Ironically, we have no control over the domain....i.e. we cannot access it to change nameservers, etc..

 

[pmhoran]

We noticed this with our domain as well.

I stumbled across it and was shocked. We used enom to register our .com a long time ago, and this is where the .info came from as well.

Ironically, we have no control over the domain....i.e. we cannot access it to change nameservers, etc..

Well ... at least Dotsters claim that they were going to add it to my domain list is a bit feasible since they had only registered the .info domain on Dec 26th. So it is possible it would have turned up in my list if I had waited another week or two.

But it appears Enom registered yours in September. I would think if its registered in your name that you should have been given control of it by now.

 

[webfreak08]

I personally would be annoyed with this situation if I were in your shoes. If the registrar registered a domain name without my consent and then charged me for it, then I'd be furious. In the end, I believe you are justified because they did not ask you for your permission to register the domain name and, as you have said, you cannot change the nameservers or anything. Hopefully, you'll find that this is a "minor" issue and will grow to have a better relationship with your registrar.

 

[ldcdc]

If the registrar registered a domain name without my consent and then charged me for it, then I'd be furious.

I don't think they were charged, but I might be wrong. Were you guys?

 

[webfreak08]

I received the impression that it was a free promotion from the registrar. I could be wrong...but that's what I gather from reading the posts. I was referring to a hypothetical situation, if that is what you are talking about.

 

[pmhoran]

I don't think they were charged, but I minght be wrong. Were you guys?

I wasn't charged anything ... but probably would have been on the renewal date. Which kind of takes mine out of the realm of being "a gift". You don't give someone "a gift" and then a year down the road tell them if they want to keep it that they have to pay for it hahahaha

 

[webfreak08]

The legal definition of a "gift" says that it is something you give someone with no strings attached. Looks like that wouldn't qualify for a gift, but some way to make the extra buck.

 

[ANMMark]

We were not charged either, but the thing that bothers me is that they had the ability to register the domain in our name, without any involvement on our end.

 

[ldcdc]

but the thing that bothers me is that they had the ability to register the domain in our name, without any involvement on our end.

That's no surprise, they have all your data. In fact you gave it to them! The surprise is that they used it for this... thing.

 

[ANMMark]

That's no surprise, they have all your data. In fact you gave it to them! The surprise is that they used it for this... thing.

Exactly. That's what's so disturbing.

It's one thing to have our info...I mean, as you said, we gave it to them. However, to use it in this way, with no involvement from us whatsoever, is unacceptable IMO.