Namejet’s utilization of the Network Solutions pre-release service has created an aftermarket for really old domains that expired and were not renewed. Instead of dropping them, Netsol offers them up on auction. Several people, myself included, go through the pre-release lists for domains of value: aged domains, traffic generators or simply brandable domains. So far, I’ve invested several thousand dollars into this business.
Here lies the problem: two different platforms, with no common support system.
Namejet is a spinoff of eNom, another large domain registrar. Network Solutions is the original domain registrar, with a huge and aged inventory of domains. Although they are in this venture exclusively together, they share no common ticketing system.
My credit card was charged the nice sum of $2,500 in the middle of last week, after I won a Namejet auction. Since then, the domain has not landed in my Netsol account. Upon calling tech support at Netsol, I am told that they cannot confirm the status of my order and that I need to either wait past the 24-48 hour window or to contact Namejet. The problem is, it’s been 4 days since my credit card was charged.
I opened a ticket at the Namejet web site as they don’t offer phone support – another major flaw for an operation of this magnitude. I suspect that they simply share resources with eNom, the ticket system is identical and I get the same canned replies. So I was told that Network Solutions has been notified when payment was made and that the domain WHOIS shows my details. Except, it doesn’t. The WHOIS at Network Solutions still displays the usual “Pending renewal or deletion” blurb and their tech support, despite their ultra-polite demeanor, have no idea why the domain is not in my account yet.
To add a twist of absurdity into this, Namejet mentioned that transactions that end before the weekend or before a holiday might extend the process time of the domain. Only problem is, another transaction that ended on 8/31 – a Sunday – was processed immediately by Namejet and I got hold of the domain instantly. The difference: the domain was with eNom, not Netsol.
So who’s telling the truth, Namejet or Netsol? Personally, I don’t care. I paid for something four days ago and have yet to receive it. It’s easy to blame computer software for delays in processing but when a credit card is successfully charged the items should be delivered within the reasonable time set forth in the agreement. Four days is not a reasonable time in the domain world.
Great post – similar problems exist with other drop services, especially those where the registrars used for drop-catching are leased from entirely different entities and thus you have to go elsewhere in order to manage your domains.
Acroplex writes:
While the technology of NameJet is operated by eNom it is actually a joint venture that is owned in part by Network Solutions, so things should actually be easier than they are.
I wonder if the “whois stuffing” after an auction is a manual process at Network Solutions. A scary thought.
If this problem still hasn’t been solved let me know and I can try to put you in touch to a contact at NameJet.
Hi Frank – congratulations on the DNN.com acquisition 😉
On the subject of Namejet, indeed I’d expect things to be a little smoother. It’s them that I pay, therefore I have the expectation – admittedly naively so – that they will carry out the process on their end. Apparently, that’s not the case; things seem to disappear in the realm between these two companies.
I will give them 48 hours of “weekend and holiday-free” time, after which I will become the usual great ball of fire that I am 😀
Update: it took a couple of hours shy of 5 calendar days for the domain to be delivered! Makes me wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t complained to both companies’ support department.
I just purchased a domain from namejet for $3,300 that was from netsol.
After I won the auction, it took about 12 hours for payment to be taken from my credit card, and then another 24 hours for netsol to send me the account info where the domain was located.
When I tried to modify the whois info, it was rejected. I phoned netsol support and was told I couldn’t modify whois until 24 hours after the domain was placed into my account.
So, after about 72 hours, I now have ability to control the domain.