trotline - 4:11 pm on Feb 20, 2007 (gmt 0)

I have been trying to buy dropped domain names related to my businesses for the last few years.

I thought <the registrars> had legitimate ways to bid on these names. I have participated regularly until a few months ago when I decided it was a sham.

A consistent pattern I have observed is that anytime a premium name or an "almost" premium name comes up for drop that it gets "renewed" a day before it drops. This occurs EVERY time one of these names comes up for drop.

Since the entire operation is cloaked from a whois perspective I can not verify the legitimacy of the operation. The ones I remember to check on weeks later are still parked instead reverting back to their old web site.

The ones I have managed to buy, even with page rank and links, have virtually no traffic. I of, course, have no way to "taste" them for 5 days.

This is deception on the part of the registrar or parking industry as far as I am concerned. Something needs to be done soon because they are claiming all dropping names of any value. People with legitimate interest in the names are closed out. Can't even join an auction on them.

[edited by: encyclo at 4:23 pm (utc) on Feb. 20, 2007]
[edit reason] specifics, see terms of service [/edit]