registrar domain name squatting?

registered domain name - now its stolen

[mindaugas13]

In November I registered a domain name, <snip> got a receipt, got the credit card charged. 3 years. Good to go.

I finally need to use it. I cant seem to login - checked the whois - it's somebody random in the UK. The page is just your regular spammy landing page variety. So I call the registrar and they tell me to "contact the whois", login using my account (which doesnt work) - they say "it works for us, it's your problem".

Has this ever happened to anyone? Any idea what's going on here?

[edited by: Webwork at 2:39 am (utc) on Jan. 27, 2006]
[edit reason] Charter [webmasterworld.com] [/edit]

[Webwork]

Does your "receipt" for the charge include reference to the specific domain name?

Do you have any email(s) from the time you originated the account and registered the domain confirming that you are the actual/original registrant?

Have you attempted to contact the person in the WhoIs to make inquiries about their purported ownership? What did he/she say when you explained your plight? Did that person claim ownership?

If this is a fraud, as you state, have you contacted the available government offices charged with investigating crime/fraud?

First, you need to get your evidence of original ownership together. Then you need to establish that the "other person" either doesn't exist or has no interest in the domain. IF the other person is real and claims ownership then you need to bring in outside agencies, produce your proof of ownership and prosecute the fraud.

[stu2]

I wouldn't go the fraud route first, I'd want my domain back first and foremost. Once you have your paperwork in place, your first port of call should be your registrar. If they are resellers for a registrar then, if you don't get any satisfaction from them, go to the registrar themselves. If you don't get any satisfaction from them, file an UDRP with ICANN. Of course if you are right, you can file fraud charges with the approriate authorities at any time you like, but don't expect much cooperation from the people you file fraud charges against to help you in recovering your domain.

[mindaugas13]

I contacted the person in the whois record and he's very cooperative. He is listed as the contact but doesnt have access to the domain. He registered another domain around the same time. This seems to be some strange error on the registrar's part. I'll see if i can get them to figure it out.

[wildbest]

What does your credit card company say? Your initial purchase may have been reversed by a charge back and the name confiscated by the registrar. Or you may have violated the ToS by spamming from that domain name. Are you telling all the truth?

[LeChuck]

If he's the admin contact on it then he can do whatever he wants, with or without web access. All he has to do is transfer out. Any confirmation requests for transfers will be sent to the same email adress you reached him at.

If he's really cooperative/honest you can have him authorize a transfer to you at another registrar.

[mindaugas13]

This has been a strange experience to say the least. The guy whose name it was registered under was very cooperative - apparently he had registered another domain name around the same time and somewhere along the line, he was made the registrant of my domain name. He ended up having to call the registrar and get them to reset the password - then he emailed all that info to me and I was able to login and make changes. I initiated a domain transfer - need to get away from this registrar post stat.

[Martin40]

Congrats on solving it. But the general question remains: what are you going to do if your registrar likes your domain, what proof do you have?

[DesignFire]

well i guess it depends on the isp but all isp's ive dealt with always issue an invoice or registration confirmation, which includes when the domain is registered until. this if it has the registrant's details on it is proof enough. i should know this, i work for an isp.

flick :-)

[Martin40]

Okay, but an email is no proof. I've never had any such problems myself, nor heard of any domains pinched by registrars, but the legal position of the registrant is non-existant, if you ask me.

What's a flick?

[mindaugas13]

I did dig up the registration email so I know legally I would have had a solid case, but why would anyone ever want to go through all that headache? I initiated a transfer and will make sure never to do business with these jokers again.

[DesignFire]

a flick as you put it martin is nickname which belongs to me, lol. my name is Felicity, flick is for short.

[Martin40]

Oh, ah, I'm sorry. Must be Cockney-English to abbreviate Felicity as Flick, but from now on when I hear the French refer to the "flic" (the cops), I'll think of you :-).

[DesignFire]

Def not cockney mate, im from Lancashire which is way up north, but its nice to know you'll think of me in association with the <other wonderful Europeans> ;-)

[edited by: Webwork at 8:45 pm (utc) on Feb. 8, 2006]
[edit reason] We don't even go near such posting here, even in jest, okay? :o) [/edit]

[Martin40]

This is great. This thread is turning into a diplomatic incident. Just the way Brad likes it.

I'm sure you pronounce nasty really poche, like nââââhhsty.

[Webwork]

Be nice before you be gone. :)

We only feel the love back here in domain world. All other dubious posts are required to be posted in e-commerce, where my friend Lorax-The-Nasty moderates.

[edited by: Webwork at 8:47 pm (utc) on Feb. 8, 2006]

[Martin40]

I'm sorry, I was trying to be funny, that's it.

Apparently it came out wrong, or interpreted as such.

[Webwork]

No big deal but it's a big world, WW has members from many countries, so we steer wide-clear of even joking about ethnic/national stereotypes, etc.

WW is about all love and respect all the time, even when I sometimes edit or delete a post here and there. (Why should I be the only one who has ever suffered that ignominy?)

You can, however, make fun of yourself. Only limit it to your own certain publicly acceptable peculiarities. At least out here in public. :)

[Martin40]

You're quite right. Looking back I realize the post sounded grumpy towards Felicity (sorry!) and I meant no disrespect towards Brad (sorry!).

The British always make fun of the <self-censored>, it's just folkore, no big deal.

Phew, what a thread..

[Martin40]

As for my own peculiarities, I'm spoilt for choice.