Beware of eNom : domain thieves

[keyser]

The story starts here :
I won a domain (reg'd at tierra.net) at snapnames in january 2008 ($59 so this is not a *big* deal). To consolidate my portfolio in the same place, I initiated a transfer from my enom account in april. The transfer was "cancelled", I received the following message from enom
Canceled - The current registrar has rejected transfer (please contact them for details)

Then I decided to initiate another transfer request later on. And took some time to do so.
However, the domain WAS TRANSFERRED SUCCESSFULLY to enom, a fact I discovered only few weeks ago. The whois info was/ still is as follows :

From Internic.net :
Domain Name: L********.COM
Registrar: ENOM, INC.
Whois server: whois.enom.com
Referral URL: http://www.enom.com
Name Server: NS1.SEDOPARKING.COM
Name Server: NS2.SEDOPARKING.COM
Status: clientTransferProhibited
Updated Date: 03-dec-2008
Creation Date: 11-jan-2008
Expiration Date: 11-jan-2010

And shows :
ENOM, INC.
Domain Name: .com
The results below are provided by ENOM, INC. (whois.enom.com)
We're sorry, there has been a problem. Technicians have been notified. Code E3.

Sample of answers from eNom "support team"

Hello,
The transfer you reference was closed as the Registrar that held the domain name on 4/1/2008 rejected the transfer. For why you would have had to contact them.
The other domain on that transfer also did not complete on that order as we were unable to get the whois data.
it may have been that the name was in redemption at the prior registrar as on 6/9/2008 it was registered as a new domain name by it's present owner.

I'm sorry but you did not renew the domain through the prior company and the domain is under a new owner. We have no way to assist you in regards to this domain.

Respectfully,

Kate
Technical Support Team

My reply to this BS :

Kate,

Thanks to your reply, I understand now you really dont understand anything to the domain name business. Just to quote you "it may have been that the name was in redemption at the prior registrar as on 6/9/2008 it was registered as a new domain name by it's present owner. I'm sorry but you did not renew the domain through the prior company and the domain is under a new owner."

I won the domain name in january 2008, which means, because winning an auction at snapnames AUTOMATICALLY extends the registration period for one year that it is IMPOSSIBLE that the domain expired in june 2008.

Ask around you, what your saying is just pure non-sense.
Sorry if it sounds harsh, but it is the truth.

I also asked her to escalate the problem to eNom techies and legal department.

Here is the update I got today :
hello,
I'm sorry but if you purchased the name via Snap Names, you will need to contact them to resolve that side.
The name however was registered as a brand new domain name on the 11th of January 2008 after being registered as a new domain by one of our customers.
You no longer owned the domain or had control of it when you put in the transfer request.

You will need to contact the present owner of the domain to see if they are willing to sell this domain.

email: domains-at-whoisprivacyprotect.net

I'm sorry but we can not assist you further with this domain.
Regards,

Kate
Technical Support Team

So beware of eNom. I am a loyal customer for years, still have many domains registered with them and this is how they consider people like me.
Amazing to say the least.

Update : last reply of "Kate" who kindly closed my ticket without providing any support at all.
Response (Kate) 01/12/2009 08:29 AM
I'm sorry technical support can not resolve this. You need to contact the domains legal owner as defined before.

Regards,
Kate
Technical Support Team

[Acro]

PM me the domain and I'll look it up.

[KING dot NET]

Send me PM of your domain as well.

I would like to check it too.

[keyser]

PM sent to both of you.
Would appreciate some email addresses for eNom/ DM management as eN support team is quite ignorant and not helpful at all.

[KING dot NET]

I've sent you email with my initial assessment and forward this to Enom VP Chris S. and my account manager David M. to check your domain.

I hope they can respond right away.

Regards,
EM

[keyser]

Thanks Emil and Acro for your help.
Wait and see mode now

[BLazeD]

Enom support do not know jack sh*t about the issues they purport to advise on.

[keyser]

Wait and see mode now

One week has passed, still no answer from eNom officials.

[katherine]

Did you investigate the history of domain ownership @ domaintools ?

[keyser]

It is clear that the domain went first to the registrar account SnapNames created for me, and later on was transferred to enom (by me). Then the domain was lost somewhere in enom domain database (whois still shows the dns I chose when the name was caught by SN). SnapNames told me few of their customers encountered the same problem.

Today, I am still waiting for answers from Enom VP Chris S. and Emil account manager David M., they did not bother to reply yet.

Well, it says it all :(

[KING dot NET]

One week has passed, still no answer from eNom officials.

This is bad.
Did you send a follow-up with the email that I've initiated?

I did not receive feedback as well.

[keyser]

Quick and last update : enom never helped me, did not recognize/ apologize for their mistake and I ended up buying back the domain at NameJet.

Very very poor support, even for clients who spend thousands of dollars in renewals each year since 2002.

[elmister]

Did they fixed it? or are you still waiting?

I was doing some research while considering getting an ETP account and i'm very interested in seeing how do they handle issues.

[Raider]

I received the following message from enom
Canceled - The current registrar has rejected transfer (please contact them for details)

Did you contact the Registrar when Enom suggested you do so?

Then I decided to initiate another transfer request later on.

You did this not knowing what the original problem was correct?

Quick and last update : enom never helped me, did not recognize/ apologize for their mistake and I ended up buying back the domain at NameJet.

Very very poor support, even for clients who spend thousands of dollars in renewals each year since 2002.

Did you make any calls to Enom Support? or was this all by email?

[keyser]

Did they fixed it? or are you still waiting?

I ended up buying back the domain at NameJet.

Did you contact the Registrar when Enom suggested you do so?
You did this not knowing what the original problem was correct?
Did you make any calls to Enom Support? or was this all by email?

I wasn't born yesterday and it wasnt my first transfer either. I hate losing a domain in such a way so I tried... everything. Anyway, now it is time to move on.

Btw, I am experiencing more or less the same situation with a domain registered with CoolHandle (a "registrar" managed by moniker) and never had the chance to get login and password after a successful bid at NJ even after several emails to bari ; now the domain is about to expire, do I hear racket (since they earned some fees from NJ and will reauction it after exp., probably at their new sister company SN this time) ?

Will post some details later on with a new thread.

Mods, please close this one.

[GAMEFINEST]

I never had any problems with them..

[keyser]

I never had any problems with them..

I suppose you never had this kind of surprise, it might explain why you never had any problems with them. But you have one when... :

And shows :
ENOM, INC.
Domain Name: .com
The results below are provided by ENOM, INC. (whois.enom.com)
We're sorry, there has been a problem. Technicians have been notified. Code E3.

Mods, please close the thread as already requested. Thanks.

[owndomain]

No update?

[keyser]

No update?

Quick and last update : enom never helped me, did not recognize/ apologize for their mistake and I ended up buying back the domain at NameJet.

Well, you get the picture

[james2002]

Good that you got the domain back but you had to spend twice.