Stolen Domain: Olszyna.com

**Seraphim** · 02-10-2009, 06:54 PM

A domain name with no aftermarket value, but tremendous sentimental value has been stolen from me by it's registrar. It's a Polish language domain, and as most of you are aware, I reside in Poland part time.

Domain: olszyna.com

The Russian registrar haveaname.com replaced my contact email with their own several months ago, and has since locked me out of my account. All emails and phone calls have obviously gone unanswered. The domain was purchased through SnapNames, hence the reason I got stuck with this shady Russian registrar in the first place (ignore their fake San Francisco address). I've been working on gaining control of the domain back for months, however it 's past expiration now, and appears there is nothing more I can do.

I don't expect anyone to help me with this, I simply wanted to post it here and get it on public record, and most importantly indexed by Google (assuming posts from the legal section are indexed).

**Acro** · 02-10-2009, 07:00 PM

This is horrible. Did you try talking to Snapnames? After all, the domain should be in your Snapnames managing account.

**Seraphim** · 02-10-2009, 07:15 PM

I didn't contact SnapNames this round, because if you can believe it, I've actually dealt with this issue several times now via their drop registrars (all non US based of course). They always send me a canned reply, stating they sent the registration information to the registrar... blah blah blah... please contact them for the password.

I should also mention that all of haveaname.com's email addresses appear to be dead, including the address they tossed into my contact info: complainsofficer@haveaname.com <<< I'm assuming the "complainsofficer" means I will hear "there was some sort of complaint regarding this domain, and that's why we locked you out of your account for 3 months".

contact@haveaname.com
contact@public.haveaname.com
complainsofficer@haveaname.com
info@haveaname.com

The domain is worthless, however if it expires will it stay with the current registrar? Maybe I can catch it for the second time, and waste some more money on it...

**mulligan** · 02-10-2009, 07:31 PM

Might be worth letting snap know, they 'might' knock them off their registrar list.

And ... hope those assholes don't 'catch' it second time around if you go for it again!

**Seraphim** · 02-10-2009, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by mulligan

Might be worth letting snap know, they 'might' knock them off their registrar list.

And ... hope those assholes don't 'catch' it second time around if you go for it again!

Just shot off an email to both SnapNames and ICANN. I know it's a lost cause, but what the heck...

I'm encountering lots of shady registrars these days due to SnapNames drops. Just had some trouble with OnlineNIC too. Not fun...

**draggar** · 02-10-2009, 07:48 PM

Thank you for reassuring my choice not to deal with Snapnames when I have other options.

I hope you get the domain back.

**INVIGOR** · 02-10-2009, 08:10 PM

I have had great success with SnapNames helping me get names acquired through them from rogue registrars; however, I can appreciate your frustration.

**Tom K.** · 02-10-2009, 08:50 PM

A domain registrar should have bank-like security and reliability as domains are real investments. At the very least the registrar should lose their icann accreditation. Perhaps the owners lost interest or fled for some reason, in which case you can get it back through backorder. Making this public is a very good idea. All the best in your efforts. Hope you get it back.

BTW, I am from Poland. Born in WroclawPoland.info.

**fab** · 02-11-2009, 02:11 AM

Thank you for posting this. This is not the first time drop services have used shady registrars. I just wonder if it's possible to clarify the registrar before bidding?

**katherine** · 02-11-2009, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by fab

I just wonder if it's possible to clarify the registrar before bidding?

You cannot predict who's going to catch a drop.

**Seraphim** · 02-11-2009, 10:00 AM

Sent off 15 to 20 emails last night with a link to this thread included, bascially every email I could find that they once used. I also found an old phone number to the registrar and left a message.

They finally wrote me back this morning stating "the domain has expired, pay us $40 USD and we'll give you the password", note they will only give me the password after I pay.

I'll pay with a credit card, and attempt to transfer it out. If anything funny happens, I'll do a chargeback.

**domaingenius** · 02-11-2009, 10:10 AM

If you want to contact ICANN then here is perhaps a good contact
there;
John O. Jeffrey
General Counsel & Secretary
ICANN
4676 Admiralty Way, Ste. 330
Marina del Rey, CA USA
Direct +1.310.301.5834
Mobile +1.310.404.6001
John.Jeffrey@ICANN.org

**tomsa** · 02-11-2009, 10:11 AM

Snapnames support has always been helpful for me when facing such problems with shaddy registrars.

**denny007** · 02-11-2009, 10:21 AM

I think this is one of several registrars Snapnames sent email (in December ?) that everyone should hurry and transfer away from them.

**Acro** · 02-11-2009, 10:33 AM

By far the worst such registrar I had to use was based in Korea. Their support email was responding with incomprehensible English and had to contact one of their officers via their private email three times in order to get a domain away from them. The requirement to have a fully-functioning transfer away process that allows for the Auth code to be emailed and the domain to get unlocked at the registrant's will should be mandatory for all ICANN accredited registrars. I hear register.com requires a phonecall to give you the auth code?

**Onward** · 02-11-2009, 10:45 AM

I have had problems with snapnames buys that go to the crazy registrars...One name it took me three months just to get access to a un & password to change the name servers. Snapnames did try to help and I eventually got the name out after 6 months.

**Seraphim** · 02-11-2009, 10:51 AM

To bad we can't choose a registrar to auto dump all our drop catches into. A man can dream...

**denny007** · 02-12-2009, 01:30 AM

To bad we can't choose a registrar to auto dump all our drop catches into. A man can dream...

I do not understand why they do not drop all thesse "partners", they have tens of own registrars (managed together via Logicboxes manage.snapnames.com) and those 10~20 most problematic is causing only people stopping buying there. I am already putting together list of registrars which when I see got the domain I do not bid, this is from my list I am working on:

Namesbeyond
1 DOMAIN SOURCE, LTD. DBA DOMAIN 1 SOURCE, INC www.domain1source.com
WEB BUSINESS, LLC. www.webbusiness.biz
DOMAIN MONKEYS, LLC www.domainmonkeys.com
AIM HIGH!, INC. DBA GET YER NAME www.getyername.com
(303) 524-3469
DOMAIN THE NET TECHNOLOGIES LTD
DOMAINPEOPLE, INC.
4DOMAINS
123 REGISTRATION, INC

**Acro** · 02-12-2009, 09:07 AM

I think they strategically spread these registrars around the world in different time zones to have a better chance of registering drops.

**Seraphim** · 02-12-2009, 09:21 AM

Some of these SnapNames registrars almost seem like "shell companies". Who knows if that's the case, but the thought crossed my mind on several occasions.