Good for you strongvis. Wildcard is right, lucky! Sometimes these guys are just playing games to see if they CAN, meanwhile deciding if they want to go through with it.
On that topic, here's something I'd like to shine a spotlight on, you guys tell me if this smells right. I was looking to snap the name DOMAINMALL.COM as the current registrant at the time had let it expired. The name officially expired on 17-Oct-2002.
I called Verisign to see what was up (basically to rattle the cage) and they told me to cool my heels. As far as they were concerned, "internally" the address would expire a year from now ( 17-Oct-2003 ). This "internal" date was of course the automatic renewal date expired names are set to and not an official "renewal" from the registrant. If you go to Internic's whois, its the date set there, but not in the whois.
Undaunted, I snapped it, and forgot about it. SnapName's dutifully set me this notice about it having "expired":
SnapNames has detected that the registration for the domain
name:
domainmall.com
has expired.
I use Watch My Domains Professional, and had recorded the whois record at the time for my records.
DENNINGTON SALES AND MARKETING LTD (DOMAINMALL-DOM)
43 Elizabeth Avenue
NASSAU, BAHAMAS -
BS
Domain Name: DOMAINMALL.COM
Administrative Contact:
DENNINGTON SALES AND MARKETING LTD (DS2952-ORG)
[email protected]
DENNINGTON SALES AND MARKETING LTD
43 Elizabeth Avenue
NASSAU, BAHAMAS -
BS
INT+46 73 6124348 fax: INT+1 208 730 4669
Technical Contact:
Vegasys, Registry (VR651-ORG)
[email protected]
IIG AB
Box 5274
Karlstad
SE
+46 54 15 63 00
Fax- +46 54 15 70 90
Record expires on 17-Oct-2002.
Record created on 16-Oct-1996.
Database last updated on 7-Feb-2003 21:41:09 EST.
Domain servers in listed order:
NS-01.CARAMBOLE.COM 213.180.68.130
NS-02.CARAMBOLE.COM 213.180.68.131
NS-03.CARAMBOLE.COM 213.180.65.27
NS-04.CARAMBOLE.COM 213.180.65.28
At one point, I was switching my SnapNames around, and while I had my snap "off" of DomainMall.com, someone else snapped it. Ouch. My mistake, but I decided I'd contact the current registrant to see what was up with the name and make an offer. No response. In fact "
[email protected]" bounced back to me!
----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
<
[email protected]>
----- Transcript of session follows -----
... while talking to sitemail2.everyone.net.:
>>> RCPT To:<
[email protected]>
Interesting that mail.nu was run through Everyone.net's service.
I kept watching it though, and recently, something strange happened. Without being renewed or otherwise altered, all the REGISTRANT and contact information changed!
Bo Redin (DOMAINMALL-DOM)
Box 80
Borlange
SE
Domain Name: DOMAINMALL.COM
Administrative Contact, Technical Contact:
Bo Redin (YSRNLPHJUO)
[email protected]
Bo Redin
Box 80
Borlange
SE
+46-70-5920100
Record expires on 17-Oct-2002.
Record created on 16-Oct-1996.
Database last updated on 1-Mar-2003 22:07:44 EST.
Domain servers in listed order:
NS-01.CARAMBOLE.COM 213.180.68.130
NS-02.CARAMBOLE.COM 213.180.68.131
NS-03.CARAMBOLE.COM 213.180.65.27
NS-04.CARAMBOLE.COM 213.180.65.28
Might be perfectly legit, but given the combination of circumstances I'm suspicious (if the Everyone.net Mail.ru runner is not scrupulous, I'm sure they could have arranged something.) DomainMall.com is registered through Network Solutions. If I were the owner, rather than just change all my information (for whatever reason, sale, whatever) the FIRST thing I'd do is RENEW the thing.
Well, here's me posting these findings somewhere at least. Dennington Sales and Marketing LTD apparently runs a website called DateNews.com. The contact information there worked, but they've either chosen to ignore me, or no one is reading their mail.
I feel like Fox Mulder now. Hmph.
~ Nexus