Well it appears I have fallen victim to a Cybersquatting Scam. Boy does this scam go deep. The scam is perpetuated by Network Solutions, it's in their policies and procedures that if you don't renew with them they reserve the right to transfer the domain name to an interested party unless of course you send them an e-mail stating that you do not want them to do this, however this policy is hidden deep and not one that you need to agree to when you sign up.

Anyhow, I could have sent the e-mail, but it would have done no good as I was not the Primary contact, and it would have done no good. Oh let me explain how I got screwed by NetSol on that one. I am the account holder, however I registered with NetSol when they were the only game in town and it took a series of like 5 e-mails to . So when I went to edit my registration awhile ago, I had to sign up for their web interface, and unbeknownst to me I was given a new NIC ID that did not give me Account Holder Status. After much arguing with them on the phone about how I am the account holder and how I should be allowed to change my primary contact, and them telling me basically tough shit. I decide to let it expire, and re-register with a new registrar that is less facist.

Anyhow, the domain expires, I get the grace period, I let it lapse so it will be deleted and available for re-purchase. I even back order the domain. 45 days later. There's a new owner. One NOLDC apparently the contracted interested party Network Solutions hands over expired domains to. The New Orleans Leftover Data Centers. They claim to be a Domain Escrow Service for reselling domains. I figure, ok, so the backorder auction process has begun, and after an e-mail to them I am told they are a middle man for a “Third Party" who purchased the domain through thier anonymous registration service. That's when the investigation began. And I mean it when I say this goes deep.

Some minor research shows that the NOLDC has been found in fault on multiple ICANN's Arbitrations and has had to relinquish domain names to the rightful owners of the trademarks. Also alot of small private individuals without the resources for an arbitration have fallen victim to these unscrupulous people. Namly one Sigmund Solares. Here's some info I've found so far.

Sigmund Solares CEO of:
domaincontender.com
Directnic.com
zipa.com
NOLDC.com
DomainApex.com (URL Auction site)
lawyers.us

Victims
tc-alumni.com (.org)
shamns.blogspot.com/
i386.kruel.org/
www.saintcaffeine.ca
www.webhostingtalk.com
66.102.7.104/
init.linpro.no
translate.google.com/
vanessalewis.net/
home.speedfactory.net
www.lazybearproductions.com
www.morisoncom.com/
talk.mysitespace.com

Judgements
http://www.arb-forum.com/domains/decisions/311365.htm
http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/word/2002/dbiz2002-00099.doc
http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/2002/dbiz2002-00190.html
http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/2005/d2005-0016.html
http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/2005/d0000-0199.html
http://www.worldlii.org/int/cases/GENDND/2004/1042.html
notable links
http://www.gnso.icann.org/mailing-lists/archives/registrars/msg01105.html
http://www.targetedtraffic.com/traffic_west.html
http://scam.com/showthread.php?mode=hybrid&t=783

As you can see, it's big. 2 Registrars, a hosting company, and a domain auction site. Not to mention this slime ball has fooled other registrars into thinking he's an honorable individual. How can one who so blatantly violates federal law and advocates cybersquatting be honorable. Well that will be for a judge to decide.

And it may be bigger. Some New Research indicates that Sigmund Solares may be involved in the Kenyatech.com scam as well. I have no hard proof, but there's stuff that looks suspicious, like how that company is using one Mr. Sigmund Solares's registrars. Directnic.com.

So anyhow, I am offered to purchase back my Commonlaw Trademarked Domain name, www.rederon.com, for $300. After a quick e-mail back stating how that's an insane price (which turns out is the same price they ask for any domain name they squat on) they drop it to $75. Still too much for my blood. It's like paying a thief to return your stolen car. I tried to reason with them, stating, if they can justify registering the name. If they can show they have a legitimate right to the domain name, I will leave them alone. In response, I get silence.

Now what I want to know, is this. They are stating it's a third party that is selling the domain, not them. Why is this same 3rd party always asking exactaly the same amount, with the exact same form letter if this is a legitimate 3rd party? Answer. They are not a legitimate 3rd party, and a court supeona for the real identity of the registrar will eventually prove this.

I hope to take these bastards down. After alot of research on my options I found one that is benificial to a private individual who doesn't have the resources to have an ICANN's arbitration. It's the ACPA. ICANN's, after paying the $1200 fee for arbitration, only gets you the ownership of the domain, which sucks for a private individual. The ACPA on the other hand not only gets you the domain name back to your ownership, it also allows you to collect damages incurred in hiring a lawyer and any revenue lost from having the domain hijacked. Financial awards from $1000 to $100,000 per domain. This is ideal for those of us on a budget and I urge anyone who has fallen victim to cybersquatting to go this route.

Also if you have become yet another victim of the NOLDC's Squatting scam I urge you to contact me, maybe we can get this turned into a class action lawsuit. Assholes like this need to be stopped, and we have a voice, so we might as well use it. Excercise your right to protect your online identity. Don't let companies like this scam one cent off of you. If they say $300 and drop it to $100, don't count your blessings, they are still scamming you. It cost them at most $35 (Netsol current price) to register the domain and that is all they can legally charge you. The legitimate cost of registering the domain and maintaining it. Asking for anything above and beyond that proves that they registered the domain in bad faith to garner a profit from you, which is illegal by federal law.

Ron
Las Vegas, Nevada
U.S.A.