register.com SCAM? High Value Domain Auctioned Without Notice & Now Lies Internet

I created and registered a pregnancy loss domain name in 1999 with register.com. At that time, there was not a lot of medical information out there for women and their families about ectopic pregnancies and ZERO support systems. For many years, I worked tirelessly to provide same and was very successful in doing so. "Successful" in the sense of helping others, as no financial gain was ever received or intended.

Over the years, we had multiple offers to purchase the domain name--mostly in the $6000+ range. However, because we felt passionately about "the mission", we refused each and every offer. We had never done a valuation on the domain name, as we had no intention of selling it at any time. The wills of both my husband and me have provisions for the domain registration fees to ensure that the domain would not be used for purposes other than what it was created for for many, many, many years.

When I was diagnosed with aggresive breast cancer at the age of 34, I made the difficult decision to take down the site's content during my treatments and recovery, with the intent of redesigning and relaunching the site when I was able to offer the support and maintenance that my visitors deserved. I have slowly been working on the site's new design for a year or so.

Each year, I faithfully paid my registration fees to register.com. Eventually, I set the account up for auto-renew through Paypal. Each year, I received AT least two emails from register.com before the expiration date as well as multiple emails almost weekly from them offering products and services. Note: during the months of May 2014 and June 2014 and up until around the end of July 2014, I received no emails from register.com (including in my SPAM folder). On August 25 of this year, I was comparing our 2nd quarter personal expenses to those from 2013. I happened to notice that there was no charge from register.com. I immediately called register.com and was told that the department I needed to speak to was closed.

On August 26, I spoke with register.com, who told me that the domain had expired and was now held by another registrar. I was also told that an authorization for payment had been sent to Paypal and was declined. The term used was "refund before charge". I immediately contacted Paypal, who said that no such authorization or decline had been made. Paypal emailed me a confirmation of this assertion within minutes. I then contacted register.com again, who claimed that Papyal was wrong and then provided me with an "authorization number". Upon calling Paypal again, I was told that the "authorization number" was "useless" to Paypal with regard to confirming or denying register.com's payment claim.

I again called register.com, who then told me that I could contact the new registrar to inquire about selling it back to me. Before I attempted contact with the new registrant, I took a look at the valuation of the domain name. I almost gagged when it came up as "$24,000" and some change. I already knew in my heart that the purchase was made with the intent of massive financial gain and the likelihood of it being sold back to me was small. I spoke with the buyer briefly, and he asked me to send him an email with all of the info, which I immediately did and included most of the info here and up to this point. To date, I have not heard back from him and I don't expect to.

I have since discovered that the domain name was auctioned off through namejet and purchased by someone who has thousands of domains registered. Since register.com is refusing to admit their errors in both the email notifications and the Paypal payment error/lie/whatever, at this point my only options have been to make an ICAAN complaint, file an FTC complaint, file a Georgia Consumer Protection complaint and to set up a consultation with an internet law attorney. I have NO interest in a small claims situation, as this is NOT about money. It is about a valuable source of information and support.

I also have since discovered multiple instances of the exact same thing happening to others with high-value domain names and register.com. Same scanario, same claims, no notice, an auction and no attempt on the part of register.com to "make it right". For most of these, the domain was a financial necessity for them, and that makes me just as angry and as determined to follow this through.

If I were to sell a vehicle that someone else was paying for without proper notice and a possible lie about a payment not going through, I'm 100% certain I would have to reverse the sale or be subjected to harsh penalties!!!