Siteleader.com Siteleader and Enom Domain Theives Internet

I read the report from DartsWorld regarding Siteleader.com and Enom.com and boy did it bring back the memories.  Nightmares actually.  The same thing happened to me with the same two players and it was years ago.  It is a shame (Sham?) that ICANN (ultimate authority for domain names worldwide) doesn't clean up the Internet and send these two companies packing with their principals in jail.

The short version for me was that I had my domain name registered through Siteleader.com a reseller for Enom.com.  They let it expire and then held it for ransom.  They are required to notify me which they didn't (who is going to let their domain expire?)  But lied all along that they had.  Of course for a large sum of money they would gladly give it back.  What do you do?  I paid the ransom.

But then instead of getting it back they gave it to another resailer in Russia who then wanted money.  I complained bitterly to Enom.com.  They have insulated themselves very well from thier resellers and "Couldn't do anything" because I couldn't prove it was my domain.  Of course the content on the domain had changed and caused my google and other search engine rankings to crash.  Some lawyer in Southern Califorinia is/was behind Enom.com but was also VERY insulated.  I could not get Siteleader.com or Enom.com to budge.  I would not deal with the Russia company and I think it then went to an Indian company.

I contacted ICANN, a lawyer, the FBI and Department of Justices in Illinois (Siteleader.com) and Washingon State (Enom.com).  Lawyer said it would cost a ton and may not succeed.  FBI interestingly sent me to a data base to register my complaint in hopes that enough people would also do that and it would lift my complaint up to something they could afford to spend time on.  I did.  I don't remember the site name, but couldn't post it here anyway.  Contact the FBI, they would know.

About that time ICANN started a new Ombudsman program and I was able to deal with people at ICANN who were there to help people like us.  I hope they still have it.  After explaining my situation, and some back and forth between ICANN, Enom.com, and Siteleader.com.  I finally got it back, but siteleader.com was still my registrar.  With ICANN's help I was able to get it transferred away from them and over to a real company like GoDaddy or the like.

It was a nightmare to lose my domain and I spent countless hours working on it and not sleeping, just like anyone reading this is most likely.  My advice to all is do NOT use Enom or Siteleader.  If you are with them start working now to transfer away from them to a real registrar.  I warn you, they will fight you and not like you, but it is easier to do that before you lose it than after.

If you haven't done business with these people DON'T!  RUN away.

If you have found yourself in the situation DartsWorld and I found ourselves in Report it to the FBI and work diligently and respectfully with ICANN.  They can fix it, they fixed mine.

Spread the word everywhere you can about Enom and Siteleader.  Good luck!