UBB.Developers Forums General Discussion Chit Chat Do any of you have any experience with Snapnames.com?

I've got two SnapBack subscriptions with them and I'm hoping I can get those two domains, barring renewal from their current owners, naturally. However SnapNames isn't the only player in this market, but I don't want to sign up with other services just to make sure I have the best shot at those domains. It may seem expensive at $69, but I tried doing it on my own once for my 2nd domain name, checking the WHOIS daily, several times a day, and it was still registered by those stupid companies that do nothing but put up a directory. Opinions? Reviews?

I've never used them... let me know what your luck is tho

I've often wondered how this process works (one company refers to it as "back-ordering" domains), especially when there are so many places offering the service.

I wonder if your best bet would be to "pre-order" the domain from registrar where it's currently registered? For example, if it's with Verisign then use SnapNames, if it's with GoDaddy then do the "back-order" thing via GoDaddy, etc. It seems that the current registrar would have the inside track to snapping it up if it isn't renewed.

I too waited for a domain name for YEARS, only to see it get taken by a Korean company who put a stupid junk filler page on it. It's very disappointing!

I used them once to snatch up a domain name. It worked great!

And would someone please update my haxxor bean!??

There's an interesting conversation about this subject at WebmasterWorld -- they seem to agree that the best way to "reserve" a domain name is to use the pre-order service offered by the registrar who currently manages the domain you want to buy.

http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum25/1245.htm

Thought I'd revive this thread as I now have an actual experience with SnapNames.com to relate.

There's a particular domain name I've wanted to own for the past few years, but I missed buying it last time it became available. I saw the current registration was about to expire, so I bit the bullet and paid SnapNames.com $69 to "backorder" the domain. The domain was registered with Network Solutions, so I assumed SnapNames would be the service that would get first crack at the domain.

Today I recieved an email stating that the domain had been transferred away from Network Solutions. I checked the Whois information and found the domain had been purchased by someone two days ago. It's now "for sale" at a domain reseller for a couple thousand dollars.

So, my experience says SnapNames.com doesn't work. I paid $69 to get "first crack" at the domain the second it expired, but someone else managed to register it first. SnapNames only allows one backorder per domain name, so the person who bought it must have just registered it the old-fashioned way, through another registrar.

My two cents is that SnapNames seems to be a big waste of money. If the current registrar can't automatically grab the domain at the moment they delete it from their database, then the entire exercise seems pointless.

That sucks. I coughed up the $69 for a domain that expires this September 11. If the owner doesn't renew, I'll be checking whois everyday, and on the fifth day that it's in PENDINGDELETE, I'll be on the computer all day. Thanks for the heads up!

EDIT- You said it was registered two days ago. Was that while the whois database was saying it was in PENDINGDELETE? That shouldn't be possible. Who was the registrar that registered the domain (so I can do the same thing myself)?

I know this is an old thread, but I just wanted to post my experience. We just got screwed by SnapNames. The domain name we wanted (an alternate spelling of our legally trademarked name) was reserved. The registrar was Network Solutions. The current owner was not using the domain name. We notified NetSol and they said if the current owner did not use the name within 2 months that it would be released for us. In the mean time they told us to "guarantee" our receipt of the name when they release it, that we should pay SnapNames $69 to backorder the name(their 'trusted' partner). This would supposedly assure us it would come to us. I figured since the current registrar was Network Solutions and they have this partnership with SnapNames, that we would be well covered. Wrong. The name was released yesterday finally and SnapNames failed us. Now we are out the $69, plus the idiot that got the name wants to sell it back to us for mucho $$$$. What a scam. I will never use SnapNames again and naturally have not used Network Solutions for years.

NO [censored]!!! SnapNames is a freaking scam. I had the same exact experience as you. Can we do something about it and not let them get away with this? They must have earned so much money with this service. There must be some fine print that we did not read...maybe something like "SN will try our best to...with no guarantee..."!!! The domain I was waiting was also taken by a Korean Company... What the fuk? And I don't see any reason why a Korean company will be interested in that name. I suspect either the Korean Comapany is in on a scam with SnapNames, or maybe it cracked into SN's database and registered all the names on the waiting list, hoping that we will now try to purchase it from them! In any case, what a scam!!!