'parapc.com' offering me first go in an auction of a domain I let drop. Sent from oversee (moniker)

[rowan]

My domain was registered with Moniker, I deliberately let it drop, now I receive an email from Alex <[email protected]> inviting me to buy it before auction. The email was sent from an Oversee (Moniker) IP.

So who the hell is parapc and "intrust domains" ( http://www.dnipremiumnames.com/ ) and how are they associated with Moniker? That site, and the unsolicited email approach, looks super dodgy, yet it appears to be part of Oversee/Moniker?


Here's the text of the email with the domain xxx'd out (nice testimonial in the sig )


Preferred Domain Availability Notice:

xxxxx.com is going to be listed for auction in a few days. This domain might be useful for you, since you own a domain similar to xxxxx.com

To express interest in owning this domain, just fill out the simple form here: http://PARAPC.COM/xxxxxxxxxxx



Sincerely,Alexander
PO Box 76211 Colorado Springs, CO 80970

This is a business proposal. If it doesn't meet your expectations, click here -http://PARAPC.COM/1/xxxxxxxxxx





InTrust really lives up to their company's name. Their personnel were able to take a situation which had gone south because of another company's apathetic
performance, explain what had happened in a way that made sense, tell me what could be done, and execute that strategy. They did this in no time at all and
their care and concern turned what could have been a very negative conversation into a successful transaction. I am glad they are the ones with whom I am now
registered and for once it feels like dealing with real people in whom I can trust.

[rowan]

I just realised the domain they want me to buy is NOT one I let drop, it is actually just a similar one (mine has "free" at the start)

I'd push this aside as fishing and hoping for a bite, apart from that fact that it was sent from an Oversee IP... what does Moniker have to do with this?

[BlackCrayon]

moniker has nothing to do with it, besides possibly hosting them. intrust domains tries to sell domains to people before they even own them. if there is interest, they will try and catch the domain when it drops, if there is none, they won't and there is no promise they can actually get the domain either.

[DateDoc]

I have been receiving a lot of those emails lately for domains similar to ones I own. Seems they might of scraped whois to build a db and email prospective purchasers based on that.

[rowan]

moniker has nothing to do with it, besides possibly hosting them. intrust domains tries to sell domains to people before they even own them. if there is interest, they will try and catch the domain when it drops, if there is none, they won't and there is no promise they can actually get the domain either.

Interesting business model. So they send out a bunch of spams to WHOIS contacts for domains which are similar to the one which is about to drop, if someone bites and makes an offer THEN they try to catch the domain? Can't lose... lol.

http://www.bbb.org/southern-colorado...on-co-87340850

[BlackCrayon]

Interesting business model. So they send out a bunch of spams to WHOIS contacts for domains which are similar to the one which is about to drop, if someone bites and makes an offer THEN they try to catch the domain? Can't lose... lol.

http://www.bbb.org/southern-colorado...on-co-87340850

yep, thats what they do. quite often even when someone pays for the domain they are unable to catch it and have to refund the customer, leaving them pissed off and confused, as most don't realize they don't already own the domain.

[rowan]

I'm surprised there's not more complaints, since their model relies on spamming people, and they're trying to auction something they don't actually own or have the right to sell...

[DateDoc]

The wording of the email is the key to how they can do it - "domain.com is going to be listed for auction in a few days" & "express interest in owning this domain" - no where in the email do they say they own it or that they are selling it to you (although they will buy it, if they can, and sell it to you for a markup).

[96ukssob]

i was getting a number of these emails from people, saying "we noticed you have a domain similar to ours... blah blah blah... that is up for auction" and telling me they will sell it for $500 now but the expected auction price will exceed $1,000

fuck off spammers

[Agent 488]

welcome to the internet.

[rowan]

welcome to the internet.

This year will be my 17th online. Thanks for the belated welcome.

[rowan]

The wording of the email is the key to how they can do it - "domain.com is going to be listed for auction in a few days" & "express interest in owning this domain" - no where in the email do they say they own it or that they are selling it to you (although they will buy it, if they can, and sell it to you for a markup).

"Inventory Deficit Refund Policy

On rare occasions, DNI?s system may misidentify domains as being in inventory when they are not. Also, DNI may offer for sale domains which DNI is in an auction to acquire, in the expectation that DNI will successfully acquire them. In the rare case that a customer buys a domain that is later determined not to be in DNI?s inventory, DNI reserves the right to either refund the customer?s money or to acquire the domain on the customer?s behalf, at DNI?s sole discretion.

In cases where DNI is unable to supply a domain that a customer has intended to purchase, the customer agrees that the customer?s sole and complete remedy shall be a refund of fees paid. The customer agrees that the customer shall not rely on the potential availability of any Offering, including, but not limited to, the purchase of a domain name, for any purpose, unless and until such name is actually registered to the customer."

Shady.

[rowan]

Just received the same spam (for the same domain) but this time from Alex <[email protected]>

Are these guys just using throwaway domains to spam their crappy nonexistent inventory?

[cooldude7]

I have been receiving a lot of those emails lately for domains similar to ones I own. Seems they might of scraped whois to build a db and email prospective purchasers based on that.

same thing here.

[MrMaxwell]

I've not received any e-mails like that in a couple of years.. I only have about 20 domains.. but recently I'm getting this one about "you can buy (one of my doms but plural) a few times. All of my domains are at GDDY

Another interesting thing is that what the OP describes happened to me. But it WAS the exact domain. They auctioned to me my own domain name for $14.

The good is that they've also let me haggle a redemption fee down to $40, before.

[Agent 488]

alex is a good guy.