SnapNames competitor launches, backed by Network Solutions and eNom.
We first learned about Network Solutions’ planned domain name aftermarket site thanks to a trademark filing picked up by Trademork. The site is now live, and the story is bigger than anyone thought.
Network Solutions has teamed up with eNom to launch NameJet. NameJet is an expired domain marketplace based on eNom’s technology but populated with premium expiring domains from Network Solutions. As I mentioned in my previous post, this is bad news for SnapNames. SnapNames had an exclusive contract to sell Network Solutions’ expiring domains. As the oldest legacy registrar, Network Solutions has some of the best domains available. By starting a rival service, Network Solutions won’t pay commissions to SnapNames.
In retrospect, the fact that eNom is involved is no surprise. As I pointed in the previous article about the trademark, the NameJet.com domain was registered at eNom and uses eNom’s privacy services.
Other expired domain markets have come and gone. SnapNames was able to excel by signing exclusive contracts with Network Solutions, Register.com, and other registrars for their expiring domains. This hurt competitors, such as Pool.com. Others threw in the towel. Dotster handed over its expired domain business to SnapNames, as did eNom at one point.
It may take a short time for NameJet to get the traction and high bids that SnapNames achieves, but it won’t be along.
I just checked it out. Incredible. This should become the leading secondary market. No one can slow these guys down.
Hi Andrew, you were so spot on in breaking this news just 2 days ago before they launched NameJet…well done! It so happens that I own ExpiringDomainAuction.com and ExpiringDomainAuctions.com, which I registered for the same purposes a month ago. I now want to see if Namejet would be interested in a co-brand
or afilliate linkin for this domain, as I’m sure this is what people will be searching for. The keywords expiring domain auction is all over their site! What do you think?
Cheers!
Robert
May be this is what pissed off SnapNames that it went on to bully SwapNames with a trademark infringement lawsuit. DomainNameWire covered that news here.
The NameJet thing has likely been in the works since Oversee bought SnapNames.
Auctions for domain names are getting tiresome because only the richest domain speculators can play.
Mere mortals don’t have equal access to domain names when they’re traded for several thousands of dollars (in online auctions).
Services like SnapNames and NameJet shouldn’t exist as ICANN should’ve stepped in to regulate the auction of “soon to be available” domain names downright illegal.
The ICANN, because it -should- make the domain name availability as democratic as possible, shouldn’t tolerate such blatant “for profit” outfits, especially in the “.org” namespace.
Claude, if they didn’t auction these names off then whomever had the best technology and most registrar relationships would snap them up, just like in the “old days”.
well, then, how about a lottery for the domains? interested parties register for the domain of interest, a winner is randomly selected and pays a nominal fee for the domain. voila, we can now all have a chance to own a great domain, not just those with corporate daddies. i agree with Claude, this has become the province of the ultra rich. i am sick and tired of watching snap name auctions go hopelessly beyond any reasonable reach. i don’t bother anymore.
For the past 8 years Network Solutions allowed me to renew my domain name. This year, 2008… they refused to renew claiming I didnt have access to the account. They continued to refuse until my domain name was sold for a hefty profit at NameJet. If you call Network Solutions they deny that they have a financial interest in NameJet… yet they filed a federal trademark on NameJet!
@ Matt – I’m surprised they told you they didn’t have a financial interest in NameJet. Was it just a phone rep?
At first it was a phone rep, then his supervisor, then the manager… All they would say is that NameJet is not associated with them in any way, and that I was wrong. After I e-mail them the trademark Network filed in 2007, they stated their legal/investigative unit will call me on Monday.
So here is Network Solutions new business strategy… Make all good domain names very difficult to renew for current customers so they default into their new ‘auction company’ where they can make a large profit. I have never had so much trouble trying to give money to a company… but then again, why take my money when they can take a lot more from somone else?
@ Matt, that’s really odd. They must be confused.