Brandon Gray aka Namejuice suspended by ICANN An accused domain slammer with an international footprint has been temporarily suspended by ICANN, more than a decade after the first complaints about its operations. Brandon Gray Internet Services is accused by ICANN of letting its resellers mine whois for registrant data, which would be used to send “your domain is about to …
I haven't had one for a while, but the early ones were certainly attempting to gain sales through deception in my personal opinion. These people don't need an ICANN suspension, they need a visit from the police.
Sadly, they've grown wise to that. The letters are now so formulated that someone who is informed will find the clues that this is a takeover. The uninitiated will still fall for it, but it's just on the right side of the red line to keep them clear from the charge of deception. However, I tend to advise people who have fallen for it to complain - enough complaints will also prompt investigations and personally I don't think they can be investigated enough.
Next pet hate: domain squatters. There should be a special place in hell for them.
"The suspension notice accuses Brandon Gray of “false or deceptive” marketing"
Why has ICANN been so reluctant with this obvious accusation? One might come to the conclusion that they didn't think it was such a bad thing. I think the delay requires a formal explanation and perhaps even a public apology. I would like to see an inquiry into this.
I used to get this sort of junk. I was giving serious consideration to a complaint to the Mailing Preference Service, given that I was registered with them and didn't have any business relationship with the domain scammers concerned. Then I decided it was just easier to put it in the bin, or write "not known at this address" and put it back in the post box.
"I used to get this sort of junk."
I get them occasionally from Domain Registry of America - one of those listed - and a number of my clients get them as well (thankfully, rather than just fall for it, each who has received one has had the good sense to ask me if it's real).
This sort of business doesn't stop at domain names, though. I'm in the process of registering a trademark, and I've already had a letter (which looks more or less like an invoice for 970euros, but states it isn't in the small print, probably enough to keep it just about legal) from "International Patent and Trademark Service" to register the trademark in their database. Again from the small print: "The registration in our database has not any connection with an official government organization".
Fecking chancers. I'm sure I can look forward to more of these over the life of the trademark.
"[...] or write "not known at this address" and put it back in the post box."
That approach doesn't stop the junk mail from Virgin Media. I wonder if returned mail actually ever gets back to the Halifax address - or is it just a black hole? Their call centre always says my address is already on their barred list.
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