- Report: #1157436
Complaint Review: HugeDomains - Denver Colorado
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Author Not Confirmed
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HugeDomains
2635 Walnut St. Denver, 80205 Colorado, USA
Phone:
303.893.0552
Web:
http://hugedomains.com
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HugeDomains HugeDomains Is CyberSquatting My Domain Name in Violation of Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act Denver Colorado
When I got married, I wanted to claim the domain name that matched my new name. Unfortunately, it was already taken. I waited a couple years, and noticed this person had stopped using the domain name, but still held the domain. I reached out to the owner and negotiated the release of the domain, since it was no longer in use. Unfortunately, they weren't technically savvy enough to figure out how to transfer the domain name to me, so this person released the domain instead, and I monitored the domain for when it would become available again.
Unfortunately, the day it was set to become available, I was traveling in Europe. I checked first thing in the morning -- still not available. Checked a couple hours -- still not available. I took a quick flight, and when I was next able to check a few hours later, HugeDomains had already snatched it up.
I reached out to them when I returned to the US, explained the situation, and asked them to sell me the domain at a reasonable price. I would have been able to purchase the domain from GoDaddy for $15 a year. A couple days later, they replied with this:
Hi (name deleted),
Thank you for submitting your offer of $15 on (domain name deleted). Our current asking price for the domain is $1,495 and the best and lowest price we are able to accept is $1,395.
We have updated this price online and this special discount will only be valid for 3 days. Simply navigate to this domain name or search for this domain on HugeDomains.com and complete the purchase using the shopping cart.
(URL provided deleted)
Upon successful purchase, we will send you a username and password giving you full control and access to this domain name. This is a one-time payment and you will have full control and ownership of this domain name.
Jeff
HugeDomains.com
2635 Walnut Street
Denver, CO 80205
Phone: 1-303-893-0552
Fax: 1-303-893-0507
This was my reply:
Hi Jeff,
With all due respect, that price is unreasonable. This isn't a huge brand name -- this is my personal name, and I'm not a celebrity. If I hadn't been traveling that particular day it became available I would have gotten it for $15 a year from GoDaddy.
Please get back to me with a more reasonable price. My absolute maximum would be $300.
This was their reply:
Hello (name deleted),
Jeff asked me to follow-up with your. Thank you for your counter offer of $300, however we will be holding firm at the $1395 price.
Thank you,
S. Patrick
HugeDomains Customer Support
Jeff asked me to follow-up with your. Thank you for your counter offer of $300, however we will be holding firm at the $1395 price.
Thank you,
S. Patrick
HugeDomains Customer Support
I investigated, and found another ripoff report that corroborated that they are in direct violation of the a law that was passed in 1999...the federal Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act. It states "The Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA), 15 U.S.C. § 1125(d), is an American law enacted in 1999 and that established a cause of action for registering, trafficking in, or using a domain name confusingly similar to, or dilutive of, a trademark or personal name. The law was designed to thwart “cybersquatters” who register Internet domain names containing trademarks with no intention of creating a legitimate web site, but instead plan to sell the domain name to the trademark owner or a third party."
ACPA covers "registering, trafficking in, or using a domain name with bad faith intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else. The cybersquatter then offers to sell the domain to the person or company who owns a trademark contained within the name at an inflated price."
In order to file a complaint with the ICANN, you have to agree to mediation that starts at $1500, which is even more than what HugeDomains is asking for, which is crazy. How is this legal? How is a company not this not shut down?
