The dark patterns of Network Solutions - Coywolf News

I occasionally stumble upon a domain name I want that’s already registered and isn’t being used. If I can’t establish communication with the registrant, I will typically backorder it via SnapNames. When the domain I’ve backordered expires, SnapNames will attempt to acquire it. If they do acquire it, and I’m the only person that backordered it, it’s mine. If more than one person has backordered it, SnapNames will auction the domain, awarding it to the highest bidder.

SnapNames works and I’ve successfully bought six domains using their backorder service. There’s just one catch. Acquired domains are managed through Network Solutions, and transferring a domain away from them takes a significant amount of time and patience. The transfer process is so lengthy compared to other registrars I’ve used, I decided to document the experience.

To streamline documenting the domain name transfer process, I registered difficulttotransfer.com at Network Solutions. What I experienced was a registration process that was full of dark patterns.

What it’s like registering a domain from Network Solutions

The first page in Network Solutions’ checkout process is a domain privacy upsell, something that is typically included for free by most reputable registrars. Network Solutions asked me to pay $2/mo ($24/year) to obfuscate my contact details from whois records.

I declined the upsell and the next page presented me different packages to choose from. Based on the package titles, it appeared like the...



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