Based upon feedback from Creatives and Contest Holders, we have made some updates to the Domain Registration process.
Here are the highlights:
You can now report a registered domain at any time (even if it has been more than 30 days since the entry was submitted).
Once we receive a report of domain registration, we follow the below outlined process:
a. We will first check if the “Who Is” information on the domain matches the Contest Holder’s information. If the information matches, we will send a notification to the CH reminding them of their commitment to compensate the creative if they registered the name.
b. If the “Who Is” information does not match, we will still send a notification to the CH as long as the entry was submitted less than 30 days ago to their contest. This notification will be first shown in the form of a popup in their contest page. If the CH does not respond to the popup notification, we will send them a follow-up email notification (as long as the CH has not opted out of receiving email notifications). Note – a CH can only opt out of receiving email notifications about domain registrations if they explicitly confirm that they are aware of the compensation policy and that they do not plan to register any names from the contest.
c. In case of both scenarios above, the CH is prevented from selecting a contest winner and closing the contest until they have contacted us about the reported domain.
Even though we have the above steps to handle domain registrations, we recommend protecting your best names by registering them yourself and adding them to your My Owned section. You can also submit your favorite names to Instant Domains–and if they are approved, Squadhelp will protect them by registering the domain.
@grant Thanks Again Grant for an expansion of time to re-track the connection from registered domains and our entries. We appreciate all your extra efforts!
How exactly is this different,please? If there was a name connected to the Whois…you already would check for a match even if it was past 30 days. We are still bound by the 30 days from entry for a private registration,so that is not different. I am finding that many of my names are registered after the 30 days since I submitted, but sometimes with the contest still open…yet I can’t report and have it checked out.I think a better and more useful change would be that you will check ANY registration within 30 days of the contest being AWARDED,since many CH’s don’t decide quickly, or abandon contests and then decide to perhaps register a name,but it’s too late to report.Especially if CH’s extend their contest…then 30 days from entry does not protect you much. Thanks
@Grant, one thing I was wondering is …if you first check the Who Is information then do we still have to provide that information or do you check from what we supply you ? thanks.
I honestly mostly just gave up the fight, 99% of the time it will not be in the creatives favor, because most are private registrations, or a different name, and even exact matches don’t always go in your favor due to other names registered, so in the end the stress and hassle of having to fight for what should be rightfully due, simply isn’t worth it.
No offence, but that is a bit of a defeatist attitude. It only takes a few minutes to make a report, then just forget about it.
I understand why you feel like you’ve given up the fight, but imagine what it must be like for SH! They have ALL of us making reports that they have to deal with.
Just do it quick, then forget about it. Sometimes you might actually ‘win’ the fight! Good luck!
@ChristyMay We check the who is information based on what is supplied by the Creative. If there is a match, we will double check the official records online.
@vivegoodkarma if the Who Is information matches, we continue to follow up with CH using several methods. If the contest is not yet awarded, their lack of response in that case will factor into how the award is distributed for that contest. If there is compelling evidence that the name was registered by the CH, the award may be given to the creative(s) whose names were registered. However please note that a Who is match alone may or may not guarantee that the creative receives the award. This is because the Who is information can be changed and we’ve had a few instances in the past where this policy was misused.
No defeated and I do chk, but I’ll only report exact matches, I do want to add SH has gone above and beyond to try and curb that issue, and has helped in a few situations whereas b4 you still could get shafted so I applaud them on all the upgrades in that regard
Dear Contestants…
Please…and I really mean please…do not talk about domain registrations in the forum. This forum is accessible to lots of people. Can we please not give anyone any ideas??? It’s enough of a problem already. I could say so much more and this is not the first time I have made this request in the forum but really, just please stop.
Just a reminder to all creatives to Remember to Check your “WITHDRAWN NAMES”, before the 30 days is up on guaranteed contests, anyway. Restore names that you withdrew in a contest before the 30 day mark for guaranteed contests, atleast.