re: Comments on Verisign

[Ken Kaprielian <ken@xxxxxxxx>]

Gentlemen,

Verisign is a name I was hoping to never hear about again.  I have never
dealt with a more difficult to deal with, non customer service oriented,
raptor operation during 10 years of Internet.  This company, which took over
from Network Solutions is a money raking entity only out to line it's
pockets and do it to whoever they can along the way.  I am appaled that
these people remain in the business.  

During the years when they retained sole ownership of the .com domain, we
gave Verisign/Network Solutions every opportunity to to show some sort of
customer oriented service to the industry but were more interested in
selling .com gear (you know, tee shirts and hats and stuff like that)  while
I could rarely get or retain anyone there who could help me.  They loved to
pretent they didn't know who you were, they regularly put incompetents on
the phone who rattled off whatever came to mind.

I shouldn't have to go into the litany of aggravations but will point out
that it was a Verisign related operation that ran that credit card fraud
whereby tens of thousands of credit cards they had on file, somehow were
charged for $5 or $15. This was a couple of years ago.

When we first obtained an SSL cert, Verisign INSISTED on the money up front
(always as much as they could get away with - I think at the time it was
$250) then completely ignored us while we had to place phone call after
phone call after phone call before some snotty operator condenscended to
provide the cert. Over the years I could rarely if ever, contact anyone
there by email. 

I truly cannot believe such an abominable operation such as Verisign
continues to exert influence in an industry that could really stand to be
rid of them.  

Now from what I read from Tucows/OpenSRS, Verisign want to start charging
everyone more.  This is going to cause a lot of aggravation at a time when
no one needs it.  Please reconsider. Verisign is functionally incompetent
when it comes to providing this important service to the industry. Maintain
the status quo and do not further reward them for their gross incompetence
That I measure from the day in 1995 when we first tried to obtain an SSL cert.

I have to indulge myself with another example, but feel it important for you
to fully appreciate the scope and breath of it.  I remember, at one point
for 12 or so domains receiving 24 pieces of US mail, each with a complicated
and unique username and password that still took many phone calls to sort
out. This was at a time when other operations, such as OpenSRS were (and
are) providing a streamlined and easy to use interface that defined the
industry in terms of competent service.  Non of the myriad systmes for
handing accounts through Verisign over the years ever seemed to work, or
stay working for very long.  I am very disappointed to read from OpenSRS
about the proposed settlement some detail of which is copied below. 

I have had little dealing with Verisign for the last several months.    The
length and breath of the domain industry, with the exception of
OpenSRS/Tucows is in need of reform.  I've given up on using the transfer
process that is supposed to be honored among registrars, Having set the
standard, many other operations of similar bend follow suite to Verisign's
lead to evade and use absolutely every means at their disposal including
making outbound confirmation messages appear as spam in an effort to
mislead. And then it was US Mail based renewal notices for domain names that
had long since expired. We would receive mail for confirmation/renewal of
domains that had been over a year since they lapsed.  Our customers would
receive domain transfer mailings which are basically a form of fraud as I
think, in general, a company should not be contacting other companies to
solicit in such a  direct manner as to reference existing domain names (with
other registrars) while specifying expiration dates   and information taken
from public records.  Now to be sure, somewhere on this important looking
document they made mention to say "this is not a bill" but it looked like
one and fooled what I call "ordinary" or "normal" people.  

Other registrars follow suite.  One customer (A lawyer actually) was
required to photocopy and send in his drivers license to "prove" he was who
he said he was. Am not certain if this was Verisgn, but guys, this is a
lousy $10 domain name we're talking about and it's endemic that it requires
such lengty "contractual" or "agreement " based stipulations, in many cases
and in many ways, longer and more complicated than a contract for T1 service
worth $6,000 a year.  Why does a  $15 domain name have this much minutia
associated with it?  

Something is wrong here and Versign have very often set the standard in
ignoring the industry's rules for engagement which encourages others to
follow suite.  

I apologize for this emails mispellings and tone.  I long since tired of
talking about Verisign and respond to my vendor's entreaty for comments from
the field. I'm in no position to start raising rates.  I would like if the
.com domain name root service were taken away from Verisign and put in more
competent hands.

Sincerely,

Ken Kaprielian
IAC WebServices

Partial message from OpenSRS/Tucows dated 11/25/05

Greetings,

Please read the following message concerning .com and .net.

1. ICANN, Verisign Reach Proposed Settlement
-------------

ICANN and Verisign recently announced a proposed settlement of their
pending litigation. We believe that the current terms of this
settlement will have a direct and negative impact on your business
and your customers. We think you should be aware of the details and
make your views known to all of the organizations that can stop this
decision: ICANN, the United States Department of Commerce, the
United States National Telecommunications Infrastructure
Administration in addition to your local government representatives
and agencies.

Key Points:

* The proposal allows Verisign to increase the price of .com domain
names by 7% each year. Currently, prices are capped.

* The proposal doubles the fees that accredited registrars must pay to
ICANN.

* The cancellation terms would be difficult to implement. Therefore,
Verisign will essentially gain perpetual control of the .com registry.
This effectively eliminates all incentive for Verisign to improve
quality of service.

The entire settlement documents are posted online at:
http://www.icann.org/tlds/agreements/verisign/settlement-agreements.htm

This settlement agreement may be signed very soon unless the ICANN
Board of Directors hears otherwise from the internet community. We
strongly recommend that you make your voice heard.