FC: Man reportedly goes on hunger strike against NSI over $35 fee

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

Summary of below message: This poor sap's domain name, ezgi.com, was 
apparently put on hold for nonpayment to Network Solutions/Verisign. The 
fee NSI would require to reactivate it is $35. But, due to astonishingly 
bad communications between NSI, this guy, and his Internet provider -- and 
the usual NSI bureaucratelia -- he didn't get a clear answer on what he 
needed to do to reactivate the domain.

So, like any reasonable person, Mustafa Karaoglu says he responded by 
promising to starve himself to death until the domain name is back. (He 
claims to be a veteran, if not a very well-fed one, of this practice.) As 
of now, ezgi.com seems to be accessible and shows a default Apache 
configuration screen, so perhaps it's time for Mustafa to order some pizza 
or something. I welcome NSI to respond.

-Declan

---

From: "L Gallegos" <jandl () jandl com>
To: Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 13:47:59 -0400
Subject: (Fwd) Here's a creative approach to the UDRP!!!

This is pretty bad, Declan.  Unfortunately, it is not unusual, but this
person is taking it to a new extreme.  The attachment is a
chronicle of the NSI experience.

Leah

------- Forwarded message follows -------

-------- Original Message --------
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 12:08:01 +0300
From: "Mustafa" <ezginet () e-kolay net>
To: <info () ador-doc org>

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN,

I, Mustafa Karaoglu, have been on hunger strike since June 18,
2001

a) in order to PROTEST the NETWORKSOLUTIONS  attitudes
towards the
registrants

b) in order  to get the attention to tyrannious behavior of
Networksolutions.

The problems still remains unsolved and Networksolutions still
pretends not
to comprehend subject matter.

Today,after two days of warning  "hunger strike", it will be turned
into "hunger strike to death"

I enclosed necessary information in case someone be interested in
details.

The HUNGER STRIKE will CONTINUE:
1-until having a good explanation of WHY my domain has been
LOCKED
since JULY 2000 and who requested it 2-until finding out who is
responsible 3-until the person or company who is responsible from
the
results will compansate the outcome. 4-and the hunger strike will
not
be stopped after a certain day of any phsical damage, even if
problems
are solved.

Sincerely
Mustafa Karaoglu

---
[Below is the MSWD document I converted to ASCII text. --DBM]
---


I have decided this severe action after a month seeking solution to a 
simple problem in real but became difficult because of the Networksolutions 
attitudes.

On May 16, 2001, my mail accounts on the domain ezgi.com stopped 
functioning.  So I contact to my hosting provider INETU about the 
matter  and I was informed that my domain name was on halt by Network 
Solutions, for the payment of $70 (please see mail 1 below).

I could not understand this action of  Networksolutions  as the due date 
was 25 May 2001 for renewal and I wrote e-mail to "help" but I got 
neither  a response nor an explanation.  Then I paid 35$ on May 17, for a 
year.  In this way I got the feeling that I was forced to pay before the 
due date.

Assuming that I could modify records of my domain, On 18 May, 2001  I 
applied for contact mail modification (NIC-010520,20a6) and sent an 
authorization fax for this modification on 18 May, 21 May, 23 May and 
another fax on May 24 for the nameserver change for the NICs 
010524.aed   and 010523.6146.

After those faxes, I had to do 2 international telephone calls one of which 
was 5 minutes of listening to music and second was 15 minutes of talk to 3 
different people about the problem. Then I was asked to fax again for the 
NIC-010520.20a6 and I did on 25 May at 01:01 and 28 May at 18:57 So my 
contact mail at last was modified

In this case, assuming that I could be able to modify the nameservers in
normal process I applied  for the modification of nameservers again
(NIC-010529.1481 and NIC-010530.1773) on 29 May/30 May, 2001.    I was 
asked to fax again informing that  the domain status is locked .

Its really annoying to hear that after six faxes and two calls without any
explanation of why the domain is locked.   The only reason could be the 
payment but I paid it by credit card before the due date (25 May, 
2001).  Again I faxed for [NIC-010529.1481] on 31 May at 03:59 and also 
asked who requested the the domain to be locked.

To those requests I was informed on June 4, 2001 -namely after 18 days 
-  that the domain was locked on July 2000   by a request from ISP (please 
see mail 3).  I asked my isp INETU if they requested my domain to be locked 
and they told me that they did not (see mail 5).

This was the last straw to break camel's back. My domain was on lock for a 
year and I was not informed about this.  And I learn it after a year when I 
tried to modify records.  Networksolutions still asked me to fax and I 
sent  faxes for [NIC-010529.1481] on June 4 at 18:09 and on June 5 at 15:21 
to unlock the domain.

Meanwhile,  I sent two faxes one of which to Verisign on June 1 at 14:40 
;  the other to Networksolutions at 14:06 trying to find an authority to 
solve the problem. They only informed me to contact idnames () netsol com 
<mailto:idnames () netsol com> or call 1-800-IDNAMES.

I contacted them. They, instead of explaining what is going on, wrote me a 
sentence "6/29/00 placed on lock per partner VIP name " with no 
explanation, and then they asked me to contact bao () netsol com 
<mailto:bao () netsol com>   I contacted them on June 11 at 12:44  but I did 
not get any answer.

What is more comic, my isp INETU, with an e-mail on 19 June, still suggests 
me(see mail 6) to pay 35$ renewal (which was paid on May 17). Inetu also 
says that this matter has _NOTHING_ to do with INetU.  So what does this 
mean "6/29/00 placed on lock per partner VIP name"

As far as I know  Networksolutions and INETU are PREMIERE PARTNERS. And as 
far as I can see INETU and Networksolutions, using such a method, force the 
registrants (customers) to pay for renewal.  They first deactivate domain 
or mails and then ask the customer to pay for renewal. So they keep the 
registrant with
Networksolutions and make a few dollars for themselves.

That is a method which includes hidden disgusting cooperation, that is an
illegal monopolist action.

For a month I am trying to solve a problem which, in practice, should be
easly handled. But Networksolutions  incomprehensive approach with complete
disregard to registrants -if not deliberately then because inefficiency- not
only caused the tension increase but also destroyed me psychologically and
economically.

As far as I can find out, Networksolutions and INETU pretends not
to comprehend the matter.  Both INETU and NETWORKSOLUTIONS tries to keep
themselves out of the problem and I suffer loss as a weak player of the
game.

I  have suffered loss since my site with 6500 members is not functional for
a month and some of customers stopped their hosting with ezgi.com.   I
should not be the one to compansate the results that  Networksolutions and
INETU caused.

I know The Government, ICANN and WIPO will do nothing for this situation.
But I will, even if die.  If I will pay for the results, Networksolutions 
and INETU will also pay for it. In case of any doubt about how I am 
determined please visit
<http://www.uni-stuttgart.de/FaVeVe/Ueberregionales/basin/msg03251.html>

-My domain has been locked since July 2000 and nobody knows who requested it
-Though I am the registrant, administrative, technical & billing contact I
was not informed about it.
-Though I am the registrant, administrative, technical & billing contact I
can not modify records.
-Though I am paying for the domain I can not use it.
-Though I am trying to communicate the core problem I am still having mails
saying me to fax again to modify DNS.




Sincerely
Mustafa Karaoglu

REFERENCED MAILS


MAIL 1
----- Original Message -----
From: "INetU Support Team" <support () inetu net <mailto:support () inetu net>>
To: <ezginet () e-kolay net <mailto:ezginet () e-kolay net>>
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2001 9:42 PM
Subject: Re: ezgi.com mails

Hello,

Your Domain name is on halt by Network Solutions, for the
payment of $70

You can make payment at the following URL:

<http://www.networksolutions.com/payments/>

or contact them directly.

Once this $70 is paid, then your email accounts and website
will all be
working.



Best Regards,

Joel




MAIL 2
----- Original Message -----
From: "Anthony, Jessica" <janthony () netsol com <mailto:janthony () netsol com>>
To: <ezginet () e-kolay net <mailto:ezginet () e-kolay net>>
Sent: Friday, June 15, 2001 7:04 PM
Subject: EZGI.COM

The domain was never placed on "hold" for non-payment as the
original due
date of the invoice was 6-1-01.  If your email was not
working it was not
due to Network Solutions deactivating the domain.

Best regards,

Jessica Anthony
Executive Customer Service
VeriSign, Inc.
Janthony () netsol com <mailto:Janthony () netsol com>
703-925-6804



MAIL 3

----- Original Message -----
From: "Domain Registration Role Account" <domreg () networksolutions com 
<mailto:domreg () networksolutions com>>
To: "Mustafa" <ezginet () e-kolay net <mailto:ezginet () e-kolay net>>
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2001 4:45 PM
Subject: Re: [NIC-010601.2454] Networksolutions

Thank you for contacting Network Solutions, a Versign company.


Your ISP requested to have this domain name locked in July of 2000.


This domain name is currently in a locked status.

In order to unlock it and process your modification, you will need to
send us a fax requesting it to be unlocked.

MAIL 4

----- Original Message -----
From: "Domain Registration Role Account" <domreg () networksolutions com 
<mailto:domreg () networksolutions com>>
To: "Mustafa" <ezginet () e-kolay net <mailto:ezginet () e-kolay net>>
Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 7:32 PM
Subject: Re: [NIC-010601.2454] Networksolutions
Ø
Thank you for contacting Network Solutions.
In order to receive more information regarding your domain name ezgi.com 
being on a
locked status, you must contact idnames () netsol com 
<mailto:idnames () netsol com> or call 1-800-IDNAMES.





Please know that your inquiry is important to us, and
we value your business.

Sincerely,

Network Solutions, a VeriSign company
<http://www.networksolutions.com>



MAIL 5
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001 21:52:17 -0400 (EDT)
From: INetU Support Team <support () inetu net <mailto:support () inetu net>>
To: INetU Credit Department <credit () inetu net <mailto:credit () inetu net>>
Subject: Re: ezgi (fwd)


Hello,

We do not lock customers' domain names.

Thanks
Tom

MAIL 6

----- Original Message -----
From: "INetU Support Team" <support () inetu net <mailto:support () inetu net>>
To: "Mustafa" <ezginet () e-kolay net <mailto:ezginet () e-kolay net>>
Cc: "Anthony, Jessica" <janthony () netsol com <mailto:janthony () netsol com>>; 
"INetU Credit Department" <credit () inetu net <mailto:credit () inetu net>>
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2001 2:37 PM
Subject: Re: monopoly


Dear Mustafa,

I'm sorry you are having trouble with your domain name.

Please understand, this matter has _NOTHING_ to do with INetU.

We do not get any money if you renew your domain name with Network
Solutions.

Any Registrar, including Network Solutions, may put a domain name on hold
if its not paid for.

This can also prevent another registrar from taking over the domain name.

You need to visit Network Solutions web page and pay for 1 year renewal,
that will solve your problem for $35 one-time. You can than transfer your
domain name.

Again, please understand, this has nothing to do with INetU.

I would suggest you pay the $35 and continue to operate your web site. You
would have been able to transfer your domain name without this hassle if
it was done before it became past-due.

There is little we can do to help except recommend you pay your
outstanding balance with Network Solutions.

Best regards,
Dev





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