How to read the Namepros NJ ShillGate thread without taking a day off from work?

in #domains7 years ago (edited)

Eric, do you have something in mind to give a synopsis of such mega threads? It was very difficult to keep up with. I gave up many times, but succeeded somehow. This is my effort to accumulate the important posts and make it less difficult for others. Sorry, this too is pretty long!

Introduction

Title: James Booth-Andy Booth-Oliver Hoger bidding ring cartel

Platform: NameJet.com

Accused: 1. James Booth of https://www.bqdn.com/ – Directly accused.

  1. Andy Booth, James Booth’s brother – Directly accused.

  2. Andrew Rosener of Media Options – Passerby, tried to give an opinion and got arrested, no links with the scam.

  3. Oliver Hoger, domain name investor especially short domains – Directly accused.

  4. Jonathan Tenenbaum, GM of NameJet.com – Accused for knowingly or unknowingly allowing accused 1, 2, and 4 to execute their plan.

How it all started?

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/

User WebQuest accuses the Booth brothers of bidding on their own domain at Namejet:

More similar accusations with screenshots are added in the comments following this. Accused for shill bidding and improper whois changes.

Andrew Rosener’s unwanted entry

Fast forward page no. 3, Andrew Rosener appears from nowhere and makes a controversial suggestion. The domaining community by far rejected the proposal. Andrew got accused that he is part of the shilling ring. Andrew comes out clear much later in the thread. The comment is too big and not important, so skipping a screenshot. You can read it here in this direct link:

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/page-3#post-6264385

NameJet GM clarifies the Booth’s were not the sellers of the domains in question

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/page-8#post-6264758

Oliver Hoger’s entry

Fast foward page no. 13, NameBio’s gentleman scriptor Michael Sumner finds the domains in question were sold using Oliver Hoger’s featured pages in NameJet, thus establishing a connection between him and the Booth brothers.

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/page-13#post-6265695

Michael finds Oliver to be operating multiple Namejet handles to shillbid

So it is suspected Oliver is listing Booths’ domains and the Booths are bidding on their own domains.

Another NameJet handle HKDN surfaces to be of Oliver’s

The HKDN handle is one among them which follows an interesting method of bidding up just short of reserve forcing the next bid to win the name, as in HKDN is well aware of the reserve price, hence is Oliver himself.

Michael reveals more

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/page-17#post-6266130

Fast forward page no. 22, there is a nice sum up of events by user Arca:

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/page-22#post-6266489

DomainShane had written about HKDN’s suspicious activity in NameJet and had even talked to Jonathan Tenenbaum about it

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/page-24#post-6266660

Michael analyzes the potential damage

It is found that Oliver and HKDN are sharing the same parking account at Parking Crew by tracking the DRIDs

But this is a lame proof in my opinion because some people tend to not change the Nameservers and the domains bought keep residing in the seller’s parking account.

Finally Oliver’s comment arrives at Page 33. He says he is using Bots and that Bot is using a particular handle, but disagrees HKDN is him

Voodoo’s Donny is damn sure HKDN is Oliver Hoger

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/page-34#post-6268403

More questions are asked to Oliver but they were not answered

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/page-37#post-6268673

Andy Booth somewhat admits but tries to shield his brother and Oliver

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/page-40#post-6269220

Further questions to Andy Booth were not answered

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/page-41#post-6269403

Back to Oliver’s actions again

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/page-41#post-6269448

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/page-41#post-6269517

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/page-41#post-6269528

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/page-42#post-6269582

Hemant Tilotia says HKDN is Oliver only

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/page-44#post-6270017

Namejet issues refund to Tilotia

https://www.namepros.com/threads/bidding-on-your-own-names-at-namejet.1030874/page-44#post-6270054

This is a typical case where the people involved were reluctant to issue statement and come out clean, which in turn forced the domaining community to dig for it themselves and issue it in their much revered platform Namepros.com

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