eNom attaching popup ads to forwarded domains

[splinternic]

Several customers told me popup ads were showing up on some of their URL frame forwarded domains, and I just blew it off to some browser tool they inadvertently downloaded or something.

One kept telling me it was in the dns, but I told him eNom wouldn't do something that stupid.

He was persistent and ran some tests. Using Opera, he managed to grab the popup code:

simg.zedo.com/roimedia/tag/roimedia_enom_urlfwd_720x300.htm

DAMN!!! When I saw that roimedia_enom_urlfwd_ I immediately called my contact at eNom and she meekly addmitted they were doing it, but I could request through a support ticket that they stop.

I feel like an idiot for not thinking it was possible--now I've gotta play the meek one and apologize to my customers.

How stupid could they get. If it isn't against the law, it should be.

[amusive.com]

Doesn't appear to be happening on any I have setup; do you have an example domain where this is happening?

[splinternic]

cablesux.com

I don't get the pop-ups with my browser, but if you watch the bar at the lower part of the browser, you'll see the zedo.com link go by fast when it tries to load.

It only happens on url frame forwarding.

Customers have told me it hangs the loading of their web pages, and the pop-up window shows up often at the bottom of the screen.

I advise you to ask eNom to take your domains out of the program.

[amusive.com]

Interesting. Strange that it is on some servers and not others. Although you are slightly better off it appears -- mine, while not showing popups, don't appear to be loading right now.

[splinternic]

It's not strange--they're gradually adding it to the url forwarding servers.

I guess that's why forwarding hasn't been working much at all today.

[dmaven]

This is actually old news. Enom has been doing this for a while. They run these "tests" time to time to get metrics(and make some cash). if your upstream ETP contacts enom and advises to stop they will not show popups.

[eSology]

Originally posted by dmaven
if your upstream ETP contacts enom and advises to stop they will not show popups.

Bingo! They claim it takes 3 days though for them to completely stop.

[splinternic]

acts837, did they ever notify you they were going to do this? I never got a thing about it.

Pretty screwed up to do that without our permission--of course, I never would have given my permission.

[internext]

Now I know why my ISP (cox.net) blocks enom name forwarding

[amusive.com]

Your ISP blocks websites that have popups? Seems a bit strange.

[internext]

I called enom to find out why my parked domains with forwarding were no longer redirecting to the pages I had them pointed to. The tech said it worked for him. He could type in my .net names and see my .com names pop up, as they should. Then he said, "Oh you must be on Cox". He claimed not to know why, but said enom was aware that cox was blocking enom redirects. I am assuming there were complaints.. and yes, I find it strange... and annoying too.

Edit: This was about a week ago. Seems to be working again now... just checked

[eSology]

Originally posted by splinternic
acts837, did they ever notify you they were going to do this? I never got a thing about it.

Pretty screwed up to do that without our permission--of course, I never would have given my permission.

No this wasn't something that was announced. It started last year and if you don't want them...duh...you have to submit a ticket through help center to have them disabled for your forwarding. I don't like it but have you seen some of the other methods companies use on URL forwarding? How about those great frame headers that "never" go away?

[dmaven]

enom should not be attaching advertising or popups to their forwarding in the first place. if they are trying to gather metrics there are easier methods

[Bashar]

it wasn't mentioned banner free forwarding, but if u ask your ETP it can stop easily.

[dmaven]

They comply pretty quickly (usually)

[123x]

Originally posted by Bashar
it wasn't mentioned banner free forwarding, but if u ask your ETP it can stop easily.

[Albvs Dvmbledore]

I just found out that eNom has added these popup advertisements to one of my FRAME's. I called my salesperson and reamed her out. She asked if I wanted to talk with the VP and I said yes. "He's in a meeting" she said. "Have him call me back", I said.

Look, under no circumstances should you allow a paid service provider to sneek in advertisements to your customers. What do they think this is, imagebucket.com? Chew them out. Ream them. They are embarrassing you in front of your customers and there's no mention anywhere on their site or in the help section that they would do this.

Seriously though we ought to sue them. This is absolutely outrageous. There is no excuse good enough. Period. This is not about tracking or some other lie. This is about doing fraudulent business and it has to stop.

All you people who just shrugged it off before pick up the phone and ask to talk "to the person who's bright idea this was". And then give this person (likely the VP) every ounce of grief he rightfully deserves.

And make *them* go through each of your domains and remove you from the advertising--don't allow them to make you list your domains. And warn them if you ever see another popup on one of your domains you will do everything in your power to make them wish they were never born. I can't believe you guys are taking this so lightly! Get mad.

[CableSux]

Hey guys & gals. I'm the owner of the web site/domain splinternic started this thread on. It took awhile, but I was finally able to convince him that I wasn't crazy :-)

I had set up two web pages, one that redirected, the other used FRAME.

xxxx test1-dot-cablesux-dot-com REDIRECT
xxxx test2-dot-cablesux-dot-com FRAME
(replace xxxx with h t t p : / /)

Test1 Uses URL Redirect and goes to test1.html in the cablesux directory. No ads, no graphics, nothing but text.

Click on that and the URL line shows
xxxx 2100weekly-dot-com/cablesux/test1.html

I could hit refresh all day long and it's quick and shows no other URLs.


Test2 uses FRAME redirect and goes to test2.html in the cablesux directory. No ads, no graphics, nothing but text.

Click on that and the URL shows (in IE)
xxxx test2-dot-cablesux-dot-com/ at first...

BUT.... then it goes (used to) to...
xxxx test2-dot-cablesux-dot-com/?a8734haka8dr781346=true
xxxx simg-dot-zedo-dot-com/roimedia/tag/roimedia_enom_urlfwd_720x300.html
before it finally stops back at, and shows
xxxx test2-dot-cablesux-dot-com/ again.


Looking at the source code for test2 showed
<!-- Redirection Services Redirector4A-CHG H1 -->
<frame src="/?a8734haka8dr781346=true" NAME=a33 frameborder=no framespacing=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0></frame>

I had major problems getting forms to work. Users were complaining that they only got blank pages and lots of popups. This seemed to be only a real problem with IE. In fact, many times my (and users') IE would just lock up. You had to close all IE browser windows and start over. A real pain in the a$$! It didn't lock up Opera, in fact I was able to stop the redirect and capture the URLs I pointed out above.

P.S. Sorry for all the xxxx's and -dot-'s. Being a new member, it kept telling me I could not have outside links in my message.

Thanks splinternic for finally getting rid of that garbage. I'm leaving my two test pages up so if I ever start having problems again, I can use them for testing again.