SnapNames & Network Solutions is the absolute worst (expired domain warning)

I've been buying a lot of expired domains, and found a few I liked on SnapNames - it's a little harder to access, so there is less competition. I waited weeks and stayed up late watching the countdown until I won (I did snag a couple others for the $79/$69 backorder price, while some went to auction). This important domain I wanted, I bid $500 - which may have been too much because it didn't seem to bid a higher increment, just immediately up to my max bid.

SnapNames Sucks

After winning the auction, I couldn't see my domain right away so I contacted the help chat. They told me my account has been flagged for suspicious activity and shut down. I freaked out and sent a couple angry emails to support as they suggested.

They responded that there was no problem with my account; my domain went through and I got confirmation emails a little later. But I still couldn't access anything.

I tried email but they didn't respond. I was sent an email saying they'd set up a special/new account with their partner network solutions and I had to create a password. That didn't work.

I spent an hour and a half tonight with the Network Solutions help chat, and it was maddening. They kept asking me to confirm what I'd just told them. It turns out (I think) that each new domain I created had made a new account with a new number. A different domain I won on SnapNames gave me this number - but didn't say it was the user ID and didn't set a password. I was able to reset the password on that account, and I found the other domains I'd recently purchased in there as well. I wouldn't have figured it out on my own because it was an inconsistent mess - and this is just their default, automatic system.

Network Solutions Sucks

Maybe I'm just tired and grumpy because I was excited to buy this domain... all I wanted to do was move it to GoDaddy to use with my web hosting. To do that I had to unlock the domain. Which I CAN NOT do because it needs a 60 day waiting period. I said this was really weird, but the chat gaslit me that it's normal.

I didn't get it at first: basically I can't move it, so if I want to use the domain I have to use NetworkSolutions and a new hosting account or wait 2 months. So I was frustrated. But I think I *can* just point the nameservers to my godaddy hosting and use it that way, without moving the domain at all. Which is fine, I guess, just limiting, and I don't think I've faced any problems like this with the dozens of other domains I've bought recently.

So if you're thinking of buying expired domains on SnapNames, just know that it might be a messy and frustrating process.

PS. Insult to injury, I can't even close or get rid of the stupid chat box which covers half the screen everytime I'm logged into Network Solutions.