“We’ll Pay the Ransom” to Network Solutions for domain names

Let’s say that you want to register a domain name, so you go to the Network Solutions Web site to see if the name is available. If the domain name has not yet been taken, Network Solutions will register it for themselves behind your back, forcing you either to buy the name from them immediately (at their high price of $34.99), or wait four days until they release it again (at which point someone else may be able to get it before you).

If this happens to you, we imagine that you might feel something like this:

Fictional 'ransom note'

We’re introducing a new “We’ll Pay the Ransom” promotion, wherein we will pay Network Solutions the $34.99 necessary to register the domain name for you. Or, if you’ve already paid it, we’ll credit your account $34.99. Either way, just sign up to transfer the domain name to us and a year of our Web hosting.

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