"GoDaddy Ate My URLs..." HELP me get 'Em Back

[Chris Faraday]

I had about 15 Hot Brandable URLs.

Checked them on godaddy, or equivalent, and a few days later...

THE BOT'S GOT 'EM!!!!!

How do I go about the bidding (Intelligently) not like a blind fool.

Some may be offered at $18.99 through the registrar.

Any HELP for bidding on these?? any TIPS???

[SageSound]

Are you talking about domain names? B/c nobody registers URLs.

What "bots" are you referring to?

GoDaddy may have lots of annoying practices, but "domain tasting" isn't one of them.

Consider that if YOU thought about these names, then somebody ELSE might have also done so, perhaps for the same reasons that triggered you to look into them. So, THEY might have decided to act on their impulse to buy the names immediately rather than sit around and think about it for a few days.

BTW, I read somewhere that ICANN started to impose a small fee on deleted domain name registrations about a year ago, in order to curb "domain name tasting". It worked so well that a couple of months later they started charging registrars $6 for every name deleted beyond some minimal number each month. The number of deleted name requests has since plummeted by 95% since then, indicating that we may have seen an end to this annoying practice.

So I'm very dubious about any claims today regarding loss of domain names from registrars who do "tasting". It's just too expensive for them any more. And "bots" don't "get 'em". People do.

But that doesn't mean a few scummy registrars aren't still allowing "tasting", at least to a small extent.

-David

[mpruben]

Originally Posted by SageSound

GoDaddy may have lots of annoying practices, but "domain tasting" isn't one of them.

I beg to differ. Been there done that. Try and search at GoDaddy for some nonsense url like kughfvrivjhroi.com, 24 hours later it's registered and for sale.

Use namecheap.com.

[scrofford]

Originally Posted by mpruben

I beg to differ. Been there done that. Try and search at GoDaddy for some nonsense url like kughfvrivjhroi.com, 24 hours later it's registered and for sale.

Use namecheap.com.

Yeah someone bought them up before you got to them its that simple!

[Colin Palfrey]

Originally Posted by Gail_Curran

Wait a few days to see if the domains are released.

And never, ever check domain availability unless you are prepared to buy the domain right that minute.

I was just going to say the same.

If you do a search and don't buy they are automatically bought in the hope you will want them enough to pay more.

Never, ever, do a search on a name unless you have your credit card in hand and are prepared to buy.

[Blade Runner 88]

Been on godaddy for 5 years and For what its worth I'm terrible at browsing names and thinking about it, most of them boringly commercial too, and I've never had them not available the next time I came back....not to say I don't consider what you're saying as good advice too.

[Jill Carpenter]

Originally Posted by Gail_Curran

Wait a few days to see if the domains are released.

And never, ever check domain availability unless you are prepared to buy the domain right that minute.

Well, yes - but if you really need to check it just actually type the address into your address bar. That is much safer.

[LilBlackDress]

Makes you really want it even more when its gone huh...

I was looking at one the other day, didn't grab it and bam..someone else picked it up.

[Traffic-Bug]

You can also order domains through namesearch/namecheap.

[Jamie Mailhot]

I use this website:

Instantdomainsearch.com

They are sometimes a couple days behind with their database, but it is a good way to find domains without telling the registrar what you're looking at.

I have had domains purchased when I went back for them, but when I checked the whois, it is has always be a legitamate person who bought.
That may not be true for high paying keyword rich domains though. It sounds pretty smart for the registrar to buy them and park them as they will make more off of the ad revenue on the page than they ever would from the registration.

[zapseo]

Originally Posted by avenuegirl

Well, yes - but if you really need to check it just actually type the address into your address bar. That is much safer.

For reasons far too complex to go into here (and also, the variations in browser usage and browser configuration)

NO...this is NOT necessarily true.

However, there are certain sites (domaintools being one, as far as I can tell) that definitely sell (or use, but I believe it is sell) the domains that people type into their "free" service to domain speculators.

I have NEVER EVER EVER had an issue with GD and domain tasting. In fact, it was from Bob Parsons' blog (founder of GD) that I learned about domain tasting. Unless his attitudes have changed, anyone taking advantage of people searching domain names within GD products would earn not only Parsons' wrath, but a speedy pink slip, if a GD employee.

[zapseo]

Originally Posted by avenuegirl

Well, yes - but if you really need to check it just actually type the address into your address bar. That is much safer.

For reasons far too complex to go into here (and also, the variations in browser usage and browser configuration)

NO...this is NOT necessarily true.

However, there are certain sites (domaintools being one, as far as I can tell) that definitely sell (or use, but I believe it is sell) the domains that people type into their "free" service to domain speculators.

I have NEVER EVER EVER had an issue with GD and domain tasting. In fact, it was from Bob Parsons' blog (founder of GD) that I learned about domain tasting. Unless his attitudes have changed, anyone taking advantage of people searching domain names within GD products would earn not only Parsons' wrath, but a speedy pink slip, if a GD employee.


I don't know about namecheap -- but I do know that some registrars do enhance their bottom-line by selling off what people type into "domain search" to domain speculators.

Be ware.

I never type desired domain names (any more) anywhere except GD products (actually, my own WildWestDomains reseller account.) and have NEVER ever had a problem.

I did have a problem when I searched on domaintools. The domain was registered in short order afterward. I waited the 5 day domain tasting period, and picked up my domain, as it had been thrown back into the available domain pool.

[DAS_Matt]

There isn't a chance in hell I will ever search for a domain at Go Daddy. I'll enjoy the hot commercials but I'll never buy a domain there.

[pcpupil]

This is interesting,ill go to namecheap and look at the domains i just checked on last week.
I ran about 10 names for membership sites.
I hadnt heard of this tasting before now.
Matt

[Manda]

Hi,

I hadn't heard this before either.

Yesterday I was playing around searching for domain names with Go Daddy (OK I confess I was actually procrastinating rather than writing articles ).

I use GD normally and haven't had a problem with them so just went back and checked the domains I searched yesterday. The domains that were available yesterday are still available today.

Manda

[CDarklock]

Don't use online whois from a web site. Use a local whois client, so the only person who knows what you looked up is YOU. Microsoft provides one for Windows on TechNet:

Whois

Mac users, I dunno. Since modern Mac systems are built on a BSD core, it seems like they should already have one - every UNIX distribution typically includes it - but I don't have any recent Mac knowledge.

[sbucciarel]

I've heard all the rumors about GD registering domain names while people are searching their site for them ... I have registered 300 + names through them and never lost one, but I never search for one until I'm ready to buy it on the spot.

[Chris Faraday]

Nathan ,

Thanks for the experiment.

Your probably great on the technical side : )

The bots may look for Commercial intent or whole words in the domains Like www.rapidweightloss.com.

Else if it has been searched then searched in godaddy and not bought it has proven value - can't blame them. They are in the position as we assume the possition. Looking to get some back and want to avoid overpaying.

Maybe $18- $30 not sure

The big question is how to get them back?

Working on that soon

DNS requests / Who is etc.


Any helpful ideas for the record - and thank you all

Chris


Only a somle

Originally Posted by NathanFalkner

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

It's approximately 1:15pm October 6, 2009 (EST).

Yesterday it was alleged (see quoted text above) that
a domain search performed at GoDaddy would result in
the domain(s) that were searched (even if nonsensical
domains like kughfvrivjhroi.com) being registered within
24 hours and offered for sale.

Based on the results of an informal experiment that I've
just concluded, the above allegation is FALSE.

The following 10 domain names were searched via
the GoDaddy.com website at approximately 1:15pm
October 5, 2009 (EST) and were available:

kughfvrivjhroi.com
fhdsd78sd.com
jasdasdasd92.com
sdasdkhkjh2.com
aaskjhdu3.com
ads7asda.com
lkas0a.com
172qjas8.com
asdlkajsd911.com
jjvvbccx423.com

A full 24 hours later, and the aforementioned
domain names are *STILL* available.

...

But who knows, maybe GoDaddy was too busy
automatically registering other domain names that
had been searched for using their system. Let's
check back in a few days. It's entirely possible that
by then GoDaddy will have registered all 10 of the
above domain names and offered them for sale.

...

[Lloyd Buchinski]

Originally Posted by CDarklock

Don't use online whois from a web site. Use a local whois client, so the only person who knows what you looked up is YOU. Microsoft provides one for Windows on TechNet:

Whois

Thanks, sounds interesting and will try it out.