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Domain name swiped - now what?

by MChriston
13 replies
Hi all,

Background: a domain we were interested in was going through the last stage of expiration, it was "Status: Pending Deletion". Taking into account the grace period, etc... the domain was going to be released yesterday.

Now the domain was not a super-keyword-rich name or anything like that.

However, and despite our checking every 30mins for release, someone managed to bag it for resale before we could grab it.

So the questions are:

1 - (this may be conspiracy-thinking, but...) Is there any way a reseller could get an idea a domain is of interest to someone and bag it first in a deliberate attempt to make a few dollars?

2 - The reseller is a private registrar - Do you approach such people direct or is it best to do it via a broker?

3 - Is there a tried and tested approach to making sure you get a good price and that all financial transactions are legit?

4 - Any recommendations for brokers? (if that's the best route)

Thanks in advance!

Michael
#domain #swiped
  • Profile picture of the author rosetrees
    Are they by any chance in Taiwan? A domain that belonged to a client of mine recently expired as we were unable to get the previous registrars to transfer it. It had no content and consisted of three words.

    The company in Taiwan demanded $5k for it. We registered the .co.uk version instead.

    I guess they were using software that was detecting domains the instant they were released.
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  • Profile picture of the author Wide
    Some domain registrars have a service, which will let you auto-register a domain if the owner drop it. If you use such a service at the same registrar as the domain you want, then you might have a bigger chance getting it, since they lost a customer but gained a new one. So they mihgt actually transfer the domain to you before releasing it to the "public".

    It's a win-win for you and the domain registrar.
    Think godaddy have such a service.
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    • Profile picture of the author MChriston
      Originally Posted by Wide View Post

      Some domain registrars have a service, which will let you auto-register a domain if the owner drop it.
      Yep - we had one of those too... but whoever bagged the domain *beat* the drop! As we were never notified of the release.

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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Originally Posted by MChriston View Post

    Hi all,

    Background: a domain we were interested in was going through the last stage of expiration, it was "Status: Pending Deletion". Taking into account the grace period, etc... the domain was going to be released yesterday.

    Now the domain was not a super-keyword-rich name or anything like that.

    However, and despite our checking every 30mins for release, someone managed to bag it for resale before we could grab it.

    So the questions are:

    1 - (this may be conspiracy-thinking, but...) Is there any way a reseller could get an idea a domain is of interest to someone and bag it first in a deliberate attempt to make a few dollars?

    2 - The reseller is a private registrar - Do you approach such people direct or is it best to do it via a broker?

    3 - Is there a tried and tested approach to making sure you get a good price and that all financial transactions are legit?

    4 - Any recommendations for brokers? (if that's the best route)

    Thanks in advance!

    Michael
    1. YEP, it happens!
    2. If they are a small "registrar", and it was YOUR domain name, they likely DON'T have much control.
    3. NOPE!
    4. NOPE!

    Frankly, it is illegal for anyone to REALLY backorder domains, at least that is true for .COM, .NET, and .ORG. WHY do I say that? The only company on the planet that can really do it is verisign, they asked, ICANN said *****NO*****!

    Those CLAIMING to backorder domains USED to do polls on the day expiration was due, but verisign complicated that, and most companies now LIMIT such requests. So the best they can do is periodically attempt registration after deletion, and HOPE! First to succeed WINS, even if someone else tried earlier, or someone else ordered earlier.

    Steve
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    • Profile picture of the author MChriston
      Thanks Steve - Can you just clarify what you meant by answer to question 2...

      Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

      2. If they are a small "registrar", and it was YOUR domain name, they likely DON'T have much control.
      Just to be clear from our end: The domain wasn't ours before, we just wanted it - and the new owner is different to the person who had it before.

      Thanks again,

      M
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      • Profile picture of the author seasoned
        Originally Posted by MChriston View Post

        Thanks Steve - Can you just clarify what you meant by answer to question 2...



        Just to be clear from our end: The domain wasn't ours before, we just wanted it - and the new owner is different to the person who had it before.

        Thanks again,

        M
        You weren't too clear there yourself. What I meant is that, if it expired, and some low level registrar, like a WWD or opensrs reseller, registered it, THEY couldn't help you out any more than anyone else.

        If YOU didn't own the name, then the name is up for grabs. If it is .com, .org,.net, or many others, there is NO way to backorder it. There are lots of places CLAIMING you can backorder from them, but they use backorder as an icon of sorts, indicating the IDEA! NOBODY is ever saying HEY, if this expires, give it to so and so. They are merely one of MANY trying to catch it after it expires.

        Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Barry Unruh
    Originally Posted by MChriston View Post

    1 - (this may be conspiracy-thinking, but...) Is there any way a reseller could get an idea a domain is of interest to someone and bag it first in a deliberate attempt to make a few dollars?
    Sure they could...if the site had traffic, a decent sounding name, backlinks, or was in a good niche, they could know it had value, but have no idea who it has value for. They would just be speculating.

    If they can pick it up for $10, it is worth their time.
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    • Profile picture of the author MChriston
      Originally Posted by KansasDragon View Post

      Sure they could...if the site had traffic, a decent sounding name, backlinks, or was in a good niche, they could know it had value, but have no idea who it has value for. They would just be speculating.

      If they can pick it up for $10, it is worth their time.
      This particular domain had no traffic... it wasn't even a holding page before, just blank, "no site found". Backlinks none, niche was not very defined either. We were looking at it as a brand-name, not a keyword-based domain. So speculation would be a long-shot!

      ...hence my "WTF!" on the idea of coincidence/conspiracy!
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  • Profile picture of the author BlogDiva
    Gosh, I hate when this happens. I was trying to get a domain the other day and I saw the same thing, just a place holding page, it wasn't a real website.
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  • Profile picture of the author Quentin
    I was of the impression that any search data etc was sold off by the registras to interested parties.

    Thats why if you put in a name and come back a week or so later it will be gone.

    I have done this many times at conferences, done a search for a name and next conference its gone.

    So I think they sell them off to dealers.

    As for your question I would simply ask and then start the negotiation.

    Quentin
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    • Profile picture of the author MChriston
      Originally Posted by Quentin View Post

      I was of the impression that any search data etc was sold off by the registras to interested parties.
      OMG! - Seriously?! ...that's kinda scary if it is the case. Nothing worse than "them" beating "us"!

      I'm interested to hear if anyone else was under the same impression.

      Thanks for the comment Quentin.

      M
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  • Profile picture of the author edynas
    Banned
    I think they have used a script to automatically look up if the domain was released. If they are in the business of reselling expired domains it does not make any sence to manually look over all the domains they want. The day the domain is dropped it is not clear at what time that will be. So you will need some sort of mechanisme to check that.

    And as services like pool.com do not try to register every dropped domain they are trying to get every second the day it is dropped there is always a chance to beat it. I think if they would do that they would get in problems with Verisign for eating up to much resources.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sarah Harvey
    I would have said a person can easily register for a domain in case it expires. GoDaddy offers that feature as far as I know where you can backorder a domain for $18.99

    Perhaps it means that if you backorder a domain, it will automatically go to the person that requested it first. Well not that I know if this is the way it works...I am assuming it is so.
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