Domain name I found was registered a day later...

[pjs]

Originally Posted by AlTheGr8

I just wanted to get warriors' opinion on this interesting thing that just happened to me. Last week I found a great domain name that was available. I was surprised that a name like that was still available. For some stupid reason (I cannot stop kicking myself) I didn't register it right away and just decided to do it today. To my surprise it was no longer available. It was registered a few days ago, next day after I found it. I just did a little research on the guy who registered it. It looks like he owns over 20,000 domains. He has a Linked-In profile where he says he owns an "online advertising agency". The Web site of his "agency" lists different online services they offer, mostly marketing, both online and offline.
The only site I used to check the domain availability was GoDaddy. I also tried putting it in my browser address box. How could he possibly sniff my domain??? I am thinking he could be affiliated with GoDaddy or work for some ISP and monitor DNS lookup failures. I googled for the guy's name and "GoDaddy", his company name and "GoDaddy" but couldn't find anything useful. I know that GoDaddy uses some black hat techniques for registering expiring names but not new domains like this. Any thoughts?

It's not uncommon for registrars to snatch up domains that users are searching on from their website. Network Solutions got a lot of bad press for this a few years ago.

I wouldn't be surprised if GoDaddy picks them up or "holds" names that match certain criteria and offer it to their bulk buyers.

Domains are a big business. I always check domain availability using the public whois system. I do it from the shell, but you can also use domaintools.com

[Abdul Aziz]

Originally Posted by Curt Dillion

I know someone who found three domains at Godaddy that were available. He left the site and came back half an hour later to find that all three had been registered. That sounds crooked to me.

Happened to me with about two domain names several months ago. Literally within a few minutes they were gone. Sucks. I can't remember for sure what domain name service it was though.

[yommys01]

I have had this happen to me recently. I tried to snapp up catchthecheat.com since it was about 2 days to be dropped but it got registered and listed for sale before I know it but checking back 3 days ago, it was available for me to register again and you can guess what happened. I think you should check the domain name again. Chances are it will be available if the Registrar does not get bids for it.

[AlTheGr8]

Originally Posted by pjs

It's not uncommon for registrars to snatch up domains that users are searching on from their website. Network Solutions got a lot of bad press for this a few years ago.

NetSol got in trouble because they were marking domains as registered as soon as you searched for them on their site, which prevented you from buying this domain from any other registrar. You could still buy it from NetSol.

In this situation - the domain is registered by a 3rd party AND with a different registrar (not GoDaddy).

[Jeff Henshaw]

Lesson should be buy at the same time and perhaps don't use GoDaddy for your research.

It seems as though the lesson is - Don't Use GoDaddy at all - From my reading of this thread.

Regards,
Jeff Henshaw.

[Stephen Clark]

Originally Posted by flnz400

This happens ALL the time... never search for a domain on a registrar unless you intend on purchasing.

Very often, even Godaddy, will monitor search results, and snag a name that has had a few hits, and throw it into the premium auctions. Extra $$$? You bet! How's that for ROI.

I have never thought about this, but I bet it happens more than we would like to know about.

[TimPhelan]

I found NixonFrost.com was available yesterday and kept checking for more domains. I had this thought in the back of my mind that I better just get it now and forget about finding any others because someone may be watching me. lol. I kept searching anyways and found a few other good domains available. Searched some more. I finally went to register them and they all were still available. :-)

I come across hundreds of names that I want to get though. I can't buy them all so I save them for later on a word pad and just hope others don't get them, including the registrars.

[Dixiebelle]

Originally Posted by oortcloud

mind blowing stuff and confirms alot of suspicions.

So, regarding the original poster's situation, if godaddy
did jack his domain they couldnt register it in the name
of godaddy, that would be too obvious. So I guess they
use this other dudes name. Which may have a deal with
godaddy, or it might be an employee of godaddy or might be
be a friend of an employee of godaddy. So this might be
sanctioned by godaddy or might be some rogue employees
running scripts on the system.
Reminds me of the dude who hacked into a online poker
system and could see everyones cards and won everytime.
It was a system hack, so the online poker company didnt
know. So godaddy might or might not know.

************************************************** **

Sounds like you just got off the boat. Godaddy has been notorious for this kind of activity for some time. This practice is totally against ICANN rules and got Network Solutions in a lot of hot water a while back. I think they had to pony up some pretty heavy fines.

I use Moniker for this very reason. I had an incident,one night, where I had searched and found a domain name that I wanted, but then couldn't find my credit card. So I logged off and came back the next morning, certain that it would be gone. Low and behold, there it was, just as I had left it the night before. That's when I decided that Moniker would be my registrar of choice from then on.

BTW: Searching for domain names at whois.net isn't as secure as you might think. That site belongs to Network Solutions.

Dixie

[Mo Goulet]

Oh how the old saying is truer than ever...you snooze you lose..I'm sorry you experienced that but you probably will not let that happen a second time....

I remember watching CNN last year and they were doing a report on the LACK of "Color In Fashion" (Most models you see are white)..well I ran over to my computer and registered ...you guessed it.. ColorInFashion.com and a friend called me 5 minutes later 600 miles away and was crying to me on the phone on how he searched GoDaddy and ColorInFashion.com was available but by the time he registered it, he received an instant email from Godaddy saying there was a privious hold on it and they refunded him his money..I clicked the pay button about 30 seconds before him..He laughed it off but then called and cursed me last month after Obama won the election and they did a big deal on the 150K wardrobe for Michelle..

You gotta move baby...

[johnsamuels]

never had this happen to me so far at godaddy, and I'll still use them because the free hosting means I can let a domain age the day i buy it rather than it sitting around until I have time to get started on that project.

though i sometimes think people put too much value on having the right domain, and too little on putting the hard yards in afterward.