An Insurance Company's Old Domain Has Expired, I Have WON The Auction, What To Do Next?

22 replies
Guys, I recently involved in buying old domain, this was my 1st auction and I won. It's an insurance company that has 22K PM search volume keyword and CPC $6.8. And no it's not a Trade Mark etc. Domain is only 1 year old & Go--Daddy gave me 2 days to purchase the domain now. Do I purchase the domain and contact Company asking them to give me an offer

Let me know what you say?

Thanks!

Jawad
#auction #company #domain #expired #insurance #won
  • Profile picture of the author datingworld
    of course go ahead and purchase the domain name if its not too expensive for you and if it has got 22 k per month searches, you can negotiate with the company.

    Last month, one of the famous singer of Bollywood launched new music company; he mentioned it in press conference... luckily when I searched for the exact domain name, it was available.. I registered .com, .net, .org for it..
    two days ago I was contacted by someone in India who is interested to buy those domain names... I will find out on Monday on what they are offering.. Please Wish me luck in it.
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    • Profile picture of the author JawadAshraf
      Originally Posted by datingworld View Post

      of course go ahead and purchase the domain name if its not too expensive for you and if it has got 22 k per month searches, you can negotiate with the company.

      Last month, one of the famous singer of Bollywood launched new music company; he mentioned it in press conference... luckily when I searched for the exact domain name, it was available.. I registered .com, .net, .org for it..
      two days ago I was contacted by someone in India who is interested to buy those domain names... I will find out on Monday on what they are offering.. Please Wish me luck in it.
      Thank you for you suggestions.

      Too expensive? You know what? I was watching that domain from past 1 week and I bid on the VERY LAST Minute and WON it in $12 lol.

      Oh and wish you best of luck.

      Cheers!
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      • Profile picture of the author blackjack
        Originally Posted by JawadAshraf View Post

        WON it in $12
        JawadAshraf

        Sorry to spoil your party but "WON" doesn't mean you got the domain. Until it is in your account, you cann't be 100% sure. And I have experience where GD have taken away domain even after paying for the domain.

        But Good Luck and keep it under wrap few days and then contact the company.
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  • Profile picture of the author K Mec
    Sure.Get it and monetize with CPA offers. Dish is ready for you, just start eating...
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  • Profile picture of the author Tsnyder
    How do you know it's not a trademark?
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    If you knew what I know you'd be doing what I do...
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    • Profile picture of the author davezan
      Originally Posted by Tsnyder View Post

      How do you know it's not a trademark?
      That's what I'm wondering as well. A trademark doesn't need to be registered in
      order to exist, Jawad, especially if the insurance company can still demonstrate
      common-law trademark rights.
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      David

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      • Profile picture of the author JawadAshraf
        Originally Posted by davezan View Post

        That's what I'm wondering as well. A trademark doesn't need to be registered in
        order to exist, Jawad, especially if the insurance company can still demonstrate
        common-law trademark rights.
        1st I don' t know the law, as I am not sure if it considered as a trademark or not.
        For example Google is a TM but if you say GoogleMoney.com will it considered a TM?

        Anyway! even if it is. I have registered the domain now and if they want then need to pay me. Will see what happens...
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        • Profile picture of the author madscots
          I would reccomend not contacting the company and tryign to sell the domain to them, that is a surefire way to invite all kinds of legal trouble. If they contact you then fine, you have room to negotiate. If the previous owner had anything related to insurance on the site, they were playing with fire, cybersquatting is taken very seriously by the courts.

          And yes GoogleMoney.com could be seen as trademark infringement.
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        • Profile picture of the author Jordan Kovats
          Originally Posted by JawadAshraf View Post

          1st I don' t know the law, as I am not sure if it considered as a trademark or not.
          For example Google is a TM but if you say GoogleMoney.com will it considered a TM?

          Anyway! even if it is. I have registered the domain now and if they want then need to pay me. Will see what happens...
          Or, if they want it and it is trade marked, they'll take it from you.
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        • Profile picture of the author Thomas Michal
          Originally Posted by JawadAshraf View Post

          Anyway! even if it is. I have registered the domain now and if they want then need to pay me. Will see what happens...
          Ugh... no they won't.

          If it is trademarked you could be force to forfeit it, let it expire or get sued because it's illegal to profit off someone else s trademark that includes selling it.

          because buying a trademarked domain and trying to sell it to the company is cybersquatting

          Cybersquatting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

          heres a good thread about it.

          http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...trademark.html

          If I were you I'd double check the trademark.

          I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice.
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  • Profile picture of the author rosetrees
    I don't understand. If it's the insurance company's old domain and they have let it go, why do you think they will buy it from you?

    The question I would be asking is did they build any backlinks to it and will it be getting traffic? There's probably a reason why they let it go.
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    • Profile picture of the author JawadAshraf
      Originally Posted by rosetrees View Post

      I don't understand. If it's the insurance company's old domain and they have let it go, why do you think they will buy it from you?

      The question I would be asking is did they build any backlinks to it and will it be getting traffic? There's probably a reason why they let it go.
      I think they even don't know about that. And in my opinion somebody else registered this domain a year ago. Yes, it has 100 or so backlinks as well. The thing is the domain is like this CompanyNameInsurance.com (has 22K search volume), although the company has the domain as Company.com (has very less search volume). That's the point they will buy the domain very happily.

      I have bought it already, let me transfer the domain to my own server 1st then I will contact with the company.

      Cheers!
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve50000
    Since it sounds like you may be in a grey area, and the domain is getting traffic, it might be better to just try to make money off the traffic.
    The Insurance Co may be clueless that the "old" domain is getting traffic, which makes it valuable.

    If they contact you to try to buy it from you, great.
    If you try to demand money from them, and it has their TM, they might be able to make your life unpleasant.

    Far easier and safer to just fly under the radar and make money off their traffic, IMO.

    I'd much rather have a steady stream of income than risk it for a bunch of (potential) cash right now.
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  • Profile picture of the author Joshster
    I sold a name that was a company trademark, but I purchased it years before the UK company had any presence in the US, it was: companyname.us

    Also the company name could be construed as being generic, it was like bestshop.us (that's a clue)!

    I asked for $3000 as I am under the impression that it would cost them around $4000 to take it from me in lawyer fees!

    I got $2000 for it, took a year of emailing the person I had contact with to get the funds sent.
    Initially I emailed the CEO of the company at first.last@company.com and got in touch with the right person that way

    In hindsight I should have asked for $3500 and maybe dropped to $3000.
    I would recommend being super polite when asking for any money for it!!!!
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Originally Posted by JawadAshraf View Post

    Guys, I recently involved in buying old domain, this was my 1st auction and I won. It's an insurance company that has 22K PM search volume keyword and CPC $6.8. And no it's not a Trade Mark etc. Domain is only 1 year old & Go--Daddy gave me 2 days to purchase the domain now. Do I purchase the domain and contact Company asking them to give me an offer

    Let me know what you say?

    Thanks!

    Jawad
    It DOESN'T have to be trademarked! CYBERSQUATING is illegal! Check the UDRP! If they decide they want it, your offering it, ESPECIALLY right after buying, will help cement their case!!!!!!!!

    You are OBVIOUSLY doing this in bad faith, and that is a BAD way to start.

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author maz1207
    Wow! 22k per month? I'm sure their going to get the domain back otherwise you can sell it to other insurance company. Heheh...
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  • Profile picture of the author jessioward
    Banned
    [DELETED]
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  • Profile picture of the author JawadAshraf
    I will not sale the domain and won't even contact company. I have decided to monetize the domain myself with Adsense and CPA offers. Did anyone notice 22K search PM & CPC is $6.8 and to my surprise Google results pages are only "63,400" yes in quotes. I will be ranking it to the TOP and sucking traffic and making bank lol.

    Cheers!
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  • Profile picture of the author Charanjit
    22k searchs a month, get in the top three for the key word look at 10% clicks which is 2000, take a 5% conversation to Google add words at $6 a click, have a income of $600 a month.

    or contact the company and give it up for free.

    I know what I would do, don't make the same mistakes as the guy did with the whole romany.com.
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    Want to learn more, read read and read more. http://www.mannusblog.com/index.php/...e-optimisation

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