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How do I buy a domain that's already owned?

by lmplmm
7 replies
This is a newbie question that I can't find the answer to anywhere...

There are two domains that I want to buy that are currently owned by people but not being used - the pages on them are old or only adsense.

I have thought about approaching the owners (if possible) to see if they would sell them.

What's not clear to me is the best way to actually do the transfer if they agree to sell. Is there any site you can use to facilitate the transfer, kind of like an escrow service? And what would the steps involved be to transfer ownership?

I'd be grateful for any advice that experienced IMers can provide.

Many thanks.
#buy #buy domain #domain #owned
  • Profile picture of the author nykn43866
    First contact the owners and see if theyre willing to sell (make them an offer they can't refuse

    Then if they are, its up to both of you how you complete the transfer. If its a small amount, you should be able to trust that they will transfer the site to you. (for example if you pay through paypal, you will be protected either way)

    If not, and its a larger amount, you can search for some different escrow services out there

    Hope that helps
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  • Profile picture of the author SoundsGood
    First off, just because you think the domains are not being used doesn't mean they're not being used.

    With that said, first get an idea of what you're really willing to pay for the name(s). Then look up the domain owner using WhoIs. Then submit your offer to the domain name owner via email.

    Lastly, keep your fingers crossed.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mike McAleer
    Use whois at DomainTools.com to contact them.

    Then I would use Escrow if you want to be safe.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
    Make sure you use a contract if youre sending big $$$.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jonathan Mizel
    I'd check on Afternic,.com, Sedo.com and other known domain marketplaces to see if the names are already for sale. I was going to make an offer on a name recently, and noticed it was on Afternic for less than I was going to open with. Nice.

    Also check the names in Estibot.com. Not that the estimates are always accurate, but it'll give you stats on the name, keywords, available of other extensions, and more.

    On large sales of over $1000, you may want to use Escrow.com unless you know the seller. The fees are big, so it's probably not worth it for smaller sales. Sedo.com also has an escrow feature built into their platform if the name is already listed there.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
      ha ha. They are probably killing it with adsense.

      If you found the domain, don't you think others are finding it too?
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      • Profile picture of the author Warren Tibbotts
        If the domains you're after are unique and you cant find identical ones with the same keywording but with a .net, .org suffix, then perhaps try adding 'the' at the beginning and see if you cant get the .com, alterntively do a goddaddy.com search as it will often comes up with similar alternatives that could enable you to snatch some of their search traffic.
        Alo godaddy lets you search through a list of domains with keywords, and domain age. (Try searching for what you're after this way, as you could pick something up cheaply, and benefit from great domain name age, as well as possibly even some existing traffic.

        Good luck
        Warren
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