URL squatting... how does it work? (and a semi-rant))

Ok, maybe I'm being a tad too presumptive, but the coincidence is way too close.

In this thread I talk about possible establishing another shorter URL for my website. I have been kicking this idea around in my head for over a week.

Last week, knowing that some companies buy up names if people inquire about them but don't buy right away I just typed it in my browser to see if somebody's website would come up. Nothing did. The name was not found according to a page from my ISP.

Fast forward to today, and I officially check on availability through Netfirms (where I have my existing names) and it's suddenly taken. Check the WHOIS info and it was purchased/created by GoDaddy on the same day that I checked last week.

Can they really monitor stuff that I check when it does even go through them? Or, am I being too presumptive and this is a serious coincidence?

Moral of the story (as I interpret it): Do not check on available names until you have a list of acceptable names and are ready to buy right then.

Are you saying GoDaddy itself bought the domain? I don't see how they'd have any way of knowing that you typed that url into your browser.. the internet does not route through GoDaddy.

Dave

tracknut wrote in post #10989138
Are you saying GoDaddy itself bought the domain? I don't see how they'd have any way of knowing that you typed that url into your browser.. the internet does not route through GoDaddy.

Dave

It would baffle me also, but that's what the WHOIS info said.

Weird. If they are just "tasting" the domain, I think the normal process is to hold it for a relatively brief period just in case someone actually wants to buy, then if not, they release it again. After all, they can't hold every domain just because someone happens to type it in their browser.

Dave

It is weird. I hope they're just "tasting". I'll probably check back in a couple weeks.

I did go check at GoDaddy after I discovered this. They did offer an option to check and see if the owner would sell... for a $69 fee plus commission.

Pretty standard, I'm sure, but it didn't help quell my conspiracy theory.

Is happens all the time, go daddy and network solutions are the worst culprits, but a lot of other services do it too. It might seem harmless to go on go daddy and check if a domain is available, but if you do not then purchase that domain at that moment, they will register it for 48 hours and then it will be auctioned off to the highest bidder, if there are no bidders than it will be released back into the web. It is completely LEGAL, they are just getting unsuspecting people to search for good domain ideas, and then profiting off them. I used to work for a domain branding company that helped people register domains, the only safe domain search engines that I use are "signaturedomains.com" and "Whois.com". BEWARE.....

I think this happened to me. A week before I settled on a name I was checking availability of websites. My desired website's ".com" was available. But I wanted to wait a bit to see if I really wanted to stick with that name. A week later I decided to take the plunge, but it had been purchased. So I had to go with ".net". About 6 months later I get an email from someone offering to sell me .com for $$$. I never responded. A couple of weeks later they made a lower offer and I still ignored it. They tried again not too long ago, but I'm with .net now and it's all over my cards and stuff, so screw them. They're not going to make money off of me. A holes.

I think I may have figured out how this happened. Instead of my long URL name, when I set up my Twitter account I used "@iaphoto" also intending to eventually set up another URL with the same name. I suspect that somebody found that and figured out that the corresponding URL was available so they squatted.

If so, procrastination was not my friend... again. Also, if so, they gambled and lost. I'm too cheap and stubborn to pay an extortion fee for a URL. I have moved on to another option equally as good, I think.

Please understand anyone who uses GoDaddy or Network solutions and that purchaser pays to have their information not listed, WhoIs lists the domain provider as the owner, in your case GoDaddy. Many web hosts offer this service. I have my account set up that way. I prefer not to have random strangers have all my contact information.

That said, by posting inquires in forums, etc, you are sadly setting yourself up for someone to snipe it. Good luck trying to acquire the domain. Hope it works out.

I personally reserve any domain name that I think could be useful to me, my business or any future endeavors I may want to explore.. I come up with a million ideas for projects, businesses, and random stuff. Some are good, most are complete garbage.. the good ones I will typically find a name I like that represents the idea and reserve a domain name if it's available, if not oh well guess it wasn't that original.. domains are cheap, you can get a 5 year registration for less than a tank of gas.. I think at the moment I currently own around 24-25 domain names that I may want to expand upon, if not oh well it only cost me a few bucks.. but if I do decide to move forward I know that no matter what, one of the most important pieces are taken care of..