Computer/Web/Tech Savvy people-- domain name ??

[lovetoscrap]

My parents had someone set up a simple website for their business several years ago. But then the website guy flaked and didn't renew their domain name when the time came. They couldn't reach him for quite a while and by that time the domain name had been bought by some company that just buys names and will resell them to you for an exorbitant amount of money. They were not willing to spend that much money.

Their domain name is only valuable to them-- it has their very unique name which is only shared by others in the family so it isn't like there are people knocking down the door to pay a lot of money to get it. I was just looking into it (they are still pissed!) and it is still owned by a resale company and should expire in May. From what I am reading it looks like even then that company has 30 days to renew it after that so I couldn't try to get it back for them until June? Does that apply since they are a reseller and not actually using the name?


And since I have done a search for the name (Go Daddy, Google, and Whois) and looked it up with the company that currently has it do they now realize that someone really does want it so will be sure to renew it ASAP--and probably raise the asking price some more??

Any advice or recommendations you can give me to try to get this name back when it expires? They just aren't going to pay that kind of money (they only want to spend less than $100-- preferably less than $20!) but would like their name back. I see that it looks like there are services you can use to help, but if the resale company just has some sort of automatic renewal software (I would assume they do?) and/or knows we want it so will be sure to renew it seems that would be a waste of money to pay a service to try and get it.


The fact that is their actual name makes them even more upset--some company "owns" their name! And they aren't willing to just change to another website name (stubborn pride!).

 

[dawson5]

No help on the problem just to say that if they can get it back, don't go through godaddy. I can find the info page of another site, where someone guessed the password and changed the ownership and tried extorting money from them for the return of the domain name. Godaddy was useless.

Here is a small bit from their live journal about it:

http://thetradersden.livejournal.com/

Look around apr 15. I think start to finish it was about a month before they got them back after being stolen. I know that is just the short version, there was a huge thread about what was going on when they were given a temporary place. Luckily the servers had a different password.

This is the original thread on it:

http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=71918

I think you can see that without creating an account.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Who would we use besides Go Daddy? They see fairly simple and straightforward and can walk me through this-- I need something like that and that will also offer low prices. I know almost nothing about this stuff-- I didn't understand most of what you said! Just the "don't go through Go Daddy" !

 

[dawson5]

I think after she got her domain back they transferred to packet host or quick packet, something like that. I don't understand enough of it but I remember when that was all going down that a few people brought up how useless godaddy was, which her blog and the thread seemed to support.

 

[glitterkittyy]

My parents had someone set up a simple website for their business several years ago. But then the website guy flaked and didn't renew their domain name when the time came. They couldn't reach him for quite a while and by that time the domain name had been bought by some company that just buys names and will resell them to you for an exorbitant amount of money. They were not willing to spend that much money.

Their domain name is only valuable to them-- it has their very unique name which is only shared by others in the family so it isn't like there are people knocking down the door to pay a lot of money to get it. I was just looking into it (they are still pissed!) and it is still owned by a resale company and should expire in May. From what I am reading it looks like even then that company has 30 days to renew it after that so I couldn't try to get it back for them until June? Does that apply since they are a reseller and not actually using the name?


And since I have done a search for the name (Go Daddy, Google, and Whois) and looked it up with the company that currently has it do they now realize that someone really does want it so will be sure to renew it ASAP--and probably raise the asking price some more??

Any advice or recommendations you can give me to try to get this name back when it expires? They just aren't going to pay that kind of money (they only want to spend less than $100-- preferably less than $20!) but would like their name back. I see that it looks like there are services you can use to help, but if the resale company just has some sort of automatic renewal software (I would assume they do?) and/or knows we want it so will be sure to renew it seems that would be a waste of money to pay a service to try and get it.


The fact that is their actual name makes them even more upset--some company "owns" their name! And they aren't willing to just change to another website name (stubborn pride!).

Don't bet on it expiring. A lot of these companies know you are waiting for it and will renew it right before their time runs out. It's cheap enough for them to keep it in hopes that they can sell it someday.

 

[JCJRSmith]

You may be able to find some info at this web site to help you:

http://www.icann.org/en/udrp/

 

[chesterpdt186]

Best you can do is hope to snag it when they dump the renewal.
http://www.domaintools.com/
may give you some more information to track down exactly when the domain is available. No they do not send information to the company holding the domain (I checked using my domain)

unique name is great, is the .net,.biz version in use?

using godaddy service to help grap the domain name if the other company
lets it expire is also a decent alternative.

My true suggestion.
1. Fix the name with seperators or extentions
2. Fix up the website and get it rolling, and working for your family
3. IF the old name comes available for cheap GRAB it, and just have the
2 names point to the same webserver.

Good luck to you.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Best you can do is hope to snag it when they dump the renewal.
.

But I have to wait an additional 30 days after the expiration, don't I?

 

[dr_zero]

I cant remember if it was Godaddy or one of its competitors but it would let you pre order a domain name and then when it lapsed it would automatically buy it for you.

There are other options than .com also like .org or .biz etc
here are some back ordering links

http://www.domainjunkies.com/backorder.html

http://www.mikeindustries.com/blog/archive/2005/03/how-to-snatch-an-expiring-domain

http://www.networksolutions.com/support/backordering-a-domain-name/

 

[FireDancer]

Domain squatting is illegal and your parents can bring a case against the company that is holding it. Does the www pointer for the domain land on a page and if so does it contain content or is just a landing or redirection page? Further details would have to come from an attorney who specializes in the this type of law but the rules are pretty straight forward.

As far as GoDaddy is concerned they are just fine as a registrar. In the case cited earlier the person who bought the domain had their account hacked. That isn't the responsibility of GoDaddy or any other registrar. The password we use for our domain is 40 characters long and is from a random password generator. No one is going to crack it. The other thing to keep in mind with registering a domain is the administrative contact's email needs to have an equally strong password. If anyone can get access to that account it is much easier to pull shenanigans with a domain.

 

[Imzadi]

Yes, what FireDancer said. That one account was hacked. They shouldn't be blaming GoDaddy.
Over on the FatWallet.com boards, there are permanent threads for deals for GoDaddy all the time. If there was that much problems with GoDaddy, that reputation would have gotten around long ago. I own 3 domain names though GoDaddy. GoDaddy IS one of the registrars who allows you to OWN your own domain name.

I have a 4th domain name through Yahoo. I wish I didn't, because that's the one most associated with my business and I don't get to own it through Yahoo. I am trying to transfer it away through GoDaddy.

But I have to wait an additional 30 days after the expiration, don't I?

The 30 days is dependant on the Registrar. It may be more actually. It is a "grace period" for the current account owners to renew. This is to allow them a cushion, if they don't register on the actual renewal date, another entity can't simply come swooping in and renew on that day. That info is on public icann records. (Or whatever the name is called.) They figure 30+ days is long enough time for someone to renew.

I re-stole back one of my names as I accidentally lost by not renewing in time. (The email notifications went to an account I never check.) The following year, I waited 30ish days, kept checking to see the status of the domain name. At about 47 days, checking every day after midnight, at 2am, I found the name was finally available and I was able to grab it back through GoDaddy with a coupon code from FatWallet.com.

If the name really can't be used by someone else, the current domain squatting company may let it go. They only swooped in and bought it, hoping your parents would pay the big bucks for it. If they realize no one is biting, they may let it go. Plenty of other domain names to get and new biters to hook as those people forget to renew. If they are going to renew, they probably won't wait the full 30 days, you'll see the date of the renewal listed as soon as it is. Why would they wait? It's not like someone individually watches the site each day. It's part of their automated system. That's how I knew to wait & keep checking for the name I got back.

As Firedancer also said, I also checked the page once to see if it was a webpage or if it was redirecting me to a site to buy the name for XX amount of dollars or if it was simply parked and not being used. This gave me an idea that they might let the name go as they had no biters.

But, don't keep clicking on the actual site as they might look to see how much traffic they are getting in the final days. I just keep checking at GoDaddy to see if/when the name was actually available.

 

[dawson5]

Maybe I should just say that their customer service was useless? There was probably 150 replies to the second link. She gave a good run-down of what all happened and what she had to do to prove it was hers and still they drug their feet. Pretty sure I didn't blame the hacking on godaddy.

and there is a site dedicated to the problems with godaddy. It's called nodaddy.com