So there’s a domain name I want, but alas, it’s already taken. Unfortunately, the url only links to an FTP login and the WhoIs returns no useful information.
GoDaddy of course offers a “Domain Buy” service, where a “Certified Appraisal” will try and contact the url owner on your behalf and obtain it for you.
Now my question is: Can they find any information I can’t? As I mentioned, I couldn’t find any contact information–might they be able to?
There’s no contact information at all? No email address? Even if they’re using a domain privacy service, those services usually show a unique email address that will be forwarded to the actual domain owner.
I have some experience in this area. If you feel comfortable doing it, you can PM me the domain name and I’ll see if I can find the contact info.
First of all is the domain in actual use? I don’t mean a spam or ad driven search engine that sits when you “park” a domain.
All domains must have a contact address and it must be valid. Private registrations are not allowed for .us domains, but are common for .com or .info among others.
Since most registrars automatically renew unless you tell them not to, the days of waiting for the domain to expire are pretty much over.
If the domain is in actual use, you’re probably not gonna get it, unless you offer a good sized amount. If it’s parked, then why not just ask yourself.
Send an email to the contact address and say you’d like to discuss making an offer on the domain. Don’t state price. If it’s a private registrar the email will be passed on.
If the contact info is not valid, report the domain and ICANN will supspend the domain, till the contact details are updated and verified to be correct.
If you’re asking WHAT to offer, that depends. Most domain names aren’t worth much, especially if you can get around it with a few “add on” words
To get an idea you can look at Just Dropped (dot) Com. It tells you what domains were once registered and have been recently not renewed.
You can google “How much is my domain name worth” and come up with a slew of sites that will give you a range of how much that site is supposedly worth.