# Help figuring out who owns a domain name **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 7, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-figuring-out-who-owns-a-domain-name/509190 "2009-09-07T20:13:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![h0ax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/h0ax/32/5262_2.png) [@h0ax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h0ax)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-figuring-out-who-owns-a-domain-name/509190/1 "2009-09-07T20:13:30Z")
Hello, I’m interested in buying a certain domain. The WHOIS info for the domain shows it’s registered to [getaname.com](http://getaname.com), but their contact info seems to be bogus. if you do a WHOIS on [getaname.com](http://getaname.com) you will see it. If you try going to [getaname.com](http://getaname.com) it brings up a Dot Earth landing page. I tried calling Dot Earth but they were no help either. It looks like [getaname.com](http://getaname.com) owns thousands of domains – most of which are hosted by Dot Earth. Anybody have any idea how I can figure out who really owns [getaname.com](http://getaname.com) so I can contact them? Also why would they sit on so many domains without making any revenue off them? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Dan\_Norder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4af34b/32.png) [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-figuring-out-who-owns-a-domain-name/509190/2 "2009-09-07T20:28:42Z")
I’m not sure I follow you. The domain you are looking at isn’t [getaname.com](http://getaname.com)? Was [getaname.com](http://getaname.com) listed as the owner though? It looks like [getaname.com](http://getaname.com) use to sell domains as a registrar but was either an affiliate of dotearth or got bought out. The postal address on the whois for [getaname.com](http://getaname.com) is a real address, albeit to a UPS store drop box. Similarly the email listed there looks like it could work. If the ones listed there are the same as the domain you are interested in you could try contacting the owner through one or both of those. And if the domain in question has the same type landing page as [getaname.com](http://getaname.com) does, those ads are generating money for someone – probably dotearth. ---
**Author:** ![h0ax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/h0ax/32/5262_2.png) [@h0ax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h0ax)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-figuring-out-who-owns-a-domain-name/509190/3 "2009-09-07T20:36:37Z")
You’re right, the domain I’m after is not [getaname.com](http://getaname.com) but getaname is listed as the owner and the contact info is the same. I have tried emailing the address you mentioned and nobody responded so I don’t think it’s being monitored. It’s possible that Dot Earth actually does own [getaname.com](http://getaname.com) but their customer service didn’t seem to know anything about it. ---
**Author:** ![\_cc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/e19b73/32.png) [@\_cc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_cc)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2009, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-figuring-out-who-owns-a-domain-name/509190/4 "2009-09-08T05:00:44Z")
Most domain name registrars offer services that mask the true identity of the domain name holder. If you can’t get any information out of the registrar’s customer support, your only option may be to get lawyers involved. However, it seems like this isn’t the case here, I’m guessing that there is no independent owner of that domain, rather it’s being squatted upon by a reseller. Resellers gauge the estimated value of a domain name and try to sell it for several digits more than its original ~$15 registration fee. Often companies will buy up hundreds or thousands of domain names at a time, every variation of a popular term or concept they can think of, in the hopes of fleecing some potential buyer. And the more you inquire into a particular domain, the more its price is likely to increase.