Domain searching is scary even if you think your the front runner

In a recent post on Domain Sherpa (by Michael Cyger) he talked about how to Keep Your Domain Name Searches Safe From Poachers and I found this post enlightening as well as concerning.  It made me think of those times during my years of domain purchases when I experienced things that seemed odd, and although I couldn’t prove it when it happened, I knew something was off.  As a matter of fact I even tweeted back to Hiten Shah & Chris Dixon, both had tweeted the original post.  I replied with the following:

So what, right?  Well, I had no idea I was about to play a “fool” to a somewhat similar story, which again I can’t prove & shit I might just be off my rocker, but I do feel I got screwed somehow, someway - again.  I was going to just ignore it, but then as I sat in traffic on 128 outside Boston I just got more heated.  So, I’m going to share a couple things I found very interesting…

First, let me start by saying that what I recently experienced is not necessarily domain name front running (DNFR), but it feels like it’s in the same family.

For you impatient folks that don’t want to waste time reading my boring and likely ridiculously long post (rant), the short story is:

A domain I wanted which was not in auction, is now in auction, for nearly $3k w/zero bids and virtually no views (with exception of mine) - all within hours of my showing interest - #Argh

If you want to know more about how this came about, keep reading…

So, I have project I’m working on (give back sort of project, always have one at any given time) and as most of us do when we have projects I looked for an Interweb identity in the form of a domain name.  I wanted to go with a short url model like a .ly or .do and after thinking of what would make sense, I searched and found just what I needed and registered it along with a few different variations.  Afterwards, just to cover my basis I looked up the .com, .net & .org version too for kicks, and here is where it gets interesting for me.

I found the .com was registered (not in auction, just registered), no biggy I’ll just get the .net & .org then “maybe” follow up with the owner of the .com and see if they want to get rid of it (perhaps for a reasonable cost).  A few days past and I decided to visit the .com to see if there was a website and if the site had contact details on it.  I didn’t find a traditional website, but did get a domain parking page with a link on it to buy the domain like the one you see here:

I figured maybe I’d try this since I was going to reach out to the contact anyway.  And, just a few days prior I was contacted through this very same service about a domain which is a variant for my current company that I wouldn’t let go.  Now, I am curious, how good is this process, how well does this stuff work anyway?  So, I tried it and forked over the $79.99 to do so.

Once I paid it took about 8-10 hours before I got an email telling me an appraisal was ready.  You know, and “official” estimate on what people would might pay if interested in this doman name.  It came in at between $1200-1600, and I was starting to get a bit concerned, is this process going to be bias one way or another?

After getting over the frustrating fact that this was priced so high, I figured I was screwed and surely the person having the domain was going to ask way too much, right?  Well, not exactly, and I wonder if the person was ever actually informed of my interest, at least in the way I would expect them to be.

Here is where it gets interesting, for me anyway.  About 4-5 hours after getting my appraisal, I get another email telling me I have a refund for $79.99.  Yes, a refund and no real explanation as to why I have this refund.  I would expect something like “the person was not interested in selling” or “because the person is not interested in selling we want to be nice and refund your money because we didn’t do much for you”, but nothing like this was said, just “here’s your refund”.  I called the domain registrar and was told that since this domain was “in auction” that I couldn’t’ buy it through this process.  Remember above I said: “I found the .com was registered (not in auction, just registered)” so now I am frustrated and immediately look to see if it’s in fact in action.  Sure enough it is:

Coincidence?  And, how do I know this wasn’t already in auction when I oringinally looked up the domain?  The way their system works if that if you look up a domain and it’s in auction, they offer alternative results and tell you the one you looked up is on auction.  That didn’t happen to me, I but now it does, here is the new lookup result for the domain I wanted to buy:

So, what does this mean? Does this prove anything?  Let me point out a few things.

1) Notice the auction has only 2 views (maybe 3-4 now because I needed other screenshots), and 0 offers.  I am convinced most if not all views are me, and if this had been in auction longer you’d expect more views especially based on the price they have it listed for.

2) Look at the categories (word & phrases) in the auction, it’s listed as “cool”, really?  I can tell you the name is not that cool, and if it were I’d suspect more views and offers.

3) Did the person that owns the domain get notified that I was interested in purchasing it?  If so, did this make them want to put it in auction, were they encouraged?

4) Based on the like .ly and .do searches along with the registration of .net & .org have an affect on how this process was handled?

Conclusion: I don’t really have a good one, and I don’t know the right answers, but I do know that similar situations have happen to me over my reasonably long career of registering & managing domains.  I know that I likely can’t prove this nor have I ever tried, but since this one happen so close to a recent post about domain front running I needed to vent the details.  I know that going forward, even though I think I’m somewhat knowledgeable and cautions about domain registrations that I need to change my ways, not sure how, but I have to do it.

Comments & insults are welcome.