I found this quite interesting....enjoy
How I beat BuyDom at the domain game
I've been in this business since 1998, back in the good old days when UltSearch was NoName and when BuyDom held under 20,000 domains and was easily beat head-to-head. These were the days when people, yours truly included, swore NoName/UltS/MrYe had an inside connection at NetSol.
I currently hold about 3,000 +/- domains and some pretty nifty ones at that. Chances are pretty good that some of you know me, but just don't know that to be the case.
I chose early on to focus on domain categories related to areas of commerce most likely to thrive on the Web. Give it a little thought and you will figure out what I targeted.
At one point my business model was mostly about buy and sell, and I made a few bucks selling, but now I'm into development.
This is why I'm about to sing my swan song and let you all in on a magical strategy. No kidding. One that works. One that has enabled me to pick up domain names that many of you have at best managed to bitch and moan about how BuyDom, UltS and all my other buddies beat you to them.
My little system - which I am 1) about to give away for free; and 2) which I have been using successfully in a manner that you didn't even know I was at work, has a very high success rate, and guess what?......When I don't manage to get a domain that I'm really after BD absolutely doesn't get it either.
So, you see, in my math it's a win-win situation.
Now, I'm not really an enemy to BD. In fact I've spent a few bucks picking up domains from BD. They tell me that they like me. They even send me presents and lists of domains they think I might like.
However, there came a point where I realized BD had no domain name morals.
Say what?
Yeah, I mean, this wasn't just business. This was BD trampling on sacred ground. This was the kind of stuff that made my native American blood boil. This wasn't even stuff that was, for the most part, near and dear to my personal life - but clearly it was dear to many other people's lives. So what could piss me off so bad that I would 1) go on the warpath and, 2) now decide to "give away for free" the only system guaranteed to beat them every time ....or at least make them lose or pay dearly? All you have to do is take a look at the dot org domains that they own. That's where I drew the line. That's what set me off. BD is not a catholic school. They are not a Christian mission. And, they are not an American Indian nation. But, what the heck, right? Grab those domains too. Don't do some good. Don't say "170,000 domains is enough, we can give these to the organizations that truly they should belong to." NOOOO. Grab them all and ask even non-profits to pay handsome premiums. Make me puke. Make me mad. Make me decide that it's time everyone start to put them out of business the old fashioned way. Sometimes, it's just the wrong move to piss the wrong person off. You couldn't leave well enough alone. You had to be greedy. You had to make even the non-profits hurt. So, HERE'S SOME HURTIN' BACK.
Get ready for this. You're gonna kick yourself. You're going to say "Oh BS". You're going to say "that can't work". BUT, some of you are gonna say (probably not on this board) "Ohmygod. How could I have overlooked that". Some of you are going to go right out, today, and put it into action. Some of you are going to stop spending your money on SnapNames, NameWinner, etc.
And some of you are never again going to bitch and moan about BD. At the very least you will have the satisfaction of delivering BD a "screw you" AND the sweet thing is - BD never even has to know.
So, what is this little secret? (God, I love writing this as much as I hate reading similar writings by the scum and slime that sell e-books about making millions on the Web).
Here's the answer: The telephone.
What? What the f***?
Ohmygosh! What are you telling me?
Yep. Pick up the goshdarned telephone and CALL SOMEONE. Call the person or company that is associated with the domain that is about to enter the hold/redemption/delete process. Call them when the domain has just entered the process. Maybe, even better, email them (sometimes the email address still works, but often that isn't the case). Introduce yourself by email
Here's the key to success: You have to have the right soul for the job. You have to NOT CARE if you end the call with a deal or with the person thanking you for bringing the situation to their attention. Your mission ABSOLUTELY has to be about doing the right thing - which means you are on a rescue mission. You either want them to not lose the domain unintentionally OR, if they don't want the domain any longer, YOU have to have a bona fide, good faith, decent, righteous reason for attempting to pick up the domain. No kidding. You, in your heart, need to be clear that if you get the domain you are going to do some good with it: Build a Web site, donate it to a good cause, or do anything decent other than simply trying to snake the domain from the person and resell it. Listen: BAD KARMA. Do not screw with people. Do NOT LIE to people. There is enough mistrust in this world Don't add to it. If the person agrees to transfer or sell you the domain (quite often for a very, very modest amount) do not do evil. Do not make yourself believe, for a minute (the one you spend talking to the owner) that you "might or could or are thinking about" doing some good. Just do it. Even if you simply create a web site that benefits from the traffic potential of the domain name by creating an affiliate site, etc.
Trust me, it works. At least 1 out of 3 will agree to sell you the domain, often for a very, very modest amount. Why? Well, they were going to let it drop anyway. About 1 out of 3 will either say "Oh my goodness, I wasn't aware of that". They will thank you. Be grateful. You have done some good. It may change that person's life. It may save someone's job. I've seen it all. The other 1 out of 3?
Well, here's where it gets to be really fun. Sometimes, despite all reasonable efforts, you cannot hook-up with the domain registrant. I've employed every means. I've done Google searches of every detail in the WhoIs. Sometimes you will turn up an email address that's invalid that will lead you to another way of reaching the person. Sometimes you send mail to the last known address in the WhoIs and it gets forwarded. Sometimes you discover that the business has changed its name or address. BUT WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS you have to ask yourself this: Given the quality of this domain name, what's the chance that little old me will successfully snap it up versus You Know Who?
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/3591-interesting-post-another-board-how-i.html
Then, you get to "go over the top". You get a chance to deliver a little pay-back. You get a chance to, perhaps, buy some more time to hunt down the registrant.
What am I talking about?
You pay for the damned renewal yourself!!!!!
????: NamePros.com http://www.namepros.com/showthread.php?t=3591
What? Are you nuts?
Well......maybe.....but maybe not. Maybe I've had a situation, or 2, where I did that and in the following months I was able to track down the registrant - who in disbelief - simply agreed to transfer the domain when I sent out proof that I paid for the renewal.
And, failing all else, maybe, just may, I got a little bit of pleasure out of knowing that a certain domain reseller, who some might call a bully and others might simply sit in awe of their technology, didn't get the domain. Maybe, sometimes, that alone is enought. Especially if that domain reseller entered into a domain space that they weren't really playing in until you bought a domain or 2 from them.
And, for the final slick little trick (I'm giving it all away because, truthfully, I have more domains than I know what to do with).......
Here it is: Remember that little thing, called the Wait List Service?
Well, here's the dirtiest of dirtiest little secrets: When you pay to renew a domain for a person or company that has simply dropped off the face of the planet YOU, in most cases, become the only person who knows (to a high degree of certainty) that when the domain renewal period is running out next time the domain will drop - soooooooooo - you sign up for the WLS for the domain at a time when no one else has reason to be looking: When it's in a fresh renewal period.
Now, I've given away some pretty powerful stuff here AND chances are some of you will not respect the essence what I have communicated. Some of you will lie when you pick up the phones. Some of you will half-lie, mumbling something about a family member or your thinking about. BUT some of you will GET IT and will do right and that is all I can hope for. That alone, plus keeping the domains out of the grips of the big iron/hi tech players is enough for me.
Now, go and make the world a better place.
And go and freely distribute what I have said to as many message boards as you can find.
It's time for the Davids of the world to pick up their slings. It's time to pick up your bows and aim for Achilles' heel.
Sometimes its the little annonymous guy, the one you step on and don't even bother to acknowledge it, that can make you regret your arrogance. Remember that. Be nice to everyone. It's the trashman who, without whom, our lives we be just a bit more unpleasant.
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It's been a fun run.
07-27-2003, 10:55 PM
Interesting post from another board: "How I beat BuyDom at the domain game" 
