A Question?

[DOMiNIC]

I have a great two word .com Domain. It receives a bit of traffic but its value is at least mid four figures.

The same Domain but with a hyphen is an active Website run by a Turkish Export Company.

The Keywords of the domain are not US trademarked.

Should I approach the Turkish Owners of The hyphenated version or not?

All opinions appreciated.

 

[IAmAllanShore]

If they want it, and they are a substantial co with the resources to buy at your claimed price/value, they will come to you, fear not.
Safer (@ least here, if the name is their trade name) than going to them.

-Allan

 

[redz]

talk to them see if they would offer anything.

 

[slaydragon]

jsut contact them and see if they would like the sale.

 

[BurninDragon08]

I would email them via whois service.

 

[tsj5j]

You should, if the company is doing well, they would like want the domain...

They may pay a lot.

 

[photomonkey]

I don't think I would contact them as it might look like you are a cyber squatter. I think that I read somewhere that is easier for them to take the domain from you without paying you if you approach them. It is kind of like you are black mailing them.

I think I would just park it on sedo, send them a letter complaining that their site is not working, give your domain as if it was their and ask them when it will be up and running again.

Of course do not use your real name/address on the letter, so that they don't cross check with the whois info. Use some friend's "info".

It is a lot of hassle doing this, but if you think that they might buy it, why not? You might also be able to target a more appropriate person within the company. i.e. some one with less technical knowlegde, who might freak out when they see that they are loosing customers.

 

[AHA7]

Give it a try and see how will they respond!

 

[DOMiNIC]

I don't think I would contact them as it might look like you are a cyber squatter. I think that I read somewhere that is easier for them to take the domain from you without paying you if you approach them. It is kind of like you are black mailing them.

I think I would just park it on sedo, send them a letter complaining that their site is not working, give your domain as if it was their and ask them when it will be up and running again.

Of course do not use your real name/address on the letter, so that they don't cross check with the whois info. Use some friend's "info".

It is a lot of hassle doing this, but if you think that they might buy it, why not? You might also be able to target a more appropriate person within the company. i.e. some one with less technical knowlegde, who might freak out when they see that they are loosing customers.

Thanks photomonkey. I like your style, "These slippery people
Gonna see you through".

 

[Joe123]

Turkey's legal system is not very organised and I don't think there would be much risk in contacting them.

An example: Avea is Turkey's 3rd mobile phone network (see: www.avea.com.tr). This past summer they have run a massive multi-million dollar advertising campaign with Turkey's most famous person, popstar Tarkan. The .com version of Avea is a domainsponsor parking page. They must be losing thousands of visitors but the .com page is still parked. I'm sure the company of your domain name is smaller than Avea.

I don't know if you would get anywhere but you won't know unless you contact the company.

 

[MadAboutDomains]

I don't think I would contact them as it might look like you are a cyber squatter. I think that I read somewhere that is easier for them to take the domain from you without paying you if you approach them. It is kind of like you are black mailing them.

I agree with this, it does look like cyber squatting, it is as if you have registered it because you know of their company previously to registering the domain name.

If you look at the case with itunes.co.uk. Although he even registered the name years before 'itunes' was even established as a US trademark the domain name was legally taken from him. One of the grounds that helped to prise the domain name off his hands was the fact that he approached the company and asked them if they would like to buy the domain name off him.

As it was previously said here, if the want the domain name, there is no doubt that in due course they will contact you regarding it.

Good Luck

- Luke

 

[tsj5j]

I don't think I would contact them as it might look like you are a cyber squatter. I think that I read somewhere that is easier for them to take the domain from you without paying you if you approach them. It is kind of like you are black mailing them.

I think I would just park it on sedo, send them a letter complaining that their site is not working, give your domain as if it was their and ask them when it will be up and running again.

Of course do not use your real name/address on the letter, so that they don't cross check with the whois info. Use some friend's "info".

It is a lot of hassle doing this, but if you think that they might buy it, why not? You might also be able to target a more appropriate person within the company. i.e. some one with less technical knowlegde, who might freak out when they see that they are loosing customers.

I never thought of that.

It is best however, to use anonymous emails, don't get tracked, or things will be MUCH worse for you.

 

[photomonkey]

I found an interesting link that is relevant to this topic.

http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/decisions/html/2001/d2001-1248.html

It is a bit funny, I had bought a domain from netegg as well. They advertised a price and then when I contacted them they gave me another price, 6 times higher. I let them wait for 6 month and then tried again, was able to get it for a reasonable price.