Are domain registration companies scammers?

[mapu]

Hi,

This is not an accusation but a situation that has been pressed on me and i'm going to need some outside opinions. If there are any other threads about this same situation could you please let me know.

Ok.

I bought a domain name roughly 1 year ago. I didn't use it and ended up and it has gone through the redemption and onto the Pending Delete Phase. I received a call today (i'm australian) from an American, asking about my domain and wanting to know how much I would sell it to him. I told him to email me as I was at work, he sent the email:

"Hi Matthew...

Hey there, sorry to bother you at work! I took a chance and called, since half the names, emails, and numbers on the domain listings are fake, the other half are people who are unrealistic about what they want for the domains that they have for sale.

Anyway, ******.com, what would you be looking for it, in US dollars?

I dont know what you're into, or what kind of domains you like, but since you're in Austrailia, one that I thought of is ************** .com (I have a few memorial domains such as for Patrick Swayze, Farrah Fawcett, and a few others...)

I also have *************.com and ***********.com but again, it's such a slim chance that what I have is anything you'd be interested in.

Let me know how much you'd be looking to get, and also I'm curious if it's just the domain you have, or if you're into ****** at all.

Thanks!
*******"

Now I looked up the whois info on the domains he listed that he owns, it isn't registered in the name that he used in the email or the phone call.

Anyways, I checked the site my domain was purchased through and it turns out it won't let me renew it. It will cost a $70.00 penalty fee on top of normal renewal charges.

Now my question is, could this be a ploy by the domain site to get the renewal/penalty fee's paid to make extra profit or am I just being paranoid?

 

[glaxxon]

Once the domain goes out of the redemption period, and into pending delete, the name is no longer yours. All registrars employ a varying recovery fee to get back the domain. Otherwise it will be dropped to the masses and would be taken up by dropcatchers. This fee is just an advantage to you as a previous owner to get back the name without releasing it to everyone. If you think no one else will take the name, you can let it drop and pick it up again at reg fee. Besides this guy who contacted you seems fishy as no one in their right mind will enquire about a domain about to drop. Instead he can just drop catch it for cheap.

 

[mapu]

Exactly right! I sent an email asking him some questions, I'll post any progress on it.

Definately concerning though, I'm not one to be played a fool.

Has there been any similar stories in the past about this?

 

[RicoShay]

I've actually had the same happen to me - but never really found out why or who it really was that contacted me. The domain was just a few days into redemption period, I got the email and something along the lines of "im willing to pay you $500 via paypal". Anyway, it was a rubbish name that I picked up for $1 or $2 via ebay.

I knew there was still abit of time to do the deal - so I asked him to MassPay or use Escrow. He didn't reply again until a week later saying he'd like to use Sedo. I just couldn't be bothered to take the risk on such a silly name, so I told him it was expiring, he can catch it for reg-fee.

It eventually dropped, was available for a good few months before someone picked it up.

With your example above, I'd also agree it sounds very fishy. From reading the email he sent you, it sounds like he knows about domains - so why would he not check whois and see its expired. He could put in a backorder.

The only thing I could think of, is that the name might actually be worth a lot more than you think and perhaps he prefers to get it cheaper directly from you than to risk losing it via a back-order?

I'd be interested in knowing the name, you can PM me - but I understand if you prefer not to tell anyone.

Good luck and hope it turns out well for you either way.

 

[glaxxon]

Exactly only reason he could be doing this if he doesn wanna risk backordering. If you think the name is worth 70$ then renew it and continue correspondence. Else directly email him saying he can pick it at reg fee.

 

[mapu]

Another email:

"
Sure thing. All the domains are mine, in GoDaddy accounts that have one of 2 different names. I originally started my GoDaddy accounts with aliases since my name might come up online (as yours did) and I like to write on different boards and not have my domains and so on come up in Google. But yes, even though it's a different name, they are me.

As to how I found your info, what I do if I'm trying to find out who owns a domain (I dont do this all the time, I'm not a dealer or something) is go to Google and put in: Whois *****.com or whatever other domain, and often one of the first results is a domaintools listing that shows either your contact info or that it's blocked by a privacy service.

So that's me and how I found you, dont hesitate to ask anything else- I realize how it can be when someone calls you out of the blue, I myself am by nature extremely paranoid (hence the aliasis) so I'd understand completely if you're wondering anything else.

Thanks!
Christian"

 

[nielsencl]

I doubt that it's a scam by a registrar, but it could be. Is it a reseller or smaller registrar where you have the domain?

I would worry more that this person will ask you to get an appraisal or something else that you will have to pay for. I would treat it as real, tell him a price, and then tell him you need to get $100 because the domain had expired for so long. Then when the domain is recovered, get the rest of the money from him and then give him the domain.

You should not trust anyone, but give everyone a chance to earn your trust up to a point. Most people in this business are honest, even if they are greedy...!