Getting a domain whose owner has passed away

[NetworkPearl]

Hi,

I'm interested in a domain name who's owner has passed away in a few months. The registrar is GodDadd y and the owner is still the registrant and admin whereas the technical contact is a web design company.

I tried to call the owner, number is not active anymore and neither are the emails.

So I got in touch with the technical contact and told them about this. They stated that they don't have a contact with the owner for years now.

What can be done? Expiry date is quite far.

 

[Kate]

Does he have any heirs ? This can be a tricky situation.

 

[NetworkPearl]

Does he have any heirs ? This can be a tricky situation.

Yea he should. I will carry on a detailed research tonight.

He passed away at the age of 74 and I have his info etc from a obituary website that held his funeral.

 

[Addison]

I've helped friends do this twice. The first time, we had to get in touch with the lady's son (required social media stalking) who then represented the family and negotiated the price, splitting the proceeds with his family. The second time, we had to get in touch with the guy's lawyer who became the beneficiary of the domain due to legal fees associated with disposition of the guy's assets.

My friends were able to get domains easily worth $50-100k for $15k and 20k respectively. It was exciting playing PI to hunt down these people ((to give them money)).

 

[NetworkPearl]

I've helped friends do this twice. The first time, we had to get in touch with the lady's son (required social media stalking) who then represented the family and negotiated the price, splitting the proceeds with his family. The second time, we had to get in touch with the guy's lawyer who became the beneficiary of the domain due to legal fees associated with disposition of the guy's assets.

My friends were able to get domains easily worth $50-100k for $15k and 20k respectively. It was exciting playing PI to hunt down these people ((to give them money)).

Cool I'll try to do the same.

 

[matrigaldo]

Am i the only one who consider some kind of ethics when you "steal" the domain at crazy low prices from someone not aware about the domaining world?

 

[deez007]

Am i the only one who consider some kind of ethics when you "steal" the domain at crazy low prices from someone not aware about the domaining world?

This was something I wondered about sometime ago as well however I came to realize that when it comes to domaining the value of a domain can vary drastically based on the person selling the domain. What I mean is, I have a few domains that I can probably sell for low to mid $xxxx , however someone like Mike Mann, could very likely sell the very same domains for
mid to high $xx xxx - now does that mean the domains were actually worth $xx xxx to me?, nope...just because Mike could sell if for that price doesn't necessarily mean I could as well. I do not have the resources, existing customer base or knowledge that he does. Same would apply to a domain that is in the hands of a non domainer, they would unlikely know how to get the best price for that domain, unless they contacted a broker and even then they could get ripped off if they end up going to a dodgy broker. So I think as long as the the price is decent (like paying $15-20k for domains worth $50k-$100k) then there is nothing wrong with that... especially considering that the domainer could have to wait a year or 2 or 3 or more until he gets a return on his investment. So he would have $15k-$20k tied up in that domain until he is able to sell it. There is also the risk of something happening in the market place that could directly impact the value of the domain so he could end up losing money even....

 

[frank-germany]

I'm interested in a domain name who's owner has passed away in a few months..

he will die in a few month??

 

[matrigaldo]

he will die in a few month??

He is a good planner

 

[NetworkPearl]

he will die in a few month??

sorry I meant he passed away few months ago.

 

[DomainVP]

Am i the only one who consider some kind of ethics when you "steal" the domain at crazy low prices from someone not aware about the domaining world?

You are 100% right. You should not do this.

Have you ever watched American pickers? They buy things a lower prices, but not at the price point of nearly being theft . Even when the seller has no clue how much the item is worth, they educate them and provide a fair price.

If you offer someone a fair market price, or near it, you can sleep at night.

Cheating people will not only damage your rep, but it will damage them.

I remember reading a thread here on NP where someone sold $100k+ of numerics for dirt cheap, because they were tricked by someone else. After that happened, the seller contemplated suicide.

Could you live with yourself if someone killed themselves, or others, because of your deception? I think not.

If you are just and fair it will benefit you both financially and spiritually.

It comes straight from the bible:

"Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!"

Perspective:

I just bought a DN through auction, and found out that the previous owner passed away last year.

I did no wrong, yet I feel 'wrong' about it

 

[Jasonn]

Am i the only one who consider some kind of ethics when you "steal" the domain at crazy low prices from someone not aware about the domaining world?

well in this kind of case most likely the domain ownership is something heirs are probably not even aware of and the domain will lapse and sold at drop catchers. might as well get the family the money instead.

 

[ksusha64]

.

 

[matrigaldo]

Some time ago i read the story of a young woman (20 or something) inheriting from her suddenly dead relatives few apartments in their little town plus a prestigious one in Rome. She was suffering a lot for the loss, and decided to sell all these apartments because she didn't want any memories anymore.
Her lawyer decided to take advantage from it, and told her he found a buyer for the Rome's apartment: 180,000 Euros. It was the average price she received from other 3 apartments, then the lawyer told her it was over the real value of the apartment, was a bargain, because it was in bad conditions etc (she never visited, she was young, naive and mentally unstable after the loss). She agreed to sell it at that price.

The buyer was the lawyer itself, through a small individual company he created days earlier, and he was able to flip it at 1.5 Millions of Euros within few weeks.

I don't really know how, but after a while she sued him for "swindle" and, eventually, won and received a huge compensation, the lawyer has been dismissed and removed from the lawyer register.

I'm aware it's not exactly the same, but don't you feel a little like the lawyer?

 

[matrigaldo]

well in this kind of case most likely the domain ownership is something heirs are probably not even aware of and the domain will lapse and sold at drop catchers. might as well get the family the money instead.

Well, probably. But not surely.

 

[pchip]

My friends were able to get domains easily worth $50-100k for $15k and 20k respectively. It was exciting playing PI to hunt down these people ((to give them money)).

Another comment highlighting the shear number of people in this industry that will step on whoever they can to make a profit.

In one comment you say "My friends were able to get domains easily worth $50-100k", basically at a fraction of the cost, and that it was done to "give them money", noted with a smiley face. That just makes me sick.

The ethical correct coarse of action would have been to broker the domain name for them. You won't make as much money but you can rest better knowing that you're not a sleaze ball.

Note: Of course, if you offered to broker it for them and were honest about the value, and they opted to sell it at a fraction of the value, as to not be bothered with selling it, then there are no issues.

 

[NetworkPearl]

You are 100% right. You should not do this.

Have you ever watched American pickers? They buy things a lower prices, but not at the price point of nearly being theft . Even when the seller has no clue how much the item is worth, they educate them and provide a fair price.

If you offer someone a fair market price, or near it, you can sleep at night.

Cheating people will not only damage your rep, but it will damage them.

I remember reading a thread here on NP where someone sold $100k+ of numerics for dirt cheap, because they were tricked by someone else. After that happened, the seller contemplated suicide.

Could you live with yourself if someone killed themselves, or others, because of your deception? I think not.

If you are just and fair it will benefit you both financially and spiritually.

It comes straight from the bible:

"Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!"

Perspective:

I just bought a DN through auction, and found out that the previous owner passed away last year.

I did no wrong, yet I feel 'wrong' about it

True. Ofcourse I wont be paying $10 for a $100k name.

This domain is probably worth around $30k I'd start the offer with a $2k offer and then probably till $6k max.

 

[NetworkPearl]

Some time ago i read the story of a young woman (20 or something) inheriting from her suddenly dead relatives few apartments in their little town plus a prestigious one in Rome. She was suffering a lot for the loss, and decided to sell all these apartments because she didn't want any memories anymore.
Her lawyer decided to take advantage from it, and told her he found a buyer for the Rome's apartment: 180,000 Euros. It was the average price she received from other 3 apartments, then the lawyer told her it was over the real value of the apartment, was a bargain, because it was in bad conditions etc (she never visited, she was young, naive and mentally unstable after the loss). She agreed to sell it at that price.

The buyer was the lawyer itself, through a small individual company he created days earlier, and he was able to flip it at 1.5 Millions of Euros within few weeks.

I don't really know how, but after a while she sued him for "swindle" and, eventually, won and received a huge compensation, the lawyer has been dismissed and removed from the lawyer register.

I'm aware it's not exactly the same, but don't you feel a little like the lawyer?

Does this thread state I'm going to lowball them?

 

[matrigaldo]

True. Ofcourse I wont be paying $10 for a $100k name.

This domain is probably worth around $30k I'd start the offer with a $2k offer and then probably till $6k max.

If the domain value is around $30k for real, you should start with a $10k AT LEAST.

 

[ealfert]

Have you ever watched American pickers? They buy things a lower prices, but not at the price point of nearly being theft . Even when the seller has no clue how much the item is worth, they educate them and provide a fair price.

@DomainVP
No wonder you have "Messages: 2,462" and "Likes Received: 7,272" ... a 1:3 ratio!!! You are a good guy that educates and is ethical. I want to be like you when I grow up

 

[NetworkPearl]

If the domain value is around $30k for real, you should start with a $10k AT LEAST.

I have sold a name before for $15k which I bought for just $2.5k. The enduser (who sold it to me initially) himself stated this price to me.


It's not how much I'm paying but actually how much the seller wants. Plus this name sold for around $5k in an auction 2 years ago and there's a whole lot of difference between retailer pricing and reselling.

Ofcourse I won't lowball.

 

[matrigaldo]

@Insha010 this is a different case, you're not trying to negotiate, you're trying to do something in the thin line between legit and unethic.

 

[NetworkPearl]

@Insha010 this is a different case, you're not trying to negotiate, you're trying to do something in the thin line between legit and unethic.

What's unethic about this?

 

[matrigaldo]

@DomainVP
No wonder you have "Messages: 2,462" and "Likes Received: 7,272" ... a 1:3 ratio!!! You are a good guy that educates and is ethical. I want to be like you when I grow up

LOL it's not fair, i started being an active user here way before NP implemented the like/dislike/thank thing.

 

[matrigaldo]

What's unethic about this?

Again.

You know the name worths $30k . And you know the legit owner has been passed away.

Then you're going to offer to unaware relatives $2k for that name.