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.

 

[bluebox]

We're talking about someone trying to symbolically "steal" a domain from an unaware family offering a lowball amount.

We (domainers) "steal" money from potential end users ever time we buy a name we don't want to use, just to prevent them from getting it for a reg fee. And then asking 100x for it.

If you are ticked scalper criticizing other scalpers (and saying their methods are unethical while yours are ok) makes you kinda a hypocrite wouldn't you say?

Why are you reselling domains if ethics and fairness is so important to you?

 

[matrigaldo]

Oh Lord,
i'm NOT referring to the reselling part, it's OK, great, awesome, fantastic to sell a domain with a 23171279x ROI.

I'm ONLY talking about the initial part: someone dies, and a speculator would take advantages from his death, trying to acquire the dead person's domain name at such low price ONLY BECAUSE his relatives are unaware of any value it would have.

This is extremely different to acquire a domain from someone who consciously sold it to you at low price because of ignorance or whatever reason.

 

[bluebox]

Well you talk about ethics, stealing, cheating etc.
If there's nothing wrong with selling for such much as you can then there's nothing wrong with trying to buy domain for as little as possible.
Why do you think the family deserves even a cent? It's not some family heirloom with a sentimental value. It's a soon to expire lease of a name. $10 per year lease.
Insha010 could just wait for the name to drop and get it for less (perhaps) and the family would get squat - yet he's offering them $xxxx and you call him unethical thief?

 

[NetworkPearl]

I just wrote this behaviour is unethical. It's not illegal, anyone is free to do almost anything.

However i just pointed out it would be unethical, because the relatives might not be aware about the value of the domain or even their old man used to have domain names, and it wouldn't be fair to "steal" the domain from them at such low price.



You came here with this story:



Which IT company are you referring? The technical contact that doesn't have any rights to the domain?

It's actually a web design firm. The owner was an old client of their company.

 

[MackieMesser]

At least in the Western hemisphere it regularly happens that somebody dies and there are several heirs who are not in a good relationship with each other.

If you are in the position that you want something from them which requires some sort of deal or agreement, it might get difficult to get the required approval or signature from each heir. If had in other fields of business the experience that some heirs - even though they are siblings - argue about money or are for some reason just jealous at each other.

Often there was already a burdened relationship before the person from whom they inherited died and the situation escalates after the death when the heirs argue who gets what.

Sometimes I really wonder how family members can be so quarreled even about a heritage of little value. All could benefit, but, because one is jealous on the other, he/she doesn't want the other to benefit even though he/she would also benefit.

Crazy....

 

[tha-she]

First of all, id like to point out that the most of you who cry "unethical" would most likely do the very exact same thing, with probably even lower offers.

Secondly, the person, who "died" was the one who "worked" for the benefit of being able to purchase or register the domain, this means the next owners did nothing to own the object/domain absolutely nothing, and only Law makes it their item, which in return means, if they dont know the value of the domain because they lack the knowledge, they should be happy to even get anything, had they not been contacted and offered something they didnt even do anything for, they would have just had nothing.

And lastly, is it genreally right or wrong to offer low amounts for something that is worth a fortune, or lets say 20k,50k,100k or whatever sum of money.
The answer is NEITHER, there is no "unethical" or "ethical" there are just opinions, people who disagree have a lot to learn, and obviously dont understand that every Human being is different, which leads to different morals/opinions every single time with some things being agreed upon with others, which still dosnt set rule to whats right and whats wrong, and you`re surely not the one to set the rules, EVER.

Thats being said, IMO, Insha is not doing anything wrong here, he "said" the domain is worth 30k MAX, I wouldnt pay ever more then he stated, if the owner now knows what its worth or not, you have to make your roi that makes it worth the time and effort/work put into it, no one is going to pay 10k for a domain that is worth 30k MAX, unless its some wierd domain i never heard of thats worth 20k min, and 30k max, but as far as i know... that dosnt exist, or pay 5k for a domain to sell it for 5.4k, or 12k to sell it for 13k etc etc.....(not that no one has done this, but at purchase point, one one plans to do it)

 

[urlurl]

thinking of myself, if i were to die, i would hope someone approached my family and gave them something if anything then let my portfolio just expire.

 

[GravityEleven]

Better still to educate your family beforehand and teach them the ropes about Domaining as soon as you can if you got real gems in your portfolio (who knows when is the last day you get out of bed..)

 

[lennco]

 

[DU]

First of all, id like to point out that the most of you who cry "unethical" would most likely do the very exact same thing, with probably even lower offers.

Maybe some of us would offer way more than we should, realize we couldn't afford it, and then simply not pay, eh?

there is no "unethical" or "ethical" there are just opinions, people who disagree have a lot to learn, and obviously dont understand that every Human being is different, which leads to different morals/opinions every single time with some things being agreed upon with others, which still dosnt set rule to whats right and whats wrong, and you`re surely not the one to set the rules, EVER.

I'm beginning to understand your bidding history now.

 

[tha-she]

Maybe some of us would offer way more than we should, realize we couldn't afford it, and then simply not pay, eh?



I'm beginning to understand your bidding history now.

Im sure you have only done good all your life long, followed all the rules by the nanometer.

All hail the king, the one and only who has always tracked hes actions.

Besides that, thats completly off-topic, if you have a problem, feel free to reach out via PM

 

[matrigaldo]

I just pointed out that maybe this situation would involve ethical thoughts, and tried to focus about how fair and ethical would be offer a low amount to unaware relatives for a domain owner by a dead person worthing a lot more (we talked about $2k - $30k but it's just an example).

Personally i wouldn't feel good offering such a lowball if i'm sure i can get $30k from that domain, even considering they're probably unaware about the value and/or the entire domaining world, and probably they would even give all the domains away for a bunch of dollars. I would feel better with a $10k offer, still lower than the value i see, but closer and, well, not a lowball.

It's not illegal to offer $1k or even $400 , and it's not illegal to take advantage of similar situations and acquire, i.e., a property (such as domain names) at a lower price.
It happens everywhere, everytime, in any fields, not only in domaining.

However it's kinda frustrating to see how many domainers wouldn't even consider any ethical involvements in cases like this, and proceed with the acquisition of a high value domain names from unaware relatives.

It's not similar at all to any situation where a buyer and an aware seller negotiate a sale and the buyer succeed with the purchase at a looow price.

But... i'm tired to repeat the same things, whoever could understand my point or not, it's a free forum after all.

 

[Jv1999]

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?

It's just graverobbing. Seems like it fits in the domaining culture. It's right next to catching expired domains and reselling for high prices to the previous owner of 2 weeks ago.

Or registering a trademark before it's been filed /made official for the purpose of selling to the company.

 

[Jv1999]

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?

Yeah lawyers have model rules that impose punishments for conflicts of interest. When you're managing your client's inheritance, then mix your personal gain... you goin' down bud

 

[Jv1999]

I just pointed out that maybe this situation would involve ethical thoughts, and tried to focus about how fair and ethical would be offer a low amount to unaware relatives for a domain owner by a dead person worthing a lot more (we talked about $2k - $30k but it's just an example).



It's not illegal to offer $1k or even $400 , and it's not illegal to take advantage of similar situations and acquire, i.e., a property (such as domain names) at a lower price.
It happens everywhere, everytime, in .

Don't take his legal advice if you're from the US. He obviously didn't look anything up. Talking out if thin air.

instead, Google unconscionable contrscts.

 

[Addison]

Well? did you resell those domains ?

They were for my friends. The first domain did sell for a big profit at auction, but the second domain was my friend's common first name. I doubt he'll ever sell it.

Taking advantage of people who lost a loved one is really a lot of fun.

#1 I said it was fun playing PI. Click here for the definition.

#2 They were not taken advantage of. They were given $XX,XXX (a significant amount of money) for assets they didn't know were valuable and that would have expired if we didn't contact them and help them through the process. In the case of the lawyer, it caused the family to owe less money and have less financial hardship during a time that was already tough enough for them. I don't know what happened in the other case, but the money could have gone to paying for the funeral for all we know. No matter where it went, paying someone thousands of dollars unexpectedly is never a negative thing, despite your attempts to make it one.

 

[DU]

They were not taken advantage of. They were given $XX,XXX (a significant amount of money) for assets they didn't know were valuable and that would have expired if we didn't contact them and help them through the process. In the case of the lawyer, it caused the family to owe less money and have less financial hardship during a time that was already tough enough for them. I don't know what happened in the other case, but the money could have gone to paying for the funeral for all we know. No matter where it went, paying someone thousands of dollars unexpectedly is never a negative thing, despite your attempts to make it one.

I hope they gave you a big thank you for taking an asset out of their hands for much less than it was worth and saving them money. It was very charitable of you.

 

[Addison]

I hope they gave you a big thank you for taking an asset out of their hands for much less than it was worth and saving them money. It was very charitable of you.

They did, but don't confuse yourself: domaining isn't charity. Our job is to buy underpriced assets and sell them for a profit. Nevertheless, it's not like we paid a hundred dollars for a million dollar asset.

I like the font emphasis on you. Keep it up.

And yes I got your sarcasm.

 

[DU]

I like the font emphasis on you. Keep it up.

I will try but it's not as easy as it looks I'll probably do it wrong eventually

There is never a right answer here and there are different degrees of right and wrong. My position is what my position is and others think what others think. Some cases more black and white than yours - I probably shouldn't judge so harshly on a personal level. I think that ambulance-chasing, grave-digging are modes of operation that should not, in general, be fostered as a positive approach to domaining.

 

[matrigaldo]

@Jv1999 my time worths more than you and your irritating posts.