services Plated.com - From a $9.99 registration, to a $300 million acquisition by Albertsons

[News]

Plated, operating from Plated.com, sends its customers the necessary ingredients to cook their own meals. This is what a “meal kit service” is all about.

Plated.com was just acquired by Albertsons to the tune of $300 million dollars.

According to an article on CNBC, the founders bought a “$9.99 domain from GoDaddy,” in 2012, and it’s been a learning curve since...

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[Acroplex]

I'm glad you understand the things you understand. For the rest, and anything related to my publication, I will be educating you, along with those that don't seem to get it still.

 

[amit chowdhury]

If you check through archive.org, you will see the archive dates back 2002. Upto March 2012 from 2002 (from 2002 to early 2005 there are continuous captures, then mid 2005 to early 2009 no capture & 2009 to early 2012 very little capture) it was a metal plating business site.

 

[Chris Hydrick]

Thanks @News - I really enjoyed this thread!

@Acroplex - Thanks for the article! Correct me if I'm wrong, but the "click bait" nature of the headline, was to geniously point out what is wrong with mainstream reporting and fact checking.

According to an article on CNBC, the founders bought a “$9.99 domain from GoDaddy,” in 2012, and it’s been a learning curve since.

Obviously to us domainers, we could tell this might be a tall tale given the registration dates don't match up. Are we to expect CNBC to fact check this? DomainGang did (right after mentioning the CNBC report)...

While Plated has met success without a doubt, the $9.99 dollar domain reference might be a long tale. Plated.com was indeed being used in November 2012, for the functions of the newborn, at the time, meal kit company. But the domain Plated.com was registered in 2008, and prior to its use by Plated, it displayed brass and copper plating content.

If we look closer at what CNBC.com had to say, we will find.

"We incorporated from my couch on West 14th Street on June 7th. We bought a $9.99 domain from GoDaddy, and it's been testing and learning since then," says Taranto.

The day after the sale was announced, and five years after starting from his couch on 14th Street with a $9.99 domain, Taranto says he is indeed living the American Dream.

Thus. I think DomainGang chose the headline, to highlight that the $300 sale did not derive from a $9.99 domain purchase (given the domain purchase was likely more)

For those wondering, CNBC chose this headline: How 2 young guys went from the brink of bankruptcy to selling their 'Shark Tank' business for $300 million

 

[Acroplex]

To recap the gist of this thread :

A NamePros member read an article I published at DomainGang and found it newsworthy. They actually read the article and processed its arguments. This is a real article, not a parody. It's emphasized by the "100% True" banner at its end, right below the NamePros banner, sponsors of DomainGang.

Noob commentator from #2 onwards believes the headline insinuated that a domain name was sold for $300 million. Only a bad reader or a person with no will to read and process an article that takes 90 seconds would come here and comment and complain. The same person attempted to leave a sycophantic comment at the very blog post they failed to read here. Further allegations of how this is "fake news" or how I personally share DG posts on NamePros are completely false and out of line.

I've spent 8 years building a unique domain industry and social media related publication with followship and I won't allow it to be smeared on here.

 

[promo]

You dont think you are going overboard a tad?

Your headline does indeed indicate that the domain was bought for 9 usd when it was not. We remarked that the headline was clickbait. Which it is. No one is telling you what to do. You run clickbait all you want. But be a man and stand by your stuff instead of coming unhinged and throwing a fit. You supposed to be the satire man in the domain industry. So go get a sense of humor. Not telling you. Just an advice..

 

[Acroplex]

More pedantic nonsense. More proof that you as well failed to read the article and process it for what it's worth.

The entire article was referencing the testimonial presented by the owners of Plated.com that they bought the domain for $9.99 at GoDaddy.

You saw what you wanted to see, and now are trying to accuse me of wasting your time/money or whatever.

I don't need your crap, be a man to say that you dislike what I do, what I stand for etc. But that's your opinion, not that of others.

 

[Acroplex]

Thus. I think DomainGang chose the headline, to highlight that the $300 sale did not derive from a $9.99 domain purchase (given the domain purchase was likely more)

Clearly, the only person commenting in this thread that understood what the article was about!

 

[Acroplex]

Clickbait...

One word and false at that. But if that's how you operate, I would not want to do anything with you.

 

[Acroplex]

If you check through archive.org, you will see the archive dates back 2002. Upto March 2012 from 2002 (from 2002 to early 2005 there are continuous captures, then mid 2005 to early 2009 no capture & 2009 to early 2012 very little capture) it was a metal plating business site.

Exactly. Which means that the domain was resold, not hand-registered, and that's explained in the article - a benefit to those that actually read it.

 

[promo]

Oh and its not false. I suggest you look up the words clickbait and sycophant. Just so you can use them correctly in future.

 

[Acroplex]

Making suggestions is a noble thing, I am touched by your effort here. I think I've learned a few things today, and I will put them all in good use, rest assured.

 

[Chris Hydrick]

Exactly. Which means that the domain was resold, not hand-registered, and that's explained in the article - a benefit to those that actually read it.

I already blew through my historical WHOIS this month, but if I can find the previous owner, it'd be cool to reach out and try to uncover the real sales price of the domain. It would have been a nice plug for the domain aftermarket if Plated would have flat out said they purchased it on the aftermarket for X as it was a premium domain that helped market their business. Something of that sort.

 

[Lox]

it was a metal plating business site

metal plated ref $ links, not business.
domain dropped and from may 2012 available for hand reg.

 

[Chris Hydrick]

domain dropped and from may 2012 available for hand reg.

Where did you get the may 2012 available for hand reg info from? According to WHOIS, the domain has been regged since 2008.

From (in or around) July 1st, 2011, to (in or around) October 1st, 2011 the nameservers were set to InternetTraffic.com

(in or around) November 1st, 2011 the namevers were set to Above.com

From (in or around) Devember 1st, 2011 to (in or around) August 1st, 2012, the nameservers were set to Parked.com

(in or around) September 1st, 2012, to (in or around) February 1st, 2013 the nameservers were set to Zerigo.net

(in or around) March 1st, 2013, the nameservers were set to AWSdns

 

[Chris Hydrick]

To recap events (to match with namesevers), per the CNBC article Plated incorporated June 7th, 2012.

Plated twitter was created August 2012.

DomainTools has a screenshot of Plated being developed as early as November 2012 (earliest available)
______________________________________________________________________________________

If you notice the nameservers, the domain was parked with several different platforms prior to the development of Plated. Doesn't look like it was dropped. Given that the domain was developed in November 2012, I think it's safe to assume the Zerigo nameservers were in use by the people of plated.

 

[Lox]

In 2009 was using GoDaddy (captcha prevention against harvesting whois), in march 2011 Google suspended (flagged) this website due to malware (dsultra) and also suspended Google Ads served by information /.com/ so the owner switched to ref $ links in a hope to get back on the track. Didn't worked and dropped. Discovered via our internal dn db and ai tools. Thanks for asking

 

[Acroplex]

Loxline, it's clear that Plated.com didn't drop in 2012. It still retains its 2008 registration, see raw data: https://gwhois.org/plated.com+dns

 

[Lox]

Thanks! maybe the hole of 56 days is related to the (expired) auction. Anyway, your discovery beats our discovery Thank you!

 

[namelancer]

It would have been a nice plug for the domain aftermarket if Plated would have flat out said they purchased it on the aftermarket for X as it was a premium domain that helped market their business. Something of that sort.

I don't think it'd have helped to save the day, @Grilled ! It'd have simply replaced 9.99 usd with whatever higher figure that'd have been paid in the aftermarket (let's say 399 usd), but the essence of the headline would still have remained the same, irking a part of readership the same, wrong way

 

[Lox]

it's clear that Plated.com didn't drop in 2012.

Should be May 2011 - typing error/ brain switched off . The new website started to show in June 2011 (captured by G in July 2011 - see the screen shot)

(google "Shakshuka with Seared Haloumi | Plated | Cook more. Live better")

( typing error: domain dropped and from may 2012 (2011) available for hand reg.)

 

[Lox]

Where did you get the may 2012 available for hand reg info from?

Misleading info, should be 2011 ! Thanks

 

[Acroplex]

Lox, there was no drop of that domain in 2011/2012. Not sure where you're getting this info, but it's incorrect. Plated.com has been continuously registered since 5/17/2008.

 

[Lox]

Just correcting 2012 vs 2011, your discovery is legit. Our is out, no questions about this. Thanks

 

[Chris Hydrick]

I don't think it'd have helped to save the day, @Grilled ! It'd have simply replaced 9.99 usd with whatever higher figure that'd have been paid in the aftermarket (let's say 399 usd), but the essence of the headline would still have remained the same, irking a part of readership the same, wrong way

I disagree. If the headline said, "From a $399 domain purchase to a $300 million acquisition..." then it would have been a positive plug for the domain aftermarket.

IE... Plated could have chosen a $9.99 hand reg such as 1Plated.com, but would/could a company named 1Plated.com be branded and acquired for $300 million? Maybe if they had a superior product/service, and operated using 1-800-1PLATED [1-800-175-2833]

Point being, if a company bought a premium domain, and they're claiming it was a $9.99 hand reg, that isn't helping the domain aftermarket. Thanks to marketing pushes from GoDaddy and other registrars, consumers know they can purchase a domain for $9.99 or less. Thus, when consumers are presented with a $399 option, they are hesitant to buy, and cases such as this could be helpful if the initial domain purchase price was accurately reported in the first place by CNBC.

 

[niamodsnod]

Plated.com is not that good at all. Past tense crap if you ask me.