"Snooping" of domain name queries

[mole]

"I’ve also heard that some registrars allow "snooping" of domain name queries on their sites. A colleague of mine tested this out by going to a registrar web site (not one of those listed above) and doing a query of some nonsensical domain name that didn’t spell out anything recognizable. Within a few days, some "cybersquatter" had registered that domain name and sent him an email offering to sell it to him for twice the price it would have cost!"

http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?idCategory=31&idsub=129&id=2059

Anyone experienced this here?

 

[Epic]

I've often wondered when I type in an awesome name if someone is looking at what I just typed in

 

[.X.]

I had that happen with 12 names a register actually let me reg,and then refunded my money saying the names were already taken,The reason i know they regged em,I saw 2 of em on thier auction site.

 

[ponyone]

Dirrty like Ms. Aguilera

 

[barefoottech]

What we should all do in any spare time is go to these Dodgy registrars
and look for as many Useless and Crappynames so they will spend lots of time and money regging them

 

[Maverick]

I've had this happen to me... Queried a cool name to see if it was available and it was but I thought well I'll register it tomorrow I'm going to bed I'm tired... Following day woke-up went to register it and bang it was taken.

 

[k5000]

I had that happen with 12 names a register actually let me reg,and then refunded my money saying the names were already taken,The reason i know they regged em,I saw 2 of em on thier auction site.

I bet it was the last time you used them

 

[Momo]

Ack, that's nasty That article didn't mention though which registrar he did the search.

Are these only done by registrars, or even by whois sites?

 

[.X.]

I bet it was the last time you used them

I wish that had been the case,I have 60+ names with them,But they don't get my business since that happened.

 

[RJ]

Thanks for sharing the article, mole.

What was this nonsensical domain? How did the cybersquatter know who to contact to try to sell the domain to? I'm still skeptical this happens and would like to see this myth proven. The article author left an email contact. I'll try writing him and finding out some more details.

 

[Tippy]

I agree, it would be nice to finally find out once and for all if this does infact happen.

I think someone or something is watching from what I've seen myself and I've stopped using certain registrars to look up Domains.

 

[nRnF]

IMO this is a hype, and David Green is talking about the friend of a friend, and the article does not look like that he investigated this

This hype starts from time to time, when there is a general run on speciffuic keyword domains.
Last of this type was the ...GAS.... domain run.
(The was eaven a thread here on NP with the same content as yours now)

And as many people search for the same "cool" names sometimes this happens.

I am not saying this do not happen, but be shure not at the bigger registrars.
Maybe some API reseller or custom registrar, that get access to the query made by users, but that is the exeption. Mostly it will be coincidence.

I have some doman sites, and look from time to time on the whois querys made (just for interest), but eaven on my tiny traffic sites this is so much info that it won't be feasable to reg most of them and try to resale.
It would only make sense, if you get a sales deal made BEFORE the return period for the "domain fishing" at the registrar ends (3 days), and this is not enough time to close a deal. Hence the fisher sits on a huge amount on useless and paid domains --> RISKY BUISINESS.

...The article author left an email contact. I'll try writing him and finding out some more details.

Plz share David Greens response.
.
.

 

[wasistdas]

For that kind of registrar - they should be boycotted

 

[suntech]

This is certainly possible as the technology has been available since the begining.
Here's an example:
SearchSpy
J.K.