Strong Evidence of Registrar Spying

[NameClerk]

Do registrars review the domain queries that take place at their websites?

I've read past threads that made a strong case for both sides of the argument. I believe they do based on the following facts.

I routinely post available domain names in the Available Domains Forum. On March 2nd, over 125 domains from my list were suddenly registered. Who Is enquiries showed that all the domains where reg'd at Dotster. There wasn't any underlying registration information available, only that they were reg'd at Dotster.

Now, 5 days later, over 115 of these names are available again. I believe that registrars are allowed a 5 day grace period on domain registrations. I'm speculating that someone noticed the spike in queries for these domains, reg'd them, tested them for traffic, kept approx 10 of them and cancelled the registrations on the rest of them.

Does anyone else have an explanation of what could have happened here?

 

[Gene]

Did you get YOUR list of names from an "available" list published for others to find? Many large companies will register every name on a list, keep those that generate ppc, then immediately drop the names that don't. If you got your list of 125 from a list shared by others, the scenario you described makes perfect sense.

Do registrars review the domain queries that take place at their websites?

I've read past threads that made a strong case for both sides of the argument. I believe they do based on the following facts.

I routinely post available domain names in the Available Domains Forum. On March 2nd, over 125 domains from my list were suddenly registered. Who Is enquiries showed that all the domains where reg'd at Dotster. There wasn't any underlying registration information available, only that they were reg'd at Dotster.

Now, 5 days later, over 115 of these names are available again. I believe that registrars are allowed a 5 day grace period on domain registrations. I'm speculating that someone noticed the spike in queries for these domains, reg'd them, tested them for traffic, kept approx 10 of them and cancelled the registrations on the rest of them.

Does anyone else have an explanation of what could have happened here?

 

[NameClerk]

Did you get YOUR list of names from an "available" list published for others to find? Many large companies will register every name on a list, keep those that generate ppc, then immediately drop the names that don't. If you got your list of 125 from a list shared by others, the scenario you described makes perfect sense.

Gene,

I created the list myself and only posted it on NamePros. By "large companies", do you mean registrars? I thought registrars were the only entities allowed the 5 day grace period. Am I mistaken?

 

[cache]

I used to believe that this is just chance, but now I do believe that something is not right, see this post:
http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/170611-can-someone-view-my-whois-search.html

Do registrars review the domain queries that take place at their websites?

I've read past threads that made a strong case for both sides of the argument. I believe they do based on the following facts.

I routinely post available domain names in the Available Domains Forum. On March 2nd, over 125 domains from my list were suddenly registered. Who Is enquiries showed that all the domains where reg'd at Dotster. There wasn't any underlying registration information available, only that they were reg'd at Dotster.

Now, 5 days later, over 115 of these names are available again. I believe that registrars are allowed a 5 day grace period on domain registrations. I'm speculating that someone noticed the spike in queries for these domains, reg'd them, tested them for traffic, kept approx 10 of them and cancelled the registrations on the rest of them.

Does anyone else have an explanation of what could have happened here?

 

[NameClerk]

I used to believe that this is just chance, but now I do believe that something is not right, see this post:
http://www.namepros.com/domain-name-discussion/170611-can-someone-view-my-whois-search.html

Thanks, that's one of the other threads I was referring to. I think it's safe to say that it's beyond a coincidence that someone else just happened to be thinking about registering the same 125 names that I was.

 

[Chris]

KenyaTech (or Kentech) is one of the companies who grab multiple names to monitor traffic and then let them go within a week or so if they aren't receiving much.

Several months back I was helping my sister register their company name, but she had to go pick up my niece from school. By the time she got back home and called me up again the name had already been snatched up by none other than KT.

 

[NameClerk]

KenyaTech (or Kentech) is one of the companies who grab multiple names to monitor traffic and then let them go within a week or so if they aren't receiving much.

Several months back I was helping my sister register their company name, but she had to go pick up my niece from school. By the time she got back home and called me up again the name had already been snatched up by none other than KT.

Wow! I did a little research into KenyaTech and there are folks out there claiming they are affiliated with DirectNic and have ties to terrorist groups. I'm skeptical of everything I read on the web but this is interesting.

View Thread

 

[Kate]

If your available names come from the drop lists it is quite normal that they get grabbed for a few days

 

[NameClerk]

If your available names come from the drop lists it is quite normal that they get grabbed for a few days

Very true. I've just never seen it happen to that many.

 

[onlinebroker]

My small input
I believe.....
Kenya tech, Direct Nic, DOTSTER, NOLDC + several other other registra atleast 10 more is same company own by one person/entity knows as (INTERCOSMOS MEDIA GROUP)
They are overbidding on several names on snapnames. May be they own snapnames also NOT 100% sure.
They also registered domains name mostly .org which are not taken but .net .com is already taken.
They also if you use of one of their domain registration website to look for a avaliable name would register the domain name for few weeks.
They also would take ownership of domain name EXPIRE within their registra and transfered them to another registra (which they own) and take ownership of the domain name without releasing.
I would suggest use only reputable company like netsol, godaddy to search for whether a domain name is avaliable or not and than register at cheap registra.

 

[floatingworld]

moniker is also OK for no-problem searching

 

[Chris]

I would suggest use only reputable company like netsol, godaddy to search for whether a domain name is avaliable or not and than register at cheap registra.

Go Daddy was used in my sister's case and within a half hour later it was regged by KT. There are also other complaints that whois searches were done on GD and the names were grabbed by KT within moments as well. Search for "Kentech" on NamePros here.

 

[Devil_Dog]

Something needs to be done about that. Talk about 'unethical'.

 

[Kate]

Isn't godaddy showing the most recent searches ?
So you do not need a spy to find out which keywords godaddy users are using...

 

[Dave_Z]

At the very least, registrars do data-mine. What they'll do with it is at their
discretion.

Remember that registrars are also businesses. What's to stop some of them
from "exploiting" the info sent from their sites?

 

[singx]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!
Just looking at this thread i searched out for the domain names that mysteriously disappeared in 2006 after i searched them on domains.yahoo.com they really made me disappointed why did i delay?

I just checked, and those i have done so far are available :gulp:

...again...
found 2-3 that arent but rest are back

 

[NameFarmer]

Gene,

I created the list myself and only posted it on NamePros. By "large companies", do you mean registrars? I thought registrars were the only entities allowed the 5 day grace period. Am I mistaken?

Nothing to stop the registrars to pass that service on to it's customers if they want. Some do!

 

[2Cunning]

i think godaddy are involved, i had put in lakz.com and it was unavailable so i was going to buy it the next day and bam registered by godaddy, doesnt show who by but its at godaddy and automatically been parked

 

[jj2ii3344]

I guess it is time to look carefully at their privacy statement. I personally believe that they do look at their domain queries because these are names that have been considered, at least by some, as attractive candidates to register for.

 

[namenut]

unfortunately I am seeing this same thing happening on Godaddy. Ive also seen a number of dropped reg's. The search finds the name. The system lets the purchase complete only to email me of a failure to complete the registration. I never use to get this with godaddy. It has happened 5-6 times in one month.
Godaddy starting to feel like Yahoo.

namenut