Help finding "earth" business address for website.

January 20, 2009 11:14 AM

I have the web address, but can find no "earth" address for a website which I would like to contact by snail mail. Is there a way online (hopefully free) to find the actual business address for a website?
posted by SociologistTina to computers & internet (7 comments total)

Do a WHOIS on the domain name. You might get lucky.
posted by Solomon at 11:18 AM on January 20

Example: http://whois.domaintools.com/metafilter.com
posted by devbrain at 11:20 AM on January 20 [1 favorite has favorites]

Would the Better Business Bureau be of any help?
posted by Night_owl at 11:36 AM on January 20

Some DNS registrars offer "steal" registration. If that's the case, the registrar will be listed on the WHOIS entry and you're probably SOL. Otherwise, the above mentioned WHOIS trick should give you a site administrator contact and possibly a physical address.
posted by teabag at 11:55 AM on January 20

s/steal/sealth
posted by teabag at 11:56 AM on January 20

Do you mind sharing the website with us so that we can practice our Google-Fu?

My guess is that if Google, BBB, WHOIS doesn't identify it, you are not going to have much luck finding it. There are many retail sites that are operated out of a dorm room or from China, so they have good (from their perspective) reasons not to put up a postal mail address...
posted by tuxster at 11:57 AM on January 20

Thank you SO much, everyone! I was able to locate the name of an individual and an address. Whether it is current and will bring me results is another question, but at least I have a contact name and address! Thanks!!!
posted by SociologistTina at 12:18 PM on January 20