Just whois domain.me anyway?
February 22, 2010 8:27 AM Subscribe
Does anyone have any experience with "premium" .me domain registering. If I go to something like http://wash.me, I get a page that says it's a premium domain, owned by domain.me, and they may auction it off some day. I can apply for it, but basically have to tell them what I want to do with it. While I'm all in favor of cutting off domain squatting, I'm really not inclined to share what might be a brilliant business idea with them, at least without an NDA.
Their agreement asks things like proposed budget for marketing and development, which frankly sounds to me like asking how much money I have available so they know how much they can get. Their documentation also says things like "20,000 Euros", "significant daily traffic" and that the target site must be live site within 90 days, but it's not at all hard to find premium .me domain names that are either parked or just not working.
So I guess my questions are - are these people legitimate, or just a really well-organized domain squatter? Can I safely share my business plan with them, or can I apply without that information and be considered? Are they being more realistic about prices now that they don't seem to be holding any auctions? Would Godaddy's domain buying service be of any help (I did ask them, but the salesperson didn't know)? Are there any other options I haven't figured out?
Their agreement asks things like proposed budget for marketing and development, which frankly sounds to me like asking how much money I have available so they know how much they can get. Their documentation also says things like "20,000 Euros", "significant daily traffic" and that the target site must be live site within 90 days, but it's not at all hard to find premium .me domain names that are either parked or just not working.
So I guess my questions are - are these people legitimate, or just a really well-organized domain squatter? Can I safely share my business plan with them, or can I apply without that information and be considered? Are they being more realistic about prices now that they don't seem to be holding any auctions? Would Godaddy's domain buying service be of any help (I did ask them, but the salesperson didn't know)? Are there any other options I haven't figured out?
Sorry, Godaddy can't help you get a domain that someone else doesn't want to sell.
posted by 14580 at 8:50 AM on February 22, 2010
posted by 14580 at 8:50 AM on February 22, 2010
domain.me are the Domain Name Registry that administers the .me TLD, it looks like.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 9:00 AM on February 22, 2010
posted by EndsOfInvention at 9:00 AM on February 22, 2010
Best answer: This isn't domain squatting per-se
This is a "cool" top level country code. (.me is montenegro). the country sold the rights to selling .me domains to a registry agency in order to maximize the profits of selling .me domains.
This private registry company can sell the names for whatever they want so they held back a bunch of cool domain names (and really wash.me is a cool one) in order to maximize their profits on this domain. (I've run into the same thing with a .tv domain).
So its the actual registrar who's asking for this info not some random squatter, and likely you will have to jump through these hoops to get this domain. Its also not going to be cheap.
posted by bitdamaged at 9:04 AM on February 22, 2010 [3 favorites]
This is a "cool" top level country code. (.me is montenegro). the country sold the rights to selling .me domains to a registry agency in order to maximize the profits of selling .me domains.
This private registry company can sell the names for whatever they want so they held back a bunch of cool domain names (and really wash.me is a cool one) in order to maximize their profits on this domain. (I've run into the same thing with a .tv domain).
So its the actual registrar who's asking for this info not some random squatter, and likely you will have to jump through these hoops to get this domain. Its also not going to be cheap.
posted by bitdamaged at 9:04 AM on February 22, 2010 [3 favorites]
Sorry to be late to the game - bitdamaged is pretty spot on except for one thing. It's the registry that owns this, not the registrar.
Having gone through this process I can tell you that they aren't interested in copying your business plan - simply in verifying that the name will be utilized to a high standard.
posted by FlamingBore at 10:20 AM on March 9, 2010
Having gone through this process I can tell you that they aren't interested in copying your business plan - simply in verifying that the name will be utilized to a high standard.
posted by FlamingBore at 10:20 AM on March 9, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
BTW, you can register .me domains at Godaddy.com and other registrars. That one company thinks they've snapped up all the good ones, but maybe they haven't.
posted by 14580 at 8:49 AM on February 22, 2010