Help me get my domain name back from a squatter.

August 19, 2011 4:13 PM

I want to buy my real name's .com domain name (e.g. johnsmith.com). It expires on August 28 and is currently owned by Oversee Domain Management. How can I get my domain back?

Several years ago, when I was young(er) and (more) foolish, I let my personal domain name expire. It has been held by squatters ever since.

Right now, according to whois.net, it expires on August 28 and is currently owned by Oversee domain Management. There is a form on their site where you could tell them that you wish to buy the domain. I have no idea how much this might cost and I'm unsure how much I really want to pay to get this domain back.

My other options seem to be to hope that they let it expire (fat chance) or to try to use one of the "domain auction" services as mentioned here.

What is the best and most economical way to get my domain back? Thanks!

posted by mrbob14 to Computers & Internet (7 answers total)

I've had a similar experience recently. Domain squatters hold two domains of interest to me (both are my last name). Both sites have auto-generated crap on them and I put their expiration dates on my calendar to see if they forget to renew. Sure enough, both renewed the day before expiration (I'm guessing it was automatic). They seem to be renewing them on a year to year basis. I wrote to both of them but neither replied.

In your case I don't think it wouldn't be economical to buy it from them unless you can spend several hundred to a few thousand dollars. Why not get a new tld? A lot of people use .info these days.

Once you populate your page with legit content, it will show up way higher than any of these other seo pages on Google and so you just establish a new domain identity from now on.
posted by babbyʼ); Drop table users; -- at 4:21 PM on August 19, 2011

In your case I don't think it wouldn't be economical to buy it from them unless you can spend several hundred to a few thousand dollars. Why not get a new tld? A lot of people use .info these days.

This is not necessarily true. I buy after market domains frequently for clients. I am also not an idiot and have never spent more than $400. I just picked up a .com for a client who already had the .ie for a whopping $60. Total score.

You won't know if you don't ask. Go ask, but do it from an anonymous email account and not [e-mail].

If you want to know what's reasonable, try the domain renewal fee x number of years ago you let it lapse x 2. Or x10. Or something in between. You do have an advantage in that assuming it isn't a common name, they have a limited market of buyers.
posted by DarlingBri at 4:39 PM on August 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

I would wait until after it expires if it is this close to expiring in the off chance of them not renewing. Then, I would determine what it is you are willing to pay max, and contact them either asking them their price or offering them something that would allow them to break even for the time they have squatted and start negotiating from there.

On preview what DarlingBri said too.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 5:14 PM on August 19, 2011

Have you seen and read this?

http://www.mikeindustries.com/blog/archive/2005/03/how-to-snatch-an-expiring-domain

I basically followed the instructions outlined and was able to snag a domain for a friend of mine for $60 IIRC. Maybe I got lucky but it worked and may work for you.

I wouldn't email them to "ask" about it. If there's any interest they're bound to name a high price. Stop visiting the site in case it registers hits that someone is repeatedly visiting the site and thus has an interest in it.

Good luck and try to post back with results.
posted by eatcake at 6:08 PM on August 19, 2011 [1 favorite]

YMMV, but I got my domain back using the GoDaddy backorder service mentioned on the linked Mike Industries page with no complications. Then again, it wasn't held by a professional squatter, so…
posted by ob1quixote at 8:11 PM on August 19, 2011

According to a Mefite whose job is acquiring and managing domains, the mike industries thread is dated and irrelevant at this point. It's possible that both of you just got lucky and weren't dealing with professional squatters.
posted by babbyʼ); Drop table users; -- at 11:11 AM on August 20, 2011

Response by poster: Just want to update everyone who may be wondering the outcome or may come across this thread in the future: I didn't get my domain back. It is still theirs indefinitely. They must have re-registered it as soon as it expired. Looks like I'll have to be satisfied with my little .net. Bummer... :(
posted by mrbob14 at 6:07 PM on September 30, 2011