Help me own my name.
April 26, 2013 11:59 AM Subscribe
How do I approach someone about buying their domain name, and then what do I do if they agree?
I have a highly unusual name. In fact, as near as I can tell there is only one other person with my Firstname Lastname. He owns firstnamelastname.com, but doesn't seem to have updated it in a couple of years and I'd like to buy it from him. I have no idea how much to offer or what to do if he accepts. I'd also prefer not to create an enemy of the other me by swiping it when his registration expires.
I have a highly unusual name. In fact, as near as I can tell there is only one other person with my Firstname Lastname. He owns firstnamelastname.com, but doesn't seem to have updated it in a couple of years and I'd like to buy it from him. I have no idea how much to offer or what to do if he accepts. I'd also prefer not to create an enemy of the other me by swiping it when his registration expires.
Also, even if they don't seem to be using the domain for a website, they might be using it for email. If so, their DNS should include an MX record.
posted by mr vino at 12:30 PM on April 26, 2013
posted by mr vino at 12:30 PM on April 26, 2013
I'd also prefer not to create an enemy of the other me by swiping it when his registration expires.
This is not disingenuous at all. I've let domain names expire in the past -- you absolutely get bombarded with emails from the registrar prior to the domain's expiration date. If the domain name doesn't get renewed, it is because he no longer wants it.
That being said, if you don't want to wait for the name to expire, send him an email offering no more than $20 to "take it off his hands." The problem with buying domain names is their obvious uniqueness -- if you give the owner the impression that you really want the name, he's likely to start by throwing out some absurd price, which will make it that much harder to negotiate.
posted by Whitall Tatum at 12:38 PM on April 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
This is not disingenuous at all. I've let domain names expire in the past -- you absolutely get bombarded with emails from the registrar prior to the domain's expiration date. If the domain name doesn't get renewed, it is because he no longer wants it.
That being said, if you don't want to wait for the name to expire, send him an email offering no more than $20 to "take it off his hands." The problem with buying domain names is their obvious uniqueness -- if you give the owner the impression that you really want the name, he's likely to start by throwing out some absurd price, which will make it that much harder to negotiate.
posted by Whitall Tatum at 12:38 PM on April 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
It doesn't have to be a dot com. There's plenty of others to choose from. My family is using lastname dot net, while other unrelated people are using dot com and dot me. If you do make him an offer, it should be enough to at least get him a nice dinner for two for his trouble. You may also offer for a 5 year period to have a link to his new site.
posted by Sophont at 1:28 PM on April 26, 2013
posted by Sophont at 1:28 PM on April 26, 2013
It is possible for two independent people to co-occupy a domain name in a friendly fashion. The index page can be a landing page which offers links to FirstNameLastName - Indy and FirstNameLastName - Topeka (f'rinstance), and then full sites could be posted there.
posted by megatherium at 1:58 PM on April 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by megatherium at 1:58 PM on April 26, 2013 [1 favorite]
Hello, person who also suffers with unusual name like I do. Can you throw a middle initial in that unusual name? firstname J lastname.com? Even firstname-lastname.com?
Don't be embarrased by "swiping" it when the registration expires. Hey, it's your name too, right? Your name isn't Sedo Parking by any chance, is it?
Personally, I'm lucky enough to be able to get both firstnamelastname.com and firstnamemiddleinitiallastname.com. All the grade school hazing finally pays off! Fuck you Steve Austin!
posted by Sphinx at 7:01 PM on April 26, 2013
Don't be embarrased by "swiping" it when the registration expires. Hey, it's your name too, right? Your name isn't Sedo Parking by any chance, is it?
Personally, I'm lucky enough to be able to get both firstnamelastname.com and firstnamemiddleinitiallastname.com. All the grade school hazing finally pays off! Fuck you Steve Austin!
posted by Sphinx at 7:01 PM on April 26, 2013
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"Hi, I saw you own but don't seem to be using the domain firstnamelastname.com. Is it for sale? I'd like to buy it."
Or fax, or even mail.
I've been approached several times for various names, and I've either accepted or turned them down politely (I was using the seemingly abandoned domain and continue to do so).
Once you get to the actual yes, use an escrow service associated with one of the larger domain services (I think I used godaddy back in the day) and negotiated for a final rate of whatever it was (in other words, the purchaser paid enough to get me the amount I wanted and he covered the transfer and costs of escrow etc).
posted by tilde at 12:10 PM on April 26, 2013