I recently used a major registrar, 1and1.com, netsol.com or something like that to search availability for typos similar to my primary domain. I was going to purchase any close typos and have them forwarded to my main site. One day I searched for a few such terms didn't directly purchase the domain(s) immediately. After a few days the domain was registered to Capital Domains:

http://www.capdom.com/

I didn't tell anyone about my search and it seems highly unlikely that it was mere coincidence that someone snatched up the name exactly one day after my query. Now I'm very suspicious about which whois lookup somehow handed out the 'recently searched' terms.

Two questions:

Has anyone had this happen before?
Last but not least, what is a good private whois lookup that supports multiple comma separated searches at once and that isn't going to start auctioning off results to the next guy in line? I feel somewhat cheated. Not completely, as I didn't register the domain, but even still, it makes you wonder...

Thank you for your advice in advance as always.

Well, I had the same thing happen to me...

I wanted to get a nice Network of free sites... beginning with x10 so I purchased x10host.com, with hopes of getting th others later... one of the domains I searched then was x10blog.com which just happened to get snagged up a few days/weeks later... So I asked the owner of it and he wanted $xx,xxx.xx for it.. I was thinking, its not worth that so I got x10blogs.com (I liked the s on the end more anyways :D)...

Long story short, Dont Sit on Your *** and let OPPURTUNITY PASS You by.. I learned the hard way and so have you my friend :D

I'm still trying to figure out what sites actually show domains that people haven't purchased, but didn't. Perhaps we're missing out on some great purchases? :)

Platinumm, who do you use as your whois lookup?

Namecheap.com - Enom.com (Excellent for giving recommendations :D) - Godaddy.com (Yuck, but I have used it before)

i've always used domains.yahoo.com without any problems.

I'm still trying to figure out what sites actually show domains that people haven't purchased, but didn't. Perhaps we're missing out on some great purchases? :)They "haven't purchased, but didn't"?

Hmmm... maybe your talking about deleted names, then a not so bad free one website is www.JustDropped.com

BTW... I think this happens to all of us. Just think about about how many times you've searched for a name and it was already taken. Then think about how many thousands of people are out there trying to find a good similar name. So... a name expires. You check it and it's available. Someone else checks it and they register it right away. I know... sometimes you want to sleep on some of these names or wait to see if you find a better one - but there's always someone else out there searching, too! ;)

I've found the FreeWho status checker to be very reliable and I've used it for years with no issues to what you're concerned about. The thing I like is that you can cut and paste up to 50 names and check them all at once. See: http://www.freewho.com/checker/

But I also agree with platinumn23 in that the eNom suggestion tool is pretty good. They license the technology from NameIntelligence ( www.whois.sc ) and you will notice that the suggestions often include recently dropped names. Only at eNom you can get up to 80 suggestions and over at whois.sc I think it's limited to 20.

Good Luck! ;)

Well, I had the same thing happen to me...

I wanted to get a nice Network of free sites... beginning with x10 so I purchased x10host.com, with hopes of getting th others later... one of the domains I searched then was x10blog.com which just happened to get snagged up a few days/weeks later... So I asked the owner of it and he wanted $xx,xxx.xx for it.. I was thinking, its not worth that so I got x10blogs.com (I liked the s on the end more anyways :D)...

Long story short, Dont Sit on Your *** and let OPPURTUNITY PASS You by.. I learned the hard way and so have you my friend :D

wow that sucks...

I recently used a major registrar, 1and1.com, netsol.com or something like that to search availability for typos similar to my primary domain. I was going to purchase any close typos and have them forwarded to my main site. One day I searched for a few such terms didn't directly purchase the domain(s) immediately. After a few days the domain was registered to Capital Domains:

http://www.capdom.com/

I didn't tell anyone about my search and it seems highly unlikely that it was mere coincidence that someone snatched up the name exactly one day after my query. Now I'm very suspicious about which whois lookup somehow handed out the 'recently searched' terms.


i think this is very possible, im pretty sure that some of those companies, have some sort of log that keeps track of what we search thu their networks. if they notice a name being hot, they probably sell the information to one of these funny companies that later on try to sell the name for $100's of dollars once they get it. :uzi:

Yep, I know what you mean. I had two domain names in mind and decided not to get it yet. I used Network Solutions whois to search for the two domains. Both are available. About a week later, one of my domains I wanted was taken. And as soon as I searched for the taken domain name, one of the recommendations made by Network Solutions was my other wanted domain name! It seems as if it throws out recommendations based on previous user searches.

Here's an interesting part and I still don't understand it. The domain name that I wanted was taken. About 2 weeks later, I decide to just check it again, and this time it was available. Strange. Of course, I registered it then.

Perhaps Netsol is the culprit. Anyways, see if we use their whois again huh? :P

Network Solutions, GoDaddy or even eNom is fine. They are just too busy (TONS of searches per second) for ANYONE to even filter-browse the loooooong list. If you ask me, that is very likely coincidence.

Network Solutions, GoDaddy or even eNom is fine. They are just too busy (TONS of searches per second) for ANYONE to even filter-browse the loooooong list. If you ask me, that is very likely coincidence.



Bingo......nameslave gets the cookie

it happens, your not alone. sad how people would do it to silly domains like habbotrades.com

I think godaddy saves the searches, I have seen a few names I search got taken the next day

I once searched for a domain name in netsol and started the registration process.
I forgot what got my attention, but it distracted me from completing it and I never
got around to doing so.

A few days later, I got an email from them saying the name I was going to register
is still available. It still is last, I checked.

So registrars can and do mine data. What they'll do with it is at their discretion.

Network Solutions, GoDaddy or even eNom is fine. They are just too busy (TONS of searches per second) for ANYONE to even filter-browse the loooooong list. If you ask me, that is very likely coincidence.

There are millions of domains each day being registered only for the purpose of domain tasting. It is completely in the realm of possibility that domains you search for are picked up randomly through the domain tasting process.

-Tom

I have heard of people losing domains after they ran a WHOIS at NetSol and a few others. I've never had that problem with eNom or our own private WHOIS script that we run on one of our servers.

--Tina

I once searched for a domain name in netsol and started the registration process ... So registrars can and do mine data. What they'll do with it is at their discretion.
I guess it's more with an incomplete shopping cart session that they are tracking.

I have heard of people losing domains after they ran a WHOIS at NetSol ... I've never had that problem with eNom
Perhaps that's because people using NetSol are mostly amateurs who don't actually know how things work, while those using eNom are "insiders" (kind of).

actually, you can search just by typing the domain right in your browser addy bar...

yesterday I had a bunch of domain names that I researched 10 minutes before hand and found they were available. When I looked up the same name at 1&1 the name was taken, sure enough I went to the other register to conform and it was. This happened with about 10 names. go figure?

There is no doubt some sneaky nonsense going on under the table. I think the lesson we've all learned is to stay away from the big boys that have ever wish to sell more domains instead of keeping your requests private. Thank God we weren't trying to buy ebay.com, google.com or the like eh? Think of the would-be tragedy! :)

--

Had the same thing happen last August when I wanted to register iloveikea.com A few days later someone registered it. Now I did talk to someone on MSN about it but I know 100% he didnt register it or tell anyone else about the name. For a long time after that I was all paranoid that I had a keylogger or a trojan on my computer but didnt find anything.

actually, you can search just by typing the domain right in your browser addy bar...

The only thing that's going to do is tell you if someone has a website or not. I have dozens of domains that are registered to me, but have no website or 'parked' page.

--Tina

actually, you can search just by typing the domain right in your browser addy bar...
Sorry, but that is exactly what you should NOT do.

Sorry, but that is exactly what you should NOT do.

care to enlighten us all?

I do not know which registrars to trust for searches. I have seen a few I searched on godaddy get picked up the next day

well, if youre going to tell them what your seaching for by using registrar searches, then you'll have to:
have your names ready and ranked
search briefly
buy immediately
:)

I've had the exact same situation with a domain name before - typed it into the search with a popular registrar, it was available and had never before been registered.

A day later, I decided to move on it and couldn't believe my bad luck that it was suddenly taken. I learned a valuable lesson - if it's available and you want it, GET IT!

Another thing to watch out for is allowing a domain you care about to expire. Even if you know the exact time it will become available again, there is every chance that one of the large squatting companies will snap it up from underneath you and fill it with worthless advertising. Or offer to sell it back to you for £50,000 (no exaggeration).

Sorry, but that is exactly what you should NOT do.

Care to enlighten us about this, nameslave?

I think nameslave's probably alluding to domain tasting....

interesting

well, i feel so left out not c & p'ing here that i shall, too, become an armchair expert and paste only what supports my view...heh heh

domain tasting

“The trick is to sign up for millions of domain names; set up pages and run ads on them; after 1 day delete domains that have no traffic; after 3 days delete names that have some traffic; after 5 days delete pages with marginal traffic; keep the 1% of pages that have enough traffic to be worth keeping the domain. Because of the refund policy, the 99% of pages deleted before the 5 day grace period are refunded in full and the “monetiser” gets to keep the ad revenue generated over those 5 days. (This is called “domain tasting”.)”


i think we've found one of the problems...

i sometimes have my son copy part of a paragraph then try to find the source on the web...it's a fun little game especially when he finds it...he yells "lamer!"...then shows me where they conveniently snipped out text not supporting their view :)

I think nameslave's probably alluding to domain tasting....
Not exactly though. Typing the domain in the browser's address bar does NOT tell whether a name is registered or not AT ALL. The only way to tell is to do a whois search. If you are so suspicious of any or all registrar, run it at the registries instead.

Typing the domain in the browser's address bar does NOT tell whether a name is registered or not AT ALL.

never said it did

ok nameslave...thanks for the insight

you are trooly a guru

I never type the domain name into the browser's address bar just because I figure it clicks the owner's traffic counters one more time. That may sound silly, but when you're trying to buy (or sell) a domain, the amount of type-in traffic is a factor in the price.