I'm hoping somebody here can give me some pointers:

There's a domain name I've been lusting after for many years. It was registered in 1998 for 10 years by a company that went bankrupt about 2 years ago. The domain has been fallow ever since, but the registration still has a little under a year.

I've tried contacting the owners of the domain name using the whois record by both telephone and email. The phone number is disconnected and email is returned as undeliverable.

I understand that registration can be invalidated based on bad contact information, but I don't know what that process involves... and I worry that if the domain is released, it will be automatically grabbed by a link farm or carpet-bagger and my cost of acquisition will go way up.

Does anyone have any experience picking up a domain name in similar circumstance? Or any general advice?

Thanks,
Rhett

find out who is handling the bankruptcy, and contact them

I think I may have missed the boat on the one. This was a pretty small company and it went defunct over a year ago.

That's worth a try, though. If I were to pursue that channel, do you know how I might find out who handled that for them?

Your best bet is to use back ordering services like snapnames.com and pool.com. If it's a good name, there will be other people after it as well. So don't get your hopes up too high. :)

There's a domain name I've been lusting after for many years. It was registered in 1998 for 10 years by a company that went bankrupt about 2 years ago. The domain has been fallow ever since, but the registration still has a little under a year.
If I were you, I would wait it out, esp. when it's only months away, and not to alert *anyone* of this domain.

A backorder on a good name will not likely pan out. If others are interested (especially those damn link farms), the auction can go pretty high...thousands.
If you can get to the owner, executor or what have you of the bankruptcy, that's your best bet. Start with the local hall of records to dig up all you can on the bankruptcy. You could also try the yellow pages for local lawyers specializing in those cases, but it might not be something they could divulge, though they might be able to tell you who has control.
Get creative, and you may get lucky.

The domain is registered at which registrar?

Is the email address a hotmail/yahoo type account, an ISP account or a domain-name? If a business domain name is the domain still valid? Who owns it?

Is the street address still valid? Is it a home or business address? I a business address & they were renting, the landlord might have some info.

If I were you, I would wait it out, esp. when it's only months away, and not to alert *anyone* of this domain.

I think I may end up waiting it out, I'm just so eager to get my hands on it. I'm trying to keep a tight lid on the name, too. There are a lot of unscrupulous players out there, especially when it comes to domains.

Your best bet is to use back ordering services like snapnames.com and pool.com. If it's a good name, there will be other people after it as well. So don't get your hopes up too high. :)

I do have a backorder in on at least one service. I wonder if there would be anything to gain by buying a backorder from more than one provider...

The domain is registered at which registrar?

The domain is registered at Network Solutions (back when NetSol still had uber-dominant market share).

Is the email address a hotmail/yahoo type account, an ISP account or a domain-name? If a business domain name is the domain still valid? Who owns it?

Is the street address still valid? Is it a home or business address? I a business address & they were renting, the landlord might have some info.

The domain name of the email addresses on file is not a free one, but a separate domain that has decayed over time into a link farm. I don't know much about the physical address on file, but that probably is the hottest lead I have in tracking down the former owner.

Thanks for the tip, I'll see what I can find out.

The domain name of the email addresses on file is not a free one, but a separate domain that has decayed over time into a link farm.
That's unfortunate. If the link farm owner accepts mail to that address, any queries to renew or fix the incorrect whois could result in them taking it over without a struggle.
As you said, street address is your only hope here, and it's a long shot.

I do have a backorder in on at least one service. I wonder if there would be anything to gain by buying a backorder from more than one provider...

The domain is registered at Network Solutions (back when NetSol still had uber-dominant market share).
If you really want the domain, go with Snapnames (which should take care of what dropped off Network Solutions), AND as a precaution, a couple of others like eNom or even GoDaddy. HOWEVER, I would place the backorders a bit late, closer to the expiry, if you know what I mean. I usually wait till the last few hours. But then that's only for some really low profile names. Good luck.

Agreed. If it is registered with Network $olutions, SnapNames will probably manage to snap it, however as bear said, they will not register it for you right away. They will put it in auction.

On the other hand, back order service will register it for you, if they will be able to get the name (correct me if I'm wrong).

Thanks all for the help and suggestions.

I was able to find only one public record related to the bankruptcy online (the localities involved seem to still be in the stone age), but it did give me the name of an attorney who helped them with at least one part of their case. I'll see if I can get in touch with him today.

Aside from that, I was able to find out that the physical location was a leased suite in a commercial property that's still in operation today, but I've been having trouble discovering the owners (again, the municipalities are behind the times).

I was able to find one ownership record for a co-owner, but no contact information, and none that I could easily scour online. I'll keep digging and see where that goes.

If the link farm owner accepts mail to that address, any queries to renew or fix the incorrect whois could result in them taking it over without a struggle.

:eek2: Yikes, I didn't even consider that. The domain of their email address seemed like a local ISP (and probably was at one point) so I didn't bother to check it before attempting contact.

The emails bounced, which is probably good news, but I'll definitely take precaution in the future.

I second this opinion!

Few months ago I was interested in a very good domain name for my online recipe website but the .com version was booked by someone who was not even using it.

I was just too much tempted and contacted the owner of the domain name.

It was NOT that great a domain cause it has a simple URDU, Hindi word which means "taste" in English. ( Domain : lazzat.com )

The owner didnt answer for weeks and then he asked if I was interested in buying that domain name for $125,000

It was fool of me to alert him!!!If I were you, I would wait it out, esp. when it's only months away, and not to alert *anyone* of this domain.

There is a domain I want that expires in August.

I read a thread stating I should backorder with Snap in order to catch it.

I think it's unlikely that it will be auctioned if it drops, hope the firm in Hong Kong who own it let it go.

Ash

If that firm in HK is the well known cybersquatter, UltSearch, there is little chance of them dropping the name.

If that firm in HK is the well known cybersquatter, UltSearch, there is little chance of them dropping the name.

It's not them but they are domain squatters.

I presume they will evaluate the value of all the names and the revenue they have made. Hopefully this domain will drop but maybe not.

I'm not sure if it's worth trying to develop the .net, I was always told you should get .com because it's what people will presume to type in.

Ash

Most cybersquatters don't evaluate their domains based upon the parking revenue they get, so don't bank on it dropping any time soon.

Developing the .net is an option, but it's likely to make the .com more valuable. So don't plan on buying the .com cheap when your .net takes off.

Good luck. I have been after a domain name for years that had defunct WHOIS information for at least two of those years. I tried contacting the owner via the WHOIS information by email, phone, snail mail, etc. The email and phone number were defunct and I never got a reply to my snail mail. I scoured the internet for alternate contact information and exhausted all such avenues. I have had the domain name back ordered via every possible place.

Unfortunately the domain name expired, was put into redemption, and then Network Solutions kept it and renewed it for ten years. It looks like I am SOL. I even tried WDRP during the two years the domain name had incorrect contact information. No luck.

Most cybersquatters don't evaluate their domains based upon the parking revenue they get, so don't bank on it dropping any time soon.

Developing the .net is an option, but it's likely to make the .com more valuable. So don't plan on buying the .com cheap when your .net takes off.

I thought that might happen.

I might have to change my approach.

Ash

Unfortunately the domain name expired, was put into redemption, and then Network Solutions kept it and renewed it for ten years.
Like I said, if the domain was with Network Solutions, you could have easily "snapped" it with Snapnames, which has an agreement with them. I've acquired quite a few low profile domains that way for $60; no competitions, no auctions.