For Sale Defensive Snaps/Regs...

[Nexus]

Has anyone else had to do "defensive" snaps/regs on certain names, just to ensure that the REAL domain name you want isn't hijacked while you wait for it to drop? It strikes me as a bit exotic, but this is the second time I've had to do it in the last couple of months. The names don't stink, but they're a bit out of my way sometimes.

Ok, I'm hesitant to go into detail, but I'll try as most people will have absolutely NO CLUE what I'm talking about.

Here's the scenario:
1.) You have found a domain name that is soon to expire or expired. You like the name. Let's call the name: "COOLNAME.COM", and it will expire in 1 month.
2.) Many good names are "snapped" very early in advance, so some forethought is important. Is the name really going to drop? Typing it into the browser reveals that "COOLNAME.com" is already NOT resolving to a website (ok, this is promising). Using the whois record, maybe checking the website of the admin contact will tell you if it is a corporation or small business, or if they are even around any more. These bits of info may help in determining if they are really letting the name drop, or if it is a big company with an oversight that may be corrected soon. Let's say the website of the admin contact is: "[email protected]"
3.) You find that the website of the admin e-mail (WEBADMIN.com) is down. Not a big deal, as not every domain name has a website up at it.
4.) With no website, you will need to look further. The whois of WEBADMIN.com may give you a company name to check or another website to scout out.
5.) Uh, oh. The admin contact website (WEBADMIN.com) is not even registered anymore! You can still research the identity of the owner more through Google or Archive.org maybe, but you have a very real problem right now. While you may be looking to register COOLNAME.com through a snap in a couple of months, someone else may in the meantime register WEBADMIN.com. This may not be a big deal, but considering the rampant nature of domain hijacking these days, that person may have registered WEBADMIN.com, and suddenly... suddenly COOLNAME.com may get transferred before it expires (hijacked by the new owner of WEBADMIN.com), and you will be out of COOLNAME.com. You may start your complaints, but more than likely, you will simply be out of luck.
6.) You put a snap on COOLNAME.com anyway, but you are current "exposed", as the current admin e-mail domain is sitting out there as a security hole waiting to happen.
7.) You register/snap the admin e-mail domain name (WEBADMIN.com), while you wait for COOLNAME.COM to drop. By doing so, you avert the possibility of having the name you are waiting for "hijacked", and can wait for the "drop" with perhaps an increased feeling that it will actually drop.

Again, it may be an exotic procedure, but I've seen strange things in the last year. For the most part, people don't talk about it, and when they do, things seem quickly quieted up and I'm left wondering how often these things happen uncontested. I don't snap many names on a regular basis, so when things "go bad", it can be more of an upset for my plans (than it may be with the average domainer).

Network Solutions had a serious problem for a while, as people would "forge" e-mail transfer requests in "stealing" people's names (they began adamantly requesting that people use different authentication methods than their insecure "MAILFROM" method). These days NetSol has transitioned away from their old architecture, though other registrar transfers are handled only slightly more securely, with security issues will always remaining in the balance between "ease" and "safety".

I worry.

~ Nexus

 

[timechange.com]

I personally have seen a lot of domains dropping because the newly implemented NetSol system can easily lock a lot of admins etc out of their accounts with no easy way to recover their passwords.

At least, I am hoping that's what will happen to the domains I've snapped

 

[play]

It happens

Don't know how often but it happens

on a side note:

I once tried to let "greatdomains" know about a domain for sale that did not have a current email; and they just informed the owner to the greatdomains provided email to make the change and renew...

If I would kept shut I most probably would have gotten the name at droptime.

Lesson

Watch your steps..

 

[adoptabledomains]

Sounds like a lot of reseach and some luck in timing. It would also depend on whether the registrar has a user friendlly lost password request to get the second name before it expires. Sounds pretty remote to me.

 

[clemzonguy]

I know of several domains where this senario happened. It's quite a temptation to go into the account and simply initiate a transer. But it's better to at least block someone else from doing it and hope for the best with a snap.

 

[tonyk2000]

I'm watching a domain expiring in December 2003... did not snap it yet. Exactly this case. I already registered webadmin.com from its administrative contact email just to ensure nobody else will do so.

Oh if I could allow myself to break the rules and transfer it .. but I cannot ;-()

 

[cshel]

Originally posted by tonyk2000
Oh if I could allow myself to break the rules and transfer it .. but I cannot ;-()

Sometimes, it sucks to be honest! There's a domain I want, and the entity doesn't appear to exist anymore, but the bastards have the domain registered until 2011. I don't wanna wait til 2011 But what can you do if you don't wanna become a dirty hijacker?

Carolyn

 

[Nexus]

Originally posted by cshel
I don't wanna wait til 2011 But what can you do if you don't wanna become a dirty hijacker?
Carolyn

Unforetunately, SOL Truth is, sometimes the original owner may still very *much* want their domain name, but they've intentionally or inadvertantly cut themselves off "virtually" from being contacted (esp. if they've regged the name for 10 years, they may feel esp. aloof about updating their info). I've talked to these people before. Gives one a false impression of disinterest.

Actually, if their contact information is no longer valid, you may report them, maybe you'll be the recipient of an unexpected drop while providing a public service... just have your Snap ready. :laugh:
http://reports.internic.net/cgi/rpt_whois/rpt.cgi

~ Nexus

 

[Sticks]

rent a hacker they will help you out

 

[Nexus]

Originally posted by Sticks
rent a hacker they will help you out

Yeah, out of a name, no doubt... :laugh:

~ Nexus

 

[cshel]

Actually, I think I could con the registrar into resetting the account password for me... but then there's that whole it's not nice to steal other people's domains thing.

As for a hacker... who needs a hacker? I'm pretty crafty on my own.

Carolyn

 

[Nexus]

Originally posted by cshel
Actually, I think I could con the registrar into resetting the account password for me... but then there's that whole it's not nice to steal other people's domains thing.

Yeah, I'm only joking about the pseudo-ethical approach. Best not to joke about the other alternatives, down that road lies the madness of self-justification that cloaks criminal intent... I'm still watching an expired name who's contact information was all mysteriously changed, yet it was not renewed. More people are watching than one might think.

~ Nexus