CricketMX.com

That's right. If you or your company ever wants to be held hostage just let the domain expire.

Three years ago I put togeather a website for a tree removal service called crocker tree and at the time they purchsed it from godaddy for around $30 for 3 years (I'm guessing). Well something happened to their computer I'm assuming since they have told me that they no longer have access to one, and their domain expired back in March, well from my experience with godaddy and letting domains expire you have 7 days after expiration to buy it back and I think they even charge you an activation fee of around $80. Well they let it expire and another company bought it. Here's the email conversation me and this company had, keep in mind 3 years ago, $9.95 for a year...

Hello,

Thank you for your email. I would be happy to transfer the domain to
you for US$5000

If this arrangement is acceptable we can use
Sedo.com to transfer the domain and escrow the funds.

Regards,

David



-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Fwd: Domain Registration Services - Above.com Domain Parking
Manager Contact Form
Date: Mon, 17 May 2010 15:23:25 +1000
From: Above Hostmaster <hostmaster@above.com>
To: 'hostmaster@transureent.com' <hostmaster@transureent.com>

Email forwarding service:

You have received email.

Above Support

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Domain Registration Services - Above.com Domain Parking Manager
Contact Form
Date: Fri, 14 May 2010 07:14:50 +1000
From: Michael Foley <korn33@gmail.com>
Reply-To: korn33@gmail.com
To: hostmaster@above.com

FORM URL: http://www.above.com/contact.html
Name: Michael Foley
Email: korn33@gmail.com
Username: N/A
Enquiry: I have a customer who had previously allowed the domain
"crockertree.com" expire, and would like to purchase this domain back,
first how is this possible, and secondly what costs would be involved.
Domain Name: http://www.crockertree.com
IP Address: 66.119.100.117

For 5000 dollars I think I'd prefer to buy a couple of hundred new domains and therefore get my business name around a bit more.

I haven't called these people, I've gone above and beyond for these red necks, I only agreed to put their site together, not to be their babysitter, but I'll laugh if they actually want to pay these dopes $5,000 for the name, what's funny is that .org, .net, .info, and so fourth are also available, i wouldn't be surprised if this company just for emailing them about the domain if they turned around and wiped them out...perhaps i'm in the wrong business...

You could buy those yourself and sell them to your "red necks" for a much smaller, but still modest, profit.
Does that make me a ferengi?

Rat wrote:You could buy those yourself and sell them to your "red necks" for a much smaller, but still modest, profit.
Does that make me a ferengi?

I think we can negotiate...

Well never really thought of it in that way, since that's exactly what this company is doing, just a bit more aggressive... I could perhaps do that with other names and could poitentially make a bit of money on the side...

Now as for the $5000 if I added say $500 to the price that is 10% plus they also offered to pay for my services, I suppose that's how people and companies get rich, this sort of stuff really isn't in my blood, I'm too honest, which can get you into trouble...Along with making promises you either can't or do want to keep, although you don't have to, but you just make a big jackass out of yourself by doing so...

Well something to take into consideration at any rate..

I actually meant the other, still available, addresses.... info org net etc.

I know. I didn't clarify that in the post. I could buy those as well...but then again if they were to buy it I could see adding $500 to the price...seriously if they're dumb enough to spend that kind of money, after all hard to tell if this company is even legit...

The sad thing is, now that they know there is interest, they will probably hold onto the domain. If you hadn't noticed, and not contacted them, they would have dropped it after the first year or sooner. (I think "sooner" doesn't happen anymore. If I recall, the practice of "domain tasting" has been made more expensive)

If the domain does not receive much traffic and they don't expect you to buy it, they will release it.

On the other hand, the $5000 is only the first stage of negotiating. Offer them $30. The final price will be around $200-$800, depending on how interested they think you are.

Without pausing to look up the facts, I suggest your other option is to contact ICANN and dispute their ownership of this domain, as it violates your client's trademark. This will cost you $1500 to have your case examined. *

*Where "you" == "your partnership with the people that care about the domain"

The best option is to get a new domain for now and pick this one up in a year or so when it is released. Then, keep both active as long as you like.

domain ownership is a profit game I do it all the time.
they better buy up all the others .org, .net. Etc. Before I do lol

Well I'm just a bystander and honestly I don't care if they ever have a website again, they paid me to build a website years ago, I don't any part in being a webmaster again, biggest pain in the ass end to end...

These people should have kept their computer and check their email regularly and they would have not been in this situation,

i buy em tune...