What happens now? Cancelled domain name because of invalid whois

[iBizStart]

I found a domain I liked and wanted to contact the owner

The whois revealed that the domain had been "cancelled" because of invalid whois info

It's registered at godaddy. They said it's basically going through the regular process of eventually dropping. Anyway for me to avoid that and buy the domain name? I guess I could find out who the owner is through previous whois history and contact him?

 

[hugegrowth]

Try DomainTools.com to find previous owner information.

They may still be able to reclaim the domain through their account.

If you wait you may have to compete for it when it drops.

 

[iBizStart]

Either way sounds like it would be expensive unless the owner doesn't know its value and decides to sell cheap

 

[atomic]

I believe the registrant will have a chance to update the whois and pay GoDaddy a fee. Otherwise, the domain will be auctioned via GoDaddy "Used Domains" before it drops all the way through.

 

[Theo]

GoDaddy will hold onto it for a while, then hopefully it will drop.

 

[iBizStart]

Anyone have a premium domaintools account to help me track down the owner?

 

[BiggieBiggie is verified member.]

Either way sounds like it would be expensive unless the owner doesn't know its value and decides to sell cheap

frickin dilemma to be in ain't it


do you "wake them up" by contacting them....


or do you let them sleep, and hope the domain falls thru the cracks?


cue the Jeopardy tune

 

[Theo]

Anyone have a premium domaintools account to help me track down the owner?

PM me.

 

[iBizStart]

Just googled the previous owner, it looks like he passed away

 

[atomic]

Just googled the previous owner, it looks like he passed away

Well, the domain will be auctioned at Godaddy as a used domain aka "Value Priced Domains." You should be able to snatch it up there. Most people search expiring auction, etc. not too many search the value price domains, so hopefully it slips through the cracks.

 

[iBizStart]

Would it be wrong to contact the family?

 

[atomic]

Most likely they would know nothing about a domain name, or would not know how to log into his accounts, transfer the domain, or nothing. So maybe a dead end.

 

[katherine]

Would it be wrong to contact the family?

If the stakes justify it, with a tactful approach, and provided they are not just coming back from the funerals to be greeted by a "vulture" salivating at their front door, some kind of monetary offer for a hidden asset would not be out of place.
However, things could be complicated if they have no way of accessing the admin E-mail or the registrar account. And if the domain has entered redemption status, there will be an additional fee to be paid.

At some point the domain might make it to the expired auctions, where you have a chance to snag that domain.

 

[JohnnJohnn is verified member.]

Just wait and let it drop or catch it at the auction. There is no sense to contact the family.
If I die tonight, no one in my family would know what is going on with my names (I prefer that way) as I have in my will to distribute all the names to DNF members (at least they know how to sell them later)

 

[atomic]

How about this. How about save a search at GD auctions containing the keyword (exact match) , domain extention, all auction types, domain age, etc. and add a daily report. That way you will know whenever the domain is up for auction.

As it will go through Value Priced Domains first and you can look there now, there is not one bid on a name there.

 

[Onward]

Usually a domain is 'cancelled' this way due to someone trying to contact the owner and not being able to reach them by the phone number listed in the whois. Then the person who is trying to contact the rightful owner rats them out to godaddy and godaddy puts a hold on the name in that owners account after trying the phone number. What the rat does not understand usually is that the name just gets put on hold until it then drops or the owner responds.

This happened to me with a name I transferred into godaddy..the phone number got screwed up in the transfer and evidently someone tried to contact me and it was a bad number. The person then contacted godaddy and my domain was put on hold. I did not even realize my domain was on hold until had sold it and was trying to transfer the domain to the new buyer....I contacted my premium account rep who filled me on that there was a rat. It took about 2 weeks to get it cleared up, but it did by me just correcting the phone info in the whois - there was no charge.

With the guy being dead - the invalid whois makes it all the more difficult in dealing with the next of kin...it is hard enough explaining the process as is...but now you also have to explain how to get the domain back in a valid state. You will need a really motivated next of kin to give a sh#!% about this and follow through. Frankly - I would just let it drop if I felt I could get it under $500...the hassle to get the domain otherwise may be more than $500 hassle.

 

[angel69]

There's a pathetic scene in 'The Verdict', a famous movie, where a down and out lawyer resorted to attending funerals (hopefully where no one realized he was not even an acquaintance of the deceased) handing out his lawyer cards hoping to get new clients, this isn't funny and it's not the case in this thread but it started me thinking.... most domainers are on the younger side, some are young millennials and would not normally consider potential estate planning to include valuable domains when it should. If a wealthy domainer passed away and he had made no provisions to what should happen to his domains, and if other domainers found out about this, well, who knows what someone could think of to take advantage... :-(