Domain name dispute. How do I respond to this mail?

Discussion in 'Legal Issues' started by theredgiant, Feb 2, 2010.

  1. #1
    I own a domain name, let's call it XXXX.com for now.

    Today I received this mail:

    The domain name is registered to my name for 2 years 3 months to be exact, and there is a site running on it. The name doesn't infringe any copyright - nobody has trademarked that name. There is no organization registered with that name. My site is the only one that comes up when you google that name.

    I haven't replied to them yet. How do I respond? and what steps do I take so that they can't force me to give up my domain? I'm worried.

    Please help.
     
    theredgiant, Feb 2, 2010 IP
  2. browntwn

    browntwn Illustrious Member

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    #2
    ignore it, it is spam. They are not trying to take you domain, they are trying to scare you into buying more extensions to your name.
     
    browntwn, Feb 2, 2010 IP
  3. theredgiant

    theredgiant Well-Known Member

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    #3
    Are you sure? www.qp-world.org.cn is an actual organization and the mail seems to have actually come from them
     
    theredgiant, Feb 2, 2010 IP
  4. stephen082

    stephen082 Active Member

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    #4
    You need not to worry about this mail or to respond to them. This is a scam operating (actually a promotion method of their domain registration services that looks like a scam) from China from past 2 years.
     
    stephen082, Feb 2, 2010 IP
  5. BlackIceCreations

    BlackIceCreations Peon

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    #5
    I had this before, some guy from a company that buys dropped domains that are similar/a match for the companies that are running and they try to offer you the domain after this email.

    I know for a fact that the seller had only just bought the domain at the reg fee as i had been watching the domain but am not looking to pay almost 100 times the reg fee as i have built the companies site on another domain.

    Although now i could look to trademark the name and take the domain from them due to the company being limited and of an age that is older than the domain that they have registered.

    Could be interesting to see if they hand the domain over....

    Ignore this mail that you have got and leave them to do what they please, they can't take your domain as you now has this as proof that they bought after you and that they are asking for your approval.
     
    BlackIceCreations, Feb 2, 2010 IP
  6. theredgiant

    theredgiant Well-Known Member

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    #6
    Thanks for the advices :)
     
    theredgiant, Feb 2, 2010 IP
  7. BlackIceCreations

    BlackIceCreations Peon

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    #7
    You got me thinking and i have tried my luck with obtaining the domain with a nicely worded email and the addition of my title as a director of the company.

    Although we are not trademarked as yet we were in the process of this being done and so i have told the person offering the domain that we would not be offering anything more than the reg fee that they paid for it.

    I'll let you know if they get back to me and if they are willing to reduce the $1000 asking price for it down to what they paid (more than likely $18.99 via the domain catcher format).
     
    BlackIceCreations, Feb 2, 2010 IP
  8. Soul Assassin

    Soul Assassin Active Member

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    #8
    yep..treat the mail as spam and the idea behind it as a scam.
     
    Soul Assassin, Feb 2, 2010 IP
  9. extraspecial

    extraspecial Member

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    #9
    Someone asked me to buy one of my domains which has expired that week but the domain was looking still mine if someone checks whois, however they told they can pay up to $2,000 and I agreed then they told me to list it as sale on sedo.com which costs about $30 and the domain was not an important domain so I understood that people are trying to make money from listings...
     
    extraspecial, Feb 2, 2010 IP
  10. Pixelrage

    Pixelrage Peon

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    #10
    At work, we've gotten this letter twice in the past 6 months. It's a scam, just like 99% of the correspondence that comes from that country.
     
    Pixelrage, Feb 2, 2010 IP
  11. -webmaster

    -webmaster Peon

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    #11
    Sounds like a scam.
     
    -webmaster, Feb 2, 2010 IP
  12. miscsoft

    miscsoft Peon

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    #12
    and dont click on any links.
     
    miscsoft, Feb 2, 2010 IP
  13. crazyblogger

    crazyblogger Active Member

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    #13
    Since you have not registered a domain name violating trademark I don't think you have to worry too much about it.
     
    crazyblogger, Feb 2, 2010 IP
  14. SmallPotatoes

    SmallPotatoes Peon

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    #14
    Definitely a scam. Been seeing these for years, always ignored them, nothing ever happened.
     
    SmallPotatoes, Feb 4, 2010 IP
  15. Pixelrage

    Pixelrage Peon

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    #15
    Another scam to watch out for are these "domain consultants" who contact you and tell you that they have a few domains pertaining to your business name, and they'll help you gain control of them. If you do a WHOIS on the domains they tell you about, you'll see that they're not registered at all, and that he's lying. What they try to do is get you to agree - then they'll register and re-sell the names to you for a profit. These are very special kinds of scumbags who prey on people who are not internet savvy.
     
    Pixelrage, Feb 5, 2010 IP
  16. xanth

    xanth Active Member

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    #16
    I've gotten tons of these. And in addition, if you want, I work for a company that sells something called "search engine optimization" which can get your search results at the top of search engines like Google and Yahoo...
     
    xanth, Feb 5, 2010 IP
  17. alfahwave

    alfahwave Greenhorn

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    #17
    scam. in some cases they just want to buy your domain from you. I think i might try this trick. lol
     
    alfahwave, Feb 5, 2010 IP
  18. FavouritesBlog

    FavouritesBlog Peon

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    #18
    Its another way to market domains to customers.

    Some class it as a scam, there are some that are scammy like. However some are just out there to make some money on domains
     
    FavouritesBlog, Feb 7, 2010 IP
  19. browntwn

    browntwn Illustrious Member

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    #19
    When they make up the fact that someone is interested in buying the domain to induce you to buy it first, not only is it a scam, it is illegal fraud.
     
    browntwn, Feb 7, 2010 IP
  20. vinko

    vinko Guest

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    #20
    I too just receive the same email [with my own domain].

    It is definitely a scam. Do not click on anything.
     
    vinko, May 19, 2010 IP