Whois search stealing my domain names!!!!!

At first glance my thoughts were godaddy has stolen my domain name!! It went from free to taken in no time flat!!!!!!

After some back tracking and research it appears that domaintools.com is the culprit!

Yesterday I was brainstorming with a client for domains. I did a whoissearch at domaintools.com the name was available. Short two word domain name descriptive of the service my client offers. DomainName.com After my whois search at http://www.whois.sc I mention the name to my client who says YESS lets go with that one. I go to godaddy to double check. Its still availible. 5mins later when I get ready to checkout my domain name is taken!!!!!!

So I whois the domain name :

Registrant:
MetaPredict
87 East Green Street
Suite 305
Pasadena, California 91105
United States

Domain Name: domainname.com
Created on: 2007-10-28 13:03:34
Expires on: 2008-10-28 13:03:34

Administrative Contact:
Administrator, Domain Whois Privacy and Spam Prevention by DomainTools.com
MetaPredict
87 East Green Street
Suite 305
Pasadena, California 91105
United States
(626) 796-1004 Fax -- (626) 744-7749


They registered my domain name at 1:03!!!!!!! I only mentioned the domain name to my client at 1:04 (according to my Yahoo Instant Message time stamp)

After doing a google search I found some article where others have had the same experience. Seems that whois search information of unregistered domains are sold to other companies!!!!

The ICANN Wiki explains "domain kiting" or "domain tasting":

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View Article here:
http://pocketseo.com/domains/7

WHAT TO DO IF THIS HAPPENS TO YOU!!!! (some person posted wise info)

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Makes sense if you visit the site and click once and they earn .50 cents it makes sense for them to keep the domain name. The same average per year would earn them $25 about 5times investment 500% profits!!

This company is buying hundreds of thousands of domains per day!!!
View Here:

http://www.webhosting.info/registrars/reports/METAPREDICT.COM


Note: I have replaced actual domain with domainname.com in hopes it will be thrown back in the pool after 5days.

Have you had a similar experience? What are your thoughts about the 5 day grace period?

 

I haven't had this experience, and I think it sucks

I heard about godaddy doing it, and namecheap doing it, and when all these companies start doing it, it really sucks that they steal on our good ideas

of course, make sure you're positive about regging a domain, and you should do it asap

 

lol this has happend about 4-5 times with me earlier

 

webbiz123, im sorry to discover that this happend to you and thank you for posting about this in detail.

I found out a while ago about what godaddy does, but i didn't fully understand what it was that they do and of course some others are doing.

Thanks for providing the information that you found on the best thing to do when this has happend.
Im sure this will be handy for many people.

I will be as careful as i can when searching for and registering domains.

 

See this related news: ICANN probe insider domain name snatching probe

"ICANN’s Security and Stability Advisory Committee is “investigating suspicions that insider information is being used to snatch desired domain names before an individual or business can register them.” The practice is referred to as “domain name front running” and likened to a stock broker buying or selling shares ahead of a client’s trade, in anticipation of a movement in price.

Suspicions have been aroused where a potential registrant checks the availability of a domain name, but when they return to buy the domain name, it has gone. So do people have access to search requests whereby they gauge interest in a domain name. Potentially they can then attempt to sell the domain name to the party who was originally interested in registering the domain name."

Complete article:

http://www.domainnews.com/icann/2007102723/icann-probe-insider-domain-name-snatching-probe/

 

Thanks for the info and link GoodPoints.

 

Don't use these companies to check for domains! Use your URL field in your browser!

No server found? Then domain is free and nobody knows you want it.

 

And if you saw a site, liked it, then decided to create something similar that's
not using one bit of their code, would you appreciate someone accussing you
of "stealing their good idea"? There's a saying that goes something like "ideas
are a dime a dozen."

If you don't want anyone stealing your ideas, then don't present it until you're
fully prepared to take the risks.

Unfortunately a few ISPs sell that data.

 

You're welcome pipe.

 

Domaintools.com even admitted there are ways that stealing can happen even if using their service. Maybe it's possible for a spyware on your computer to steal your queries or even DNS queries at your own ISP. I guess the only way to prevent domain spying is to raise enough fund before registering.

 

you could send threatening messages to the new owner you won't solve anything... but you'll probably show him what means being a pain in the arse.

 

I had lost a domain which was unregistered but had alexa ranking less than 10 lakh, just thought I would register in the morning, the domain was gone!!

 

Why would your ISP have search queries of each of its customers?

 

Yeah, and the new owner can just ignore it and move on.

Not WHOIS search queries, but rather the DNS data. Years ago, very few sell
their DNS cache data to tasters see what domain names are typed frequently
on their users' browsers.

However, I'll admit this is insider info I got. Ask your ISP to be sure.

 

You might want to read this article "ICANN to investigate domain name search theft" and this one "Beware of whois monitoring - use Domain All in one"

 

Thanks webbiz123 and others for posting about this.

I had this happen to me just recently and thought I must be going nuts. One minute the domain is available, the next I go to buy it and it's gone. Then I realized what must have happened.

I have been very wary of looking at domain registrations ever since.

Thanks for the good info about this - I am glad to know that there's a chance of getting the domain back later if I am patient (and using Domain All In One Tool of avoiding them taking my domain names is even better ).

Fuze

 

this has happened to me a couple times. Just over the summer, I found a great 2 word domain name just like you, and when I visited it the day later to buy it, it was not only taken but listed as a "premium domain" for $1700. I just sat there with a big expression on my face.

 

this has happened to me a couple times. it is very bad and we have to do something agenst this company

 

there is a simple solution to this

brainstorm on paper

when you enter them on the computer is when you buy them

I would never do it any other way

 

The only whois server I use is http://whois.sc . As far as I'm concerned, it gives great results and I've gotton dozens of domains using its whois service without getting any hijacked. Experienced webmasters will recognise that site and back this claim.