Home Blog Page 1293

Verisign Price Increase Takes Effect Tomorrow, July 1, 2010

Elliot Silver
-
3

I want to give you a friendly reminder that the Verisign price increase of 7% for .com domain names and 10% for .net domain names will go into effect tomorrow, July 1, 2010. I’ve known about it for a while but haven’t started taking any action until the last couple of days.

As a result of Verisign increasing the prices of domain registrations, commercial domain registrars will also have to increase the prices consumers pay for domains. I emailed several domain registrars to ask what the new prices will be and most were reluctant to provide those numbers, so unfortunately, I can’t give you more information on this, but you can figure it will be around 7% for .com domain names.

I’ve heard that one factor that plays a part in Google’s algorithm is the amount of time remaining on a domain name’s registration. Apparently, a website with a domain name that is registered for a longer period of time may rank higher than another similar website, with all things being equal. With the price increase about to happen, I’ve been extending the registration for several years on some of my key websites. Sure, it’s only a few dollars that I am saving, but I am going to have to pay the fee at some point, so why not now.

Some companies like Name.com are offering specials for domain transfers (the company is currently offering $6.99 domain transfers).   Additionally, the company is also offering $5.99 .COM & .NET registrations for today only when you purchase a domain name using the promo code “NEVERAGAIN.”

If you know of other special offers feel free to post them to let others know.

Wooot.com: UDRP Canceled Domain Now For Sale on NameJet

Elliot Silver
-
1

Wooot.comIn April, I wrote an article about the Wooot.com UDRP that was filed by the company behind the popular Woot.com website. Surprisingly to me, the UDRP panelist ruled in favor of the complainant, but instead of giving the domain name to Woot, it was canceled. By canceling the domain name, it would go through the expiration process and then become available for re-registration.

I just received my daily email from NameJet announcing the day’s 50 Most Active Pending Delete Backorders. On today’s list, I noticed Wooot.com listed. The domain name currently has 6 bids with a price of $69. Potential bidders must place their back orders for this domain name by July 1 in order to participate in the domain auction.

Of course any buyer should be aware of the previous UDRP filing and ruling. Woot doesn’t want someone else to own it, and they may take legal action in order to get it.

Just One Question for You…

Elliot Silver
-
0

I receive anywhere from 5-10 emails a day (and usually one phone call) that start out with a sentence like “I have just one question for you” or “I just need a minute of your time.” Before I know it, there’s an email string of 5 follow-up questions, and I’ve spent an hour answering additional questions and follow-ups. Without sugar coating things, I just don’t have the time to answer everyone.

If you’ve read my blog for more than a couple days you know a couple of things about me at the very least; Blogging isn’t my main business and neither is earning pay per click revenue from my domain names. I am constantly working on making deals to buy and sell domain names, writing articles for my websites (Lowell.com, Newburyport.com, DogWalker.com…etc), and speaking with advertisers and potential advertisers for my websites.

Today has been a fairly typical day for me. This morning I was working at 6:30 and probably won’t be finished for the day until midnight, although I do take generous breaks during the day when I need them. It’s not great for personal time, but I am building my business here. I don’t want or need any sympathy but am just being straight up.

As mentioned in the past, I no longer offer domain consulting services because I don’t have the time. There are quite a few competent (and certainly more than competent) domain consultants out there who are happy to answer your questions. I am still happy to provide advice, insight, and news analysis on my blog, but I don’t do individual consulting anymore.

Comments are closed.

Interesting Possible Domain Acquisition Scam Attempt

Elliot Silver
-
26

Yesterday morning, I received an email that was supposedly from a person who worked at a multi-national bank, and his company wanted my help in acquiring a ccTLD domain name. The person said he had trouble getting in touch with the domain owner, and his company needed the name for an urgent project.

Based on the email’s url, it appeared to be from a person at that bank, and upon my reply, he asked me to either put him in touch with the domain owner or to negotiate on his behalf. I told him I don’t offer negotiation services, but I would try to get in touch with the owner for him and put him in touch.

I reached out to the owner via email, and I was able to get a reply from him within a few hours. I thought it was a bit strange that I could get a reply so easily but the person from the large bank couldn’t. Nevertheless, I emailed the guy from the bank to let him know I was able to get in touch with the domain owner, and he asked me to offer him up to $1 million for the domain name paid using an escrow service.

At this point, I really felt something was fishy, and I looked at the email headers to determine that the email hadn’t originated at the bank, and in fact, the url in the original email was spoofed. I again reiterated that I don’t do negotiations and I have not heard back from the guy.

I don’t know where the scam comes in with this, but it’s clear there was an attempt made. Perhaps they were going to ask me to front some money or send me a check that is in a greater amount than a deal I could strike, and I would cash it and send them the difference, which wouldn’t be noticed until the check didn’t clear, and I would be out that money. Whatever the case is, it appears that this is a new scam.

If you get an email like I received, keep in mind that it could be a scam.

Vuvuzela: World Cup Horn Trademark?

Elliot Silver
-
2

Before the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, most people outside of the African continent probably had never heard the persistent buzzing of the vuvuzela, a plastic horn that is constantly heard during soccer matches. Announcers and broadcasters have had to make big changes to compensate for the buzz, which apparently generates a sound with decibel levels greater than a chainsaw.

Because of the phenomenon, people across the world, including in the US, have taken to the vuvuzela. In fact, a guy was kicked out of Yankee Stadium the other day because he wouldn’t give up his vuvuzela.   Of course as a result of this, people have been registering vuvuzela-related domain names to capitalize on the craze.

These registrants need to be careful of their registrations, as these domain assets could potentially become liabilities for some domain registrants. According to an article in the New York Times, the vuvuzela was created by a man named Neil Van Schalkwyk after seeing a tin trumpet in a soccer match, and in 2001, he created the first plastic vuvuzela, while trademarking the word.

Interestingly, a look into the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) shows a dead trademark for the vuvuzela, which was filed for in 2005 and abandoned in 2008, according the the record.

The battle lines continue to be drawn, and it’s probably only a matter of time before domain names come under scrutiny, perhaps after the 2010 World Cup has finished. With speculation about the horn’s place in the the 2014 World Cup already taking place, this could be a playing field in which domain owners should stay away.

Alleged Domain Name Renewal Scammer Indicted

Elliot Silver
-
15

There’s an article in today’s Salt Lake Tribune about an indictment against a person who allegedly created companies that allegedly tricked businesses and individuals into paying around $1.8 million for “phony renewal services” for domain names.

The Acting US Attorney in Utah sent out a press release announcing the news that a 24 count mail fraud and money laundering indictment was issued for Ronald Robert Scott of Draper, Utah. The mail fraud charges carry potential penalties of up to 20 years in jail each, and the money laundering charges potentially carry penalties of up to 10 years in jail for each charge. The indictment also seeks a return of $1,864.484.51.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune article,

The indictment alleges that Scott created two fictitious entities, DomainNameUSA.net and Netsolutions.net, and obtained mailing lists of entities throughout the nation and their domain names.

He then allegedly created invoices telling the registrants that their domain name was about to expire and asking for renewal fees ranging from $25 to $199 for periods of one to five years.

I have received plenty of official-looking letters in the mail regarding domain name renewals, but since I know my domain registrars very well, I have always thrown these letters in the trash.

From what I’ve seen in Google (searching for domain name renewal scam, there are a number of companies that send similar letters in the mail. Andrew has an article about one, PC World discusses an email-based domain renewal scam, and even CatholicWeb.com has information about something that sounds similar.

Keep in mind, as the press release further notes, “an indictment is not a finding of guilt. Defendants charged in indictments are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in court.“

1...1,2921,2931,294...1,568Page 1,293 of 1,568