Re: Help! Domain Reservation Questions...

Michelle,

You have a couple of options. One is to contact the owner of the domain that you really want and see if she will let you have it. It is possible that if she may not want it anymore and will let you use it. I had the same issue with my company name - I contacted the current owner who told me what he was using it for then wanted an offer. I came up with a slight variation on the name that worked for me. Also, the second name obviously can be purchased but you won't know the price until you ask them - or check out their web site.

Personally I would not use anything other than a .com if it is a site you want people to enter and remember. If it is being used as a redirect or more behind the scenes then it doesn't matter. I realize that search engine optimization doesn't care - but for me this is more a matter of "looking legitimate" than anything else.

Just my thoughts.

Kim

> Hi all!

> I'm want to register another domain name. However, it's already reserved.
> :( No problem, I'll just reserve the intials of the business name
> instead, I thought. But it too, was already registered. :( (For example,
> I wanted to register FloridaTruckingServices.com (not the real domain),
> but it was already registered. So was FTS.com.)

> Neither domain is attached to a live Web site. According to WhoIs.com, the
> first domain was registered almost a year ago by a woman who's
> (presumably) never gotten around to putting up a site. The second one
> (FTS.com) has a suspicious contact: Domains for Sale and the e-mail
> address is buyit@netegg.com.

> I certainly don't know all the ins and outs of domain name reservation,
> "parking", and/or "scalping" (i.e. reserving domains
> and then selling them to the highest bidder) as it were. I have an idea
> I'm pursuing, but I'm NOT willing to pay big bucks to a scalper or chase
> down the owner of the first domain and negotiate a price. I'd just rather
> come up with something else.

> Because I'll be working with the general public, I really feel that a .com
> extention is necessary. So do you think something like FTSOnline.com is
> acceptable? I don't really like it, but it's all that's available to me at
> the moment. Does it really matter? I know that there are reputable
> businesses running a nice operation that have an XYZOnline.com domain.
> (The American Writer's and Artist's Institute's URL is AWAIOnline.com for
> example.)

> I'm already pretty set on the name. I've tried two different versions as
> well as the initials of the name(s) but I've struck out. Does anyone have
> any further suggestions?

> BTW, one of my domains expired, I delayed on renewing it for a few weeks
> and when I went back to renew it, I nearly panicked because I was told it
> was already reserved. Well, it was reserved by me, of course (duh!) and I
> was able to renew it without further trouble. So it appeared that there
> was a lag between the time my reservation expired and the time it would be
> available for sale to the general public. Is that right? Does anyone know
> anything else about how that works? Or are previously registered domains
> held for ransom by third-party companies???

> I'd really appreciate some clarification. I'm a bit confused as to how the
> whole process works.

> Thanks!