domain name thieves?

Goodshape

Was looking to register a domain name, did a search a couple of weeks ago and everything (com, net, org, ie, the lot) was available. The name is totally esoteric - it's derivative of an Irish word but the spelling was unique and I totally refuse to believe that someone else came up with this same word and spelling all by themselves just a couple of weeks later.

But now I search again and the .com is taken. Registered to CapitalDomains.com.

I'm ****ing furious tbh. The whole purpose of using this unique spelling of the word is so that it would be available, unlike practically every dictionary word ever conceived.

Is this common practice that a 'check availability' website would use what you search for against you? And is there anything at all I can do, aside from contacting CapitalDomains and agreeing to pay whatever ransom they see fit?

aidan_walsh

Goodshape wrote:

Is this common practice that a 'check availability' website would use what you search for against you?

Probably not by the people who you checked with (wouldn't make great business, would it?), though apparently its possible for robots to monitor seraches for domain names, check blank WHOIS, etc so that the parkers can get in there first. One domain I had been looking at was taken last year and this was suggested to me as a possibility.

jmcc

Goodshape wrote:

Was looking to register a domain name, did a search a couple of weeks ago and everything (com, net, org, ie, the lot) was available. The name is totally esoteric - it's derivative of an Irish word but the spelling was unique and I totally refuse to believe that someone else came up with this same word and spelling all by themselves just a couple of weeks later.

But now I search again and the .com is taken. Registered to CapitalDomains.com.

You may well have searched for this domain via a compromised whois checker.

Is this common practice that a 'check availability' website would use what you search for against you? And is there anything at all I can do, aside from contacting CapitalDomains and agreeing to pay whatever ransom they see fit?

Very little. Though these companies indulge in domain kiting which involves registering a domain and checking if it gets traffic worth keeping it registered. If the domain does get people clicking on the adverts on the holding page and it is enough, they will keep the domain. If it is not, they will drop the domain within the five day window that ICANN allows.

The best thing is to wait for it to drop but do not visit the webpage and check through a trustworthy whois lookup.

Regards...jmcc

miju

Goodshape wrote:

I'm ****ing furious tbh. The whole purpose of using this unique spelling of the word is so that it would be available, unlike practically every dictionary word ever conceived.

as big a pain in the ass as it is , you should have registered it there and then rather waiting the week