Buying an existing .ie domain?

cosgrove80

I have a client who wants to use a certain URL. It is currently owned by someone else. There is no website at the address.

I found out who owns it through http://whoisireland.com.

I'm just wondering how do I go about trying to get them domain. Do I contact the owner directly and do it through private sale? Or is there a way of submitting an expression of interest to a registrar?
Contacting the hosting company may be another way.

Could anyone offer some advice on what direction to take and whether or not there are offical channels to go through.

Thanks for any help

cgarvey

You need to contact the current owner and have them transfer ownership to you. You still need to have a claim to the domain, before the transfer will be accepted. I.e. you can't just have a company buy cars.ie and transfer it to Joe Bloggs, without him having a claim to cars.ie, as if he had applied directly himself.
.cg

cosgrove80

Thanks for the reply. Yes, the client would have a claim to the domain.

So it's a matter of contacting the current holder and seeing if they are willing to sell and then agreeing on a price?

Theoretically can they charge my client what they want for the domain, as they are the owners? If usage rights aren't an issue I assume it's the same as any other commodity?

cgarvey

cosgrove80 wrote:

So it's a matter of contacting the current holder and seeing if they are willing to sell and then agreeing on a price?

Yes

cosgrove80 wrote:

Theoretically can they charge my client what they want for the domain, as they are the owners?

There is nothing within the IEDR public regulations to suggest such profiteering is not allowed. Their official change of ownership info

cosgrove80 wrote:

If usage rights aren't an issue I assume it's the same as any other commodity?

Well you don't own the domain, you just have the right to use (granted by IEDR) it for the renewed period, subject to the terms & conditions of the IEDR.

.cg

mneylon

cosgrove80 wrote:

There is no website at the address.

They may be using it for email or any other purpose

cosgrove80

Thanks for all the info.

I'll get in contact and see how it goes