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Buying a .ie domain from the registered owner

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  • 26-06-2012 11:08pm
    #1
    nicol
    Registered Users Posts: 385 ✭✭


    Hi,

    I wanted to register a .ie domain but discovered that it is already registered. The website for the domain is only a placeholder and doesn't appear to have been active for a few years (according to the wayback machine). It was active at one stage as a business but it must not have been viable for the owners at the time. The business I'm thinking of setting up looks to have a decent market in Ireland and I think it could works with the right marketing strategy.

    I'd like to get the domain now and am considering approaching the owners with a view to buying it. Has anyone ever done this? I don't want to be held to ransom and so might wait until the domain is up for renewal in a few months.

    Anyone have any thoughts as to the best course of action??


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    #2
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    Wait for the renewal date. Don't bother na back ordering.if they they see interest they Will probably keep it or charge you a fortune.
    Would you not get a .com


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    #3
    nicol
    Registered Users Posts: 385 ✭✭nicol


    Brendan Unkempt Treeless wrote: »
    Wait for the renewal date. Don't bother na back ordering.if they they see interest they Will probably keep it or charge you a fortune.
    Would you not get a .com

    a .ie address would be a big advantage for being found in search results. the .com address is gone too


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    #4
    forbairt
    Registered Users Posts: 3,594 ✭✭✭forbairt


    You're technically not allowed to buy a .ie from another person so be careful how you go. I believe there have already been cases of transfer of ownership of domains and the IEDR taking them back.

    The owner of the domain at the moment could also be using it for mail and simply not have a site live on it.


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    #5
    Pacing Mule
    Registered Users Posts: 5,059 ✭✭✭Pacing Mule


    forbairt wrote: »
    You're technically not allowed to buy a .ie from another person so be careful how you go. I believe there have already been cases of transfer of ownership of domains and the IEDR taking them back.

    The owner of the domain at the moment could also be using it for mail and simply not have a site live on it.

    As above - you cannot buy a .ie domain name from anyone else. What has to happen is that the current domain owner has to inform the IEDR that they no longer want the domain at which point the new owner can register it. They will refuse to sanction the new owner if there is anything on paper saying a purchase of the domain name has occurred.


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    #6
    nicol
    Registered Users Posts: 385 ✭✭nicol


    Thanks for the replies. Looks like I'll have to wait a few months to see if the domain is renewed. Fingers crossed it isn't.

    A follow-up question, the company who have the domain have a company registered in the same name with the CRO (let say its called teacups.ie for arguments sake). If they don't renew the domain how would / could I go about proving that my company have a valid claim to the domain teacups.ie when the domain name is also a registered business name.


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    #7
    sf80
    Registered Users Posts: 252 ✭✭sf80


    nicol wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies. Looks like I'll have to wait a few months to see if the domain is renewed. Fingers crossed it isn't.

    A follow-up question, the company who have the domain have a company registered in the same name with the CRO (let say its called teacups.ie for arguments sake). If they don't renew the domain how would / could I go about proving that my company have a valid claim to the domain teacups.ie when the domain name is also a registered business name.

    You can put in a 'discretionary' application if you don't have a direct relationship with the name, such as it matching your business/company/product. You just have to explain to them why you want it, provide as much supporting documentation as you can. Go through the application with a hosting company (I've used Blacknight a lot and would recommend them; I have no association with the company).


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    #8
    Pacing Mule
    Registered Users Posts: 5,059 ✭✭✭Pacing Mule


    Using the example above you would would need to show them that "teacups" is relevant to yor business. So if you were a company selling crockery you can say to the IEDR that you sell teacups as part of your range and therefore wish to register teacups.ie

    I have registered four .ie's (the original .ie based on our trading name, a second .ie domain name for a business expansion, a third domain previously registered which had expired naturally, and the fourth which was done with the consent of the previous registered owner as part of a business buyout) We were able to register the other 3 .ie's based on our original business registration and links to the operations of that business.

    It would be a harder sell if you sold televisions and tried to then register teacups.ie


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    #9
    nicol
    Registered Users Posts: 385 ✭✭nicol


    Pageant Messiah wrote: »
    Using the example above you would would need to show them that "teacups" is relevant to yor business. So if you were a company selling crockery you can say to the IEDR that you sell teacups as part of your range and therefore wish to register teacups.ie

    I have registered four .ie's (the original .ie based on our trading name, a second .ie domain name for a business expansion, a third domain previously registered which had expired naturally, and the fourth which was done with the consent of the previous registered owner as part of a business buyout) We were able to register the other 3 .ie's based on our original business registration and links to the operations of that business.

    It would be a harder sell if you sold televisions and tried to then register teacups.ie

    Cheers Pageant Messiah. Will bide my time and see if the let the registration lapse. The domain is very relevent to my business so we'll wait and see.


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    #10
    billybunty
    Registered Users Posts: 127 ✭✭billybunty


    Can you use a very simiar name so that you can get the ball rolling? But bear in mind the cro wont let you register a very simiar name either.


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    #11
    jmcc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,412 ✭✭✭jmcc


    nicol wrote: »
    I wanted to register a .ie domain but discovered that it is already registered. The website for the domain is only a placeholder
    It may be in use for e-mail. Not all domains have developed websites and the Wayback Machine does not track change of ownership.

    Regards...jmcc


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    #12
    nicol
    Registered Users Posts: 385 ✭✭nicol


    billybunty wrote: »
    Can you use a very simiar name so that you can get the ball rolling? But bear in mind the cro wont let you register a very simiar name either.

    Have been checking Google Keyword Tool to see if I can come up with a similar name and haven't found a good name that will push traffic to my planned site. I'll keep trying though.

    jmcc wrote: »
    It may be in use for e-mail. Not all domains have developed websites and the Wayback Machine does not track change of ownership.

    Regards...jmcc

    I doubt it's been used for email as the company who have it registered also trade under a number of other names that they are actively marketing. Looking at their whois details they've got around 25 domains registered. My thinking is that they got in early to register the company name and domain, tried to run the site for a while and decided it wasn't making them money. The functionality / layout of the site was not great so I reckon they tried for a while and gave up.

    The domain has been registered to the same company since it was first registered (checked it's history).


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    #13
    jmcc
    Registered Users Posts: 7,412 ✭✭✭jmcc


    nicol wrote: »
    Have been checking Google Keyword Tool to see if I can come up with a similar name and haven't found a good name that will push traffic to my planned site. I'll keep trying though.
    Keywords don't push traffic - brands push traffic. People remember brands and in a ccTLD this is especially true because people don't have to remember the TLD (.ie) because they are in Ireland. Now if you were hoping to convert global users who find your site by type-in then a .com would make sense but ccTLDs like .ie do not operate in the same way when it comes to how people remember the domain/URL. Generic terms are very hard to market effectively in a country where the local country code TLD (ccTLD) is dominant. (Most advertising on TV/Radio would now be focused on .ie rather than .com)
    I doubt it's been used for email as the company who have it registered also trade under a number of other names that they are actively marketing.
    It happens. Sometimes a company will rebrand but will sill have all their e-mail accounts on the old domain.
    Looking at their whois details they've got around 25 domains registered.
    Those whois reports can be a bit flakey when it comes to ccTLDs. Some companies may have large ccTLD footprints but only a few com/net/org/biz/info domains.
    My thinking is that they got in early to register the company name and domain, tried to run the site for a while and decided it wasn't making them money.
    Development can be expensive. Though if it is a company name, they may not let it drop.
    The domain has been registered to the same company since it was first registered (checked it's history).
    Well you can check the hosting history for changes in hosting to see if it was dropped in the past - that's probably a bit more of a reliable indicator than some of the whois history sites when it comes to ccTLDs.

    Regards...jmcc


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    #14
    nicol
    Registered Users Posts: 385 ✭✭nicol


    jmcc wrote: »
    Keywords don't push traffic - brands push traffic. People remember brands and in a ccTLD this is especially true because people don't have to remember the TLD (.ie) because they are in Ireland. Now if you were hoping to convert global users who find your site by type-in then a .com would make sense but ccTLDs like .ie do not operate in the same way when it comes to how people remember the domain/URL. Generic terms are very hard to market effectively in a country where the local country code TLD (ccTLD) is dominant. (Most advertising on TV/Radio would now be focused on .ie rather than .com)

    I agree that building a brand is what will probably get the business known in the long run but I don't have the budget to market extensively to build brand awareness so I will have to try to use keywords / SEO to build traffic to my site and then hopefully build from there. My thinking was that getting an often searched for term as my domain would help keep me on top of the search rankings. I would envisage most of my custom coming from search engine traffic anyway rather than traditional advertising media.

    jmcc wrote: »
    It happens. Sometimes a company will rebrand but will sill have all their e-mail accounts on the old domain.

    It's not a case that they've rebranded; they have had multiple business names / domains registered for a few years now.
    jmcc wrote: »
    Those whois reports can be a bit flakey when it comes to ccTLDs. Some companies may have large ccTLD footprints but only a few com/net/org/biz/info domains.

    Good to know!!
    jmcc wrote: »
    Development can be expensive. Though if it is a company name, they may not let it drop.

    Well you can check the hosting history for changes in hosting to see if it was dropped in the past - that's probably a bit more of a reliable indicator than some of the whois history sites when it comes to ccTLDs.

    Checked both, they've stayed with the same ISP since first registering.

    To be honest I think my chances of getting the domain are slim, I can't see them letting it lapse. I will have to work my socks of on a good marketing strategy to help build traffic. Whilst having the domain is not a dealbreaker it would have been useful to have to start with.

    Thanks for all your input jmcc, it's a big help.


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