I hate domain campers/sharks...

[Bengie]

Can’t assign value of a domain based on the reg fee.

Well someone is assigning a value, thousands of time more than the normal price.

 

[sactown]

It costs them a few dollars a year to hang onto each domain. If they hold 1,000 domains and sell 5 at the ridiculous cost, then they made their money. Even slumlords gotta eat, right?

what registrar renews .com for a few dollars a year? That hypothetical 1,000 domain portfolio costs over $8000/year to maintain at Godaddy.

 

[sactown]

Well someone is assigning a value, thousands of time more than the normal price.

What is normal?

 

[haqzore]

There are often bulk discounts for renewals, especially at the investor quantity.

 

[Nabix]

You have the right to sell a domain at any price you want. It's just still annoying when the price is an insane markup. I've payed a few hundred for a domain before. But, that's my limit. Which brings me to a fun story. I'll try to make this quick. . .

So, I own a 'group business' which is a company that owns a bunch of smaller businesses. Sometimes the business we purchase either has a website or needs one. Sometimes the domain they were using is terrible, sometimes it's not.

I once acquired this business where the .com was taken and the owner wanted approximately $50k. The department which handles all of my marketing and IT has to approve a large purchase like this with me before hand. My response was, there is no way in hell we are spending $50k on a domain. Find something else.

Later that day, I'm asked by marketing for a quick meeting. I walk over to their office and they everyone in that room had a **** eating grin on their face. I'm not going to put names, but, someone said, "We know how you can get that domain for list price'. Okay, how? "We buy all other extensions close to that domain as possible, and forward the traffic to the most insane porn sites we can find." We did. . .

Once the renewal period came around for that domain, the owner didn't renew. We got the domain, for list price. Deep and long laughter now ensued over the whole office once we found out.

I wouldn't recommend this as a tactic to get a domain/website. We had full plans on purchasing a different domain, which we did do. This was just to mess with the shark.

 

[DigNap15]

Yes I don't like it either
I started a website a few years ago and gave it up
I see now that someone has taken the name and parked it.
The practice needs to be banned.
If someone does not use the domain name for one year, then it should be freely availabe again.
I know its a free world
But the internet is upposed to be free and open as well

 

[haqzore]

But the internet is upposed to be free and open as well

It is.

There are millions & millions of available domains for just a few dollars.

Playing devils advocate, but, the point stands I think.

 

[Pigoo]

Whether you're ok with domain campers or not...the bottom line is...if you own something you can sell it for whatever price you want. The seller's of domain names know this...and they're taking full advantage of it.

Of course there can be exceptions to this rule...such as price-gouging face masks or hand sanitizers for COVID-19 protection (where the government may step in). Unfortunately domain name's are very likely not going to be one of these exceptions.

If you REALLY want a specific domain name...try a different domain name extension...or get really creative...and come up with something completely different that still works for you.

 

[sactown]

You have the right to sell a domain at any price you want.

Exactly. Many hope to sell them at their desired price but years later still no buyer.

 

[DigNap15]

Exactly. Many hope to sell them at their desired price but years later still no buyer.

Who, the orignal legitmate owner, or a parking company?

 

[sactown]

Who, the orignal legitmate owner, or a parking company?

The current registrant is the legitimate owner, the distinction you’re trying to make really doesn’t exist.

 

[Mike Jaquish]

15 years ago, a fellow told me, "All the good domains are taken."
I buy multiple good domains every year. No problem.

"Hate" is an ugly word, overused and just ugly.

 

[DigNap15]

15 years ago, a fellow told me, "All the good domains are taken."
I buy multiple good domains every year. No problem.

"Hate" is an ugly word, overused and just ugly.

Yes hate is an ugly word, I dont allow it at all on my forum
And the c word and the f word and the t word

 

[Col]

It's annoying, for sure.

But... It's an investment like any other. And there's nothing stopping us from doing it too ?‍

I have to disagree - it is not an investment like any other. What other investment oportunity is there where each option is unique, and the price is (generally) the same, no matter its true market value? The majority of registered (good) DOTcoms are unutilized, where the asking price is anywhere between inflated and enormous. It is a numbers game - only a small fraction will sell, so the average price must be hugely inflated for the scheme to work.

Domainers create nothing. It is not like the property market where there is building or improvements to buildings. And, unlike a home, say, if one house is not for sale, there are others available, each with their own pluses and minuses. A house is not like a domain name where (very often) only one name is a good fit.

In a first come, first served system, with no effort to assess proper value, most domains end up being held for ransom.

Now, I do not reaaly a have a good solution. Certainly, I have no simple solution. But it is a dreadful mess. I cannot begin to estimate the number of hours I have wasted in trying to find a decent domain. They are nearly always already registered; the majority are unused; and if available for sale, the prices are generally crazy.

One thing which might help is if there was a way to restrict the number of unutilized domains held by an individual or company. Legitimate uses for holding a domain would be: it is in active use; it is being held for a project under development; it is an exact name match for a specific product which could be sold off (along with the associated domain) from the company at a later date; and probably some other edge cases too. We'd also need to end the parking of domains and their use for useless ad sites.

As I said, no easy solutions. And, given that domains are already is peoples' possession, good luck trying to change it all now.

I have had cause to buy (speculatively) quite a lot of domains the past couple of years for a project. Some I've newly registered; others I have to pay through the nose. Quite a lot of the ones I registered for the first time I've already let slip back into the pool (I did not renew). I don't know if any of them have been snapped up when dropped and are now being offered at a premium price. That thought annoys me. The ones for which I paid good money, I cannot afford to let drop. And, because I am (no-doubt) out of pocket with all this, I ask myself, 'do I let those few good names I registered for the first (and I will not use) drop'? Even if I decided that 'I will do what I think is right', they will be snapped up by speculators and held to ransom. So, my loss would be the domainer's gain, not your ordinary Joe trying to start a business. I'll stop now before I start dropping f-bombs.

 

[Col]

On the positive side...there are so many more domain name extensions than there used to be...this should help.

Hopefully someone isn't camping all possible extensions for "fredsgreatdoughnuts"!

Except that when it comes to business, it remains difficult to use anything but a DOTcom and be taken serious. Yes, there are exceptions, but mostly this remains true. The same - relatively speaking - i true for DOTorgs too. If you are a ORGanisation, that's the one you want.

There has been a great deal of speculation in the new TLDs too. All the good names have been snapped up, and again, with large asking prices.

 

[Col]

This is like hating the owner of a lot I want to build my house on, simply because they secured ownership of it before me, and then condemning them for recognizing the value of their property.

Nope. because at some stage, that lot was sold by the city or government at a reasonable asking price. The money raised from the sale was used for the benefit of the whole community.

 

[Col]

I see that several posters already beat me to most of my points. Glsd to see I am not alone.

 

[DigNap15]

The first case of this I heard of years ago was when some smart young guy registered the name of www.McDonalds.com

Then when McDonalds wanted to start a webiste they found it was already used!
I cant remember the outcome.

 

[DigNap15]

An easy way would be for the domain authority to set a standard annual price.
Say it was $30.
Then that is the fee that every company in the world pays
$30.
Then make it illegal to sell a doman name for more than $30.
Then set a limit on the use of it.
Ie if a website is no longer up and running then the name goes back into the pot.

What happens now is that scum companies such as GoDaddy see that a domain name is no longer being used, then they buy it.

 

[Col]

An easy way would be for the domain authority to set a standard annual price.
Say it was $30.
Then that is the fee that every company in the world pays
$30.
Then make it illegal to sell a doman name for more than $30.
Then set a limit on the use of it.
Ie if a website is no longer up and running then the name goes back into the pot.

What happens now is that scum companies such as GoDaddy see that a domain name is no longer being used, then they buy it.

I had already thought of that - it won't work. To circumvent, create a business in name only - then sell the business (along with the domain).