How to Buy a Domain Name, Not a Scam

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acai berry oprah winfrey show of 9:11AM May 20, 2010

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acai side effects of 4:37AM May 08, 2010

People in countries much poorer than the US have time and motivation to spend all day trying to run minor scams. Last I looked, the Australian economy wasn't all that bad - though those Queenslanders can sometimes be shifty!
Your mistake is that you are lumping all non-US into the same basket. That's like saying almost all scams are run by people under 70 years of age, so anyone 69 and down is suspect. Think about it...everyone outside the US is a potential scammer?? Come on...that's a very retro way of looking at things.
And, do remember that scam emails can be made to look as though they are coming from within the US quite easily - as they often are.

Daniel 5:57PM May 12, 2009

To Kimberley - I am from the Netherlands and I can tell you that most scams originate from non-Dutch addresses. Acoording to your logic this means that I have to be suspicious when I receive an email originating from the US?

Hans Oglov 5:39AM May 12, 2009

To Daniel - perhaps you don't realize this, but as someone who has reporting on email scams, I can tell you that most scam emails originate from non-US address -- so it pays to be suspicious.

Kimberly Palmer of DC 3:19PM May 11, 2009

In the domain aftermarket $250 really is not that much for a domain name. If you do some research you will see that hundreds of domains go for $1,000+ on a monthly basis. I am not sure just how popular your full name really is but if it's a popular name, $250 is a small price to pay.
Another suggestion would be to never use godaddy backorder service, it is usually really bad. Myself and a number of people I have spoken to have never caught a name using that service.

Andy of TX 3:08PM May 11, 2009

I'll leave it to the other posters to discuss the finer points of domain valuations. I am more surprised that a senior editor for a magazine that calls itself "World Report" would automatically see any non-US email as suspect. From Australia, nonetheless. That's not exactly Nigeria. It's a small world we live in, and international phone calls and emails are quite routine for some of us. I would have expected that to be even more true for a world reporter like yourself, who I presume educates less informed Americans about world affairs. No wonder the country is in so much trouble.
(Goodness. Even the comment field below lumps all non-US posters into one category of "international.")

Daniel 3:03PM May 11, 2009

A United States federal law enacted in 1999, is part of A bill to amend the provisions of title 17, United States Code, and the Communications Act of 1934, relating to copyright licensing and carriage of broadcast signals by satellite (S. 1948). It makes people who register domain names that are either trademarks or individual's names with the sole intent of selling the rights of the domain name to the trademark holder or individual for a profit liable to civil action.
You should try searching the internet before talking with some dumb executive who just wants you to spend more money on his website.

TheLaw of NY 1:24PM May 11, 2009

The "sticker price" of an already-registered domain name can be enlightening to those who have no experience with the domain name marketplace. It can be simultaneously analogous to not understanding the antiques marketplace or real estate. Domain names are one-of-a-kind addresses for virtual real estate. The more potential users, the more potential competition, the rarer or higher quality, the higher the price.
After a one-time acqusition cost (whether aftermarket purchase directly or at auction) there is only a small renewal fee to maintain control of a domain for as long as the "owner" wishes. Like others have mentioned,
Domain names come in several possible extensions. The author might consider a couple other possibilities since the .com version is taken including .net or her own country code - the .us. If she were writing for 'German N & W Report" or 'British N & W Report" the .com would likely be her second choice to .de or .co.uk. Using a local country code domain name in many parts of the world is as common and coveted as having the .com version.
So now the author can either approach the new registrant who won the auction at GoDaddy and make an offer say of $100-$150 ... or just go ahead and register hername.us - I just checked and it was unregistered. Show that patriotism Kimberly.

Will of MA 10:24AM May 11, 2009

Common names as domains such as my name for example with half-million results in Google for "david green" have significant value, especially in their dot-com extension where they can be valued in the low to mid $x,xxx range or higher, especially with traffic.
Not being willing to pay just $250 for a fairly common first/last name in .com makes little sense (for the same good reasons mentioned by Stephen Douglas above). I can see resale market prices possibly being so low involving dot-me which I believe is significantly over-hyped, but not as a .com or a dot-org too, which org's also work well in the names category.
http://DavidGreen.com
P.S. This submission fixes typo errors in original. Thanks.

David of AZ 6:20AM May 10, 2009