mdb you don't seem to understand, the .com world established that domaining (the speculative purchase of domains and subsequent retention for sale) is a legit business.
I'm not saying it's not? I said clearly in my posts,
I don't see anything wrong with buying and selling domains? I've never once said it's immoral or bad business per se... I've bought way more off domainers than I've sold (for clients or for genuine future use), and I'm happy to do so. I think back ordering services offer great value etc. etc. There's guys on this thread who've caught domains I was going for through public catchers. It's the nature of the game, so I lost out. I don't think it's a corrupt model?
So yourself have said you held a hotel chain to ransom and did a deal, why didn't you simply give the domain to them since they obviously felt they had claim to it ?
Double Standards there my friend, explain why you think its ok for you to do this but not others on a larger scale ?
Haha, it's not double standards. I accept that the domain in question dropped and it was FTR. I registered it and it was as generic as they come, I would argue even more generic as the example I've already listed. It was a genuine reg which I thought would have made for a great development. I don't even think I had it a year before a uber million dollar company approached me directly and made me an offer. Note the company name was entirely different to the domain. I wouldn't have reg'd it if it had based on my run in with the corporate who had my arm up my back over the two domains I was running a legit business on... I didn't quibble on the price, I didn't ask for more. I sold it and they (I assume?) were very happy with the purchase. I probably would have sold it for half of what they offered me, so yeah, I snapped their hand off
Can we agree that's entirely different to the example I gave previously?
Also that was 10 yrs ago, I wouldn't do it today, not that there's anything wrong with it, just not my line of business.
A domain like that is hardly worth getting flustered over. If the domain owner was unwilling to sell for a reasonable price, you could approach the owners of brilliantconstruction.co.uk, brilliantconstructionservices.com etc or even dig deep and try to acquire brilliant.co.uk.
I've already addressed that in the "2nd choice" .co.uk vs the .org.uk. They decided on the latter (exact match), which turned out to be a smart choice as they now own both.
A domain is an asset like any other.
See I disagree in part because of the unique characteristics of the domain market. I am genuiely interested in a comparable marketplace. I don't know if there is one? The "land" analogy is the most cited, but as much as you guys think my argument, when stacked up agains the laws of supply and demand, is flawed, I too think the land anaology has holes. I can't buy significant land for £40 (what a drop catch would cost me). Even if I could, could I hope it will one day magically be worth xx,xxx? And the cost to me to maintain the faith in 500% growth is my Friday night pint once a year... And if it doesn't work out, well I haven't lost out significantly.
I understand you guys have other high indrect costs, but your costs are your costs - you choose what to register / catch. I would argue collectivly you've probably more speculated more than you've invested, and good luck to you, providing you're not forcing some cash-strapped independent trader to use a .org.uk when there's no one else you could realistically sell the .co.uk to
All of this is starting to sound like I'm against drop catching, I repeat I'm not. I've actually bought domains off some of you.
If you want a domain owned by someone else you need to pay the asking price or look for another. Obvious isn't it?
Yes, yes, it is.
