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Roxanne Bear Paws by Roxanne
Odessa, Tx
Posts: 917

When I first started my business, I had the bearpawsbyroxanne.com address. I fell on hard times and forgot to renew my domain. So, now for the last several years I have been using bearpawsbyroxanne.net.

With that said, I received an e-mail from someone who said that they, o'well let me get the letter:
Dear Roxanne Propp,

Hello,

My name is ---------. Recently bearpawsbyroxanne.com expired and I
acquired it in the domain name auction. Since you own the .net version
of this domain name, I wanted to provide you with the first opportunity
to own the bearpawsbyroxanne.com version.

I specialize in recovering preferred expiring valuable domains and
either sell them to individuals or companies such as your, or I build
my own web presentation on these valuable domains. If you would like to
own the bearpawsbyroxanne.com you can buy it now by covering my acquisition
cost plus a small modest profit.

I am asking $200.00 for this domain name.

If you have any interest I would encourage you to act quickly because
this domain name will only be offered for sale for a limited time.
Please contact me with this e-mail, or my phone # ---------. Please
leave a detailed message, as I can’t always be close to this phone. I

will call you back a.s.a.p.

Thank you,
------------
What the !!!!!
First, why would she want to "build my own web presentation on these valuable domains."
Second, why the heck would I give her $200.00 for it?
I also received a phone call from this person. I recognized the name on the id caller and did not answer it. She left a message which was pretty much verbatim to the e-mail. Everyone is out for the almighty buck!!!
What do you all think?

Nancy D Dog Patch Critters
Titusville, FL
Posts: 512
Website

My friend had the same thing happen. They wanted $500 to get her domain name back! When she didn't pay it became a [INVALID] site.

KJ Lyons KJ Lyons Design
Seattle, WA
Posts: 1,413
Website

Roxanne,
Sounds like a scam to me. She probably gets a list of all expiring domains and tries to use them as scam. You are right; she has no use for your old domain name. I would just let it go. But it wouldn't be a bad idea to check with you old domain server and ask what their policy is about old domains?
Karen

bearlyart Canna Bear Paint
NY
Posts: 749

No, no, no, don't give that person any money ("modest" profit, my butt).  Unless you want to register ALL of the domains similar to your own (.com, .net, .us, .biz and so on), then don't worry about it at all, never let it bother you if someone takes one of the others.  Your collectors know where to find you, that's all that matters.

As far as expired domains go, I think that usually there is a small hold period where the original owner can re-register.  But that might cover a few months, and definitely not years.  If it has been several years since you had the domain, it is fair game to anybody.

By the way, she really did register the domain, so it is not a hoax.  She's just out to make a quick buck.  That domain name does NOT have broad appeal, she'll have a hard time selling it to someone else.  If you don't pay her, she gets stuck with the fee for a year's registration, cheap though it is.  Let her eat the cost of it.

Best wishes,
Kelly

carsoncreations Carson Creations
Macomb, IL
Posts: 252
Website

I let my first domain expire (not negligence ..just ignorance) and someone in Europe bought it and now it is a [INVALID] site ....egads!   Didn't realize it until I gave the address to someone and they told me about it.  Oh my Gosh !!!!     In some circles the word teddy, teddies, etc means something entirely different than we interpret here at Teddy Talk.

I was so upset, but nothing I could do about it.   Hope this doesn't happen to every domain when it expires.

Wanda

KiddoBears KiddoBears
California
Posts: 851

I don't understand how they become property to where you register and they do what they want with a name you yourself came up with   and made up for your business and we just have to registered it to be able to be used in our website for public use. What happens when you have registered in Copyright and Trademark Office? Do these people still have a right to it to sell it.Does any one know? Is there any legal aspects to this? :hug:  :hug:

valewoodbears Valewood Bears
Yorkshire
Posts: 6,537
Website

Hi Roxanne


I had a similar problem.  When I first thought I needed a website, my daughter’s friend’s boyfriend (who lives in Ireland) was just starting out doing websites for people so I thought it would be nice to give him a bit of business and asked for a quote.  In less than 2 days he had without asking me purchased the valewoodbears.com domain name, made a sample site with it, he had taken some pictures of my bears from Ebay. He told me to have a look and said to finish it would be £…… s.  I only wanted him to give me a quote, not to purchase my domain name and half make one.  It was not what I wanted at all and also he said I would not be allowed to manage it myself and would have to contact him with any little change at all.

I said thank you but it wasn’t what I wanted,  but I could not get the .com domain name back from him, he said he would probably use it himself!!! He bought it for about £10.00 and he said I would have to pay £150.00 for it.  I told him I couldn’t afford it and told him “good luck with his Valewood Bears and if he needed any bear making lessons he knew where to come†!!. So then, I had to buy the Valewoodbears.co.uk . Anyway I eventually found what I was looking for with Andy from Barbara Ann Bears, he tailor made my website for me using the .co.uk domain which I have control over to manage myself with Front Page, being in the bear business he knew just what I wanted and the main thing was I could manage and change it myself.  He has done quite a few other websites for Bear Artists (he did Chloe’s beautiful one too) and they are all wonderful. He is very talented and I am so happy with it.

I later found out (on checking for Valewoodbears.com) that the Irish guy sold it to a firm called Tucows!!! This company buys expired and unwanted domain names!!!  I watched for it expiring last year but they renewed the registration before it expired so I cannot get hold of it.  I will keep looking as Andy, my web designer said it would be best if I have both the .com and the .co.uk.  It is driving me mad as I wonder too if somebody will use it for something else.

There are some awful scammers out there, people need to be really careful.

Pauline

Kilde Posts: 186

Thats illegal in Denmark! You are not allowed to buy domain names here using a name that "belongs" to another person (as a business name) or company, not even if you misspell the name. An example: Last summer DK got a new political party, Ny Alliance (New Alliance). Of course they bought the domain name nyalliance.dk - and someone outside the party bought the name nyaliance.dk (one "L" missing). Thats illegal! Unless you can prove that you have some sort of association with the party, you are not allowed to buy - and sell - that name, not even as com, .net etc. You don't even have to be a registered or copyrighted name to be able to protect your business name....nice Act, I think!  bear_happy Its rather new but we have had lots of scams too which is the reason why this act was passed I think about a month ago or so.

Its nice to know that at least some acts work here....our laws on animal protection as an example sucks!...but thats a different story... bear_rolleyes

Roxanne Bear Paws by Roxanne
Odessa, Tx
Posts: 917

wow, thanks for the feedback on this. I really did not have any intention of taking the name back form her. It just seems silly that someone wants to make money off of anothers mistake. I have had the .net address for a couple years now and that is where it will stay. Unless I happen to get the .com when it expires on them...  bear_whistle

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