# Parked Domain Name



## TC (May 14, 2006)

The domain name I want for my Tee business has been parked. Could the domain be for sale? Do I contact the hosting company? Should I forget it and come up with a new domain name? Thanks for any help.


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## funtimesx (Apr 9, 2006)

If I were you, I'd forget it and come up with a new name. I did a website a few years back for a client who had a product they wanted the ".com" for. The name was parked (well, I think "being squat on" would be more accurate, but anyway...) and I contacted the guy who bought it, who wanted $1500 for it. The client decided that that was rather outrageous and they would just go for the .biz since the website was largely for existing clients, who would be directed there.

I then got a stream of abuse from the squatter about how I was "not serious" and "unprofessional" for refusing to pay, what was IMHO, a rather steep price. This continued even after I explained politely that the decision was my client's, not mine, and I was merely realaying their request.

Anyway, my point is if you don't already have an established brand under that name and you can relatively easily think of something that is not taken, I would do that.

(For what it's worth, that $1500 domain name is still, 3 years on, sitting with a parked advertising page...they're fairly cheap to register and keep if you get there first!)


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## TC (May 14, 2006)

Thanks for the reply.

I want to keep the name of the clothes and tee line. There is no trademark on the name. Can I simply add clothes or tees after the domain name. For example, say, blacklab.com is parked, can I use blacklabclothes.com?


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## funtimesx (Apr 9, 2006)

For sure! The only issue you may have is (again, let's use "black lab" as an example)...

People are used to "companyname.com", so some people may not Google you to find you, they may just try typing in "blacklab.com" and then come up with the parked page, and find that confusing. It depends where people are likely to hear about you. If you promote yourself as "black lab clothing", your clothing labels have your URL as well as your company name and all your advertising has your company name, I wouldn't see it as too big a drama, personally.


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## badalou (Mar 19, 2006)

A parked domain name usually mean you have not hosted it yet. If you buy a domain name like from godaddy they will park it on their site until you have it hosted. Buying a damain name does not mean you hosted it but it does mean you own it. need some help contact me. Who did you buy your domain name from? Lou


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## funtimesx (Apr 9, 2006)

Lou - I think the issue is that someone else has bought and parked the name that the OP wants and he therefore can't register it?


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## scpromos (May 27, 2006)

I checked that website out, and it doesn't seem like its parked. I would forget about it and try to find something similar. I noticed blacklabapparel.com was taken also, but blacklabclothes.com, blacklabtees.com, and blacklabclothing.com are all available. You can register all three and have them linked so that no matter which site your customers type in they are redirected to a single site. One thing I'd be worried about is that blacklabapparel.com sells products similar to yours. That could cause some confusion for your potential customers. By the same token by registering the other 3 potential sites, you might pick up some of their potential customers by accident as well.


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## TC (May 14, 2006)

The domain name I want is owned and parked by someone else. Blacklab.com was just an example, not the actual domain name. I like the idea of having several domain names linked to one. Thanks for all the help.


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## badalou (Mar 19, 2006)

AHHHH, I was confused. Move on. get another domain name.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

My biggest concern with the transfer of domain names has always been how unregulated (and blackmarket) it is. Putting aside for a moment whether it's even worth paying $1500 for a domain name (it is for the right name after all), I'd be worried about paying the money and not even getting the name.

Domain squatting is a somewhat quasi-legal practice. The internet is largely an ungoverned place, but there are some rules in place by registrars, some US laws that affect it, etc. etc. Domain squatting is a bit of an old west wild frontier, and I guess I don't have the stomach to wander into the badlands.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> Could the domain be for sale?


Yes, the domain name *could* be for sale. It could be that the owner was going to use it but decided not to for whatever reason.

It could be that someone registered the domain with the intent of making a site, but never got around to it.

It could be that someone registered the domain with the intent to sell it to someone because it's such a good name.

It could be that someone registered the domain and used it for awhile and now they are out of business.

You'll never know for sure unless you ask. You can look up their whois information and then contact them via phone or email to see if they are interested in selling. Worse that could happen is they say no (or give an outrageous price like $500,000).
Best that could happen is that they say sure, you can have it for free or $10 or some reasonable price.



> Do I contact the hosting company?


No, you would contact the owner of the domain by looking up their whois information at a place like domaintools.com



> Should I forget it and come up with a new domain name? Thanks for any help.


Depends on how much you want that domain and if your business is already set. 

Some domains are worth paying a premium for. Either because your business name is already set, because the domain memorable, or maybe even because the domain has traffic already because people just type it in to see what's there -- this is called direct navigation (like t-shirts.com)

I've been in your situation before and had it play out in many different ways. Some domains I've gotten for free because the owner didn't want it anymore and didn't care. Some domains I've gotten for a decent price by just asking the current domain owner. Some domain owners ask insane prices for their domains thinking they are the next business.com story. I've even paid a premium for some domains for one reason or another. Each situation is different, but you'll never know the situation for sure unless you *ask*.


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## Despotte (Jun 2, 2006)

One problem though is if the site has been owned by someone else then "Parked" then probably the Parking company has been putting ads on it by either Google Yahoo or someone else. These type of sites are being noticed by Google as Garbage sites and they are being penalized so when you buy the domain it could take you longer to dig out of the hole they left you in. It could take up to a year before Google realizes (and trusts) that you are not the same junk site that used to be there.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

> These type of sites are being noticed by Google as Garbage sites and they are being penalized so when you buy the domain it could take you longer to dig out of the hole they left you in.


I haven't seen any evidence of this happening. I've purchased a few domains that were previously parked and had no problems getting indexed.


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## Despotte (Jun 2, 2006)

I guess alot of times it depends on who was doing the parking and what kinda "garbage" was on it. Alot of "christian" names are getting tagged with real NONRELAVENT junk this is hurting the name later.


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## imageman (May 16, 2006)

Hello,
if i were you, i would contact the owner directly.You can find this out by clicking on "who is" section.And if the owner is asking for what you may consider to be too much,you can work arround the name by using a - with the name.


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