Godaddy 99 Cents For New Domains

Earlier today I was given a coupon for 99 cent domains at Godaddy – excluding the 18 cent ICANN fee (for their slush fund).

I’ve tested it and it works right now!

Time to go crazy! Enjoy the Superbowl (11 days, 13 hours and 51 minutes) from now.

P.S. This is for new domains only, not renewals. If you have a good code, please post it!

Sony Registers playstationarc.com For New Controller

Sony appears to have registered the domain playstationarc.com for its new motion controller – the Arc. However its another site, ps3arc.com which is attracting attention. Many gamers are debating whether or not the site is legitimate, or just a marketing ploy by Sony. The domain was created on 1/20/2010 and is registered to “UnderHost Networks” with additional privacy.

The Arc is scheduled to be unleashed upon its fervent fans during the Fall of 2010.

Facebook Revokes Vanity URL & Gives It Back

Harmon Bajwa woke up one morning to find a message from Facebook stating that his URL had been revoked on allegations of a policy violation.

The revocation came after a message from Bajwa International stating that the company had filed a complaint with Facebook and that they were willing to buy the URL from him. Apparently, even though Facebook holds the right to revoke any custom username, Mr. Bajwa was apparently not breaching any of Facebook’s policies.

Facebook has since apologized for the “overzealous” steps stating that the revocation was done purely on trademark protection grounds and not monetary ones.

Latona Auction Stops At TRAFFIC Las Vegas

About an hour ago I received this email (below) from Latonas.

Having seen first hand, the “technical difficulties”, it was the right decision. The auction platform just wasn’t working and there was no real way for online bidders to participate effectively.

This isn’t that unusual for a TRAFFIC auction; you might recall that TRAFFIC DownUnder experienced a similar (but minor) outage.

—-

Due to technical difficulties, we made the difficult decision to pause the auction and restart it tomorrow on Proxibid.com/ricklatona. The new time will be 10:00 am Pacific on Saturday morning. That’s 1:00 pm on the East Coast or 19:00 central European time.

After hundreds of hours of testing our system, it broke. I don’t know what caused it but I promise that I will find out!

I feel just terrible about it and personally responsible. I sincerely apologize to everyone.

I really think stopping the auction when I did was the right thing to do. I just couldn’t let it continue without people having the ability to bid online.

The lots that sold before I paused the auction are going to stay sold. We are starting from where we stopped. Therefore, this will be the lot order:

340    RealEstate.co.za    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
350    Stutter.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
355    HN.ca    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
360    GolfClothing.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
370    FloorDisplays.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
375    W9.ca    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
380    BookBetting.com    300 USD to 400 USD
390    GamblingTours.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
395    ItsComplicated.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
400    Boston.mx    300 USD to 400 USD
410    WFH.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
420    LasVegasGuides.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
425    NaturalMeat.com    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
430    Meagan.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
440    FreshVegetables.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
450    Suffocate.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
455    LosAngelesPersonals.com    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
460    FishingSeason.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
470    Forex.ws    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
475    LasVegasInsurance.com    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
480    Meetings.com    200,000 USD to 250,000 USD
490    Divorce.mx    300 USD to 400 USD
500    DogFigurines.com    300 USD to 400 USD
510    TaxFilingOnline.com    300 USD to 400 USD
520    ORN.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
525    MensSuits.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
530    Sisco.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
540    Squads.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
550    TempLabor.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
555    LGY.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
560    CarStereos.com    150,000 USD to 200,000 USD
570    FiveCard.com and 5Card.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
575    YGA.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
580    LaptopReviews.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
590    Lemons.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
600    Decatur.net    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
610    Pizza.us (website included)    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
620    CatFood.com    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
625    Jchat.com    30,000 uSD to 40,000 USD
630    BO.net    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
640    Dietfood.com    40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
650    Portland.org    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
655    Drun.com    500 USD to 750 USD
660    CardExpert.com    500 USD to 750 USD
670    UFT.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
675    LivePersons.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
680    JV.net    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
690    Gels.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
700    MotorcycleHelmets.com    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
710    eProfits.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
720    Sandra.net    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
725    VoiceOverIP.com    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
730    CPAParking.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
740    LasVegasBlackjackTournaments.com    300 USD to 400 USD
750    BabyFood.com    100,000 USD to 150,000 USD
755    BroadwayShows.com    800,000 USD to 1,000,000 USD
760    Consequences.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
770    SeniorCitizens.com    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
780    FreePorn.co.uk    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
790    Elizabeth.net    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
800    CamSex.com, CamSex.name, CamSex.mobi, CamSex.biz    250,000 USD to 300,000 USD
810    Sentimental.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
820    Joan.net    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
830    Wine.us    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
840    Washington.biz    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
850    Gadsden.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
860    DogRace.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
870    DrumStools.com    750 USD to 1,000 USD
880    RunningBack.com    500 USD to 750 USD
890    Teen.ca    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
900    AllenPark.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
910    Dietician.com    40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
920    Savvy.com    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
930    LongIsland.com    undisclosed reserve
940    Copyrighted.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
950    ImportedWines.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
960    Avatars.com    400,000 USD to 500,000 USD
970    Houston.mx    300 USD to 400 USD
980    Illusionist.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
990    Kathryn.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1000    MovieTheaterFurniture.com    300 USD to 400 USD
1010    RushJob.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
1020    Scripture.com    100,000 USD to 150,000 USD
1025    TarjetasdeCrédito.com (IDN) CreditCards.com In Spanish    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1026    TarjetadeCrédito.com (IDN) CreditCard.com In Spanish    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1030    Veggies.com    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1040    HuntingLicenses.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1050    HuntingSeason.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1060    ZR.com    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
1070    eWagers.com    500 USD to 750 USD
1080    Dough.com    100,000 USD to 150,000 USD
1090    Deliver.ca    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1100    Zoom.ca    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1110    Murrieta.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
1120    HouseBuyers.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1130    HouseBuyer.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1140    AntiqueMotorcycles.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1150    CEORecruiters.com    750 USD to 1,000 USD
1160    AdMetrics.com and AdMetrix.com Portfolio Lot includes: AdMetrics.com | .net | .org | .co.uk | .eu | .ws | .biz    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
1170    WCX.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1180    AEIOU.com    40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
1190    eTeen.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1200    Smelly.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1210    FileHost.com    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1220    EstateAppraisers.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1230    N.co.za    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1240    Schizophreniac.com    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
1250    Treinta.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
1260    Avengers.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1270    Astronauts.com    40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
1280    DryRoastedPeanuts.com    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
1290    SkinnyPill.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1300    StampCollectors.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1310    Menos.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1320    TheAmazon.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1330    CoolShirts.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1340    Patty.net    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1350    SecondLanguage.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1360    POS.com    500,000 USD to 600,000 USD
1370    Fly.co.za    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1380    GoToHell.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1390    Handicap.com    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
1400    BF.com    300,000 USD to 400,000 USD
1410    GoldMines.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1420    DMCA.com    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1430    DudleyEngland.com    300 USD to 400 USD
1440    Antihistamine.com and Antihistimine.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1450    Consensual.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1460    Interning.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1470    Automating.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1480    Hear.com    100,000 USD to 150,000 USD
1490    LowCarb.net    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1500    Order.net    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1510    TanningEquipment.com    300 USD to 400 USD
1520    Aristocracy.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1530    InternationalBanking.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
1540    Suer.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1550    Thrilled.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1560    CoverBet.com    300 USD to 400 USD
1570    RagsToRiches.com    40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
1580    Actresses.com    40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
1590    CityZoo.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
1600    SecondJobs.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
1610    Blackjackers.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1620    FreshGeorgiaPeaches.com    300 USD to 400 USD
1630    eClassicCars.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1640    Banquets.com    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1650    CasinoStyleGames.com    300 USD to 400 USD
1660    MuscleTension.com    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
1670    Parables.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1680    TaxInformation.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1690    BasketballPlayers.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1700    Purchased.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1710    PayOffBills.com    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
1720    Otologist.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
1730    Buttercup.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1740    Divider.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1750    Beverage.com    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
1760    500.fr    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1770    LesHommes.fr    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1780    LesFemmes.fr    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1790    NDL.es    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
1800    BVP.ca    500 USD to 750 USD
1810    LKB.ca    500 USD to 750 USD
1820    Paged.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1830    Vegas.cm    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1840    BlackDeath.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1850    Wrestlers.com    40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
1860    HYB.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1870    ImmigrationService.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1880    Reducing.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1890    Clarinet.com    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1900    Inhibitors.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1910    Crises.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
1920    SportsPhotography.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1930    FamilyStress.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
1940    SeasonPasses.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1950    Duplicity.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1960    Selma.com    75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
1970    Hoodwink.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1980    Rent.mx    300 USD to 400 USD
1990    ASP.com    500,000 USD to 600,000 USD
2000    SaltedPeanuts.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2020    ConsultingFirms.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
2030    ASP.mx    300 USD to 400 USD
2040    USBMemoryStick.com    500 USD to 750 USD
2050    Ceremony.com    50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
2060    Enlargements.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
2070    CreditCardBilling.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2080    Printed.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
2090    DataTransfers.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2100    Hexes.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2110    Offshore.info    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2120    Hell.com    600,000 USD to 700,000 USD
2130    BeautyQueen.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
2140    EGY.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
2150    Errol.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2160    FreeWallpapers.net    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2170    SoftwareDesigners.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
2180    Gambling.gr    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
2190    Blessing.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
2200    FaceValue.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
2210    Laid.com    250,000 USD to 300,000 USD
2220    BellyRing.com    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
2230    RVP.net    750 USD to 1,000 USD
2240    CustomerService.com    undisclosed reserve
2250    Benchmarks.com    200,000 USD to 250,000 USD
2260    Descarga.com    700,000 USD to 800,000 USD
2270    Fifths.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2280    Homeowner.com    150,000 USD to 200,000 USD
2290    Meg.net    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2300    CertifiedHomeInspectors.com    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2310    iCommemorate.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2320    Cognac.cm    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
2330    STX.net    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
2340    Romance.com    undisclosed reserve
2350    DVDDrive.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
2360    DVDDrives.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
2370    WirelessAdapter.com    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2380    SafePC.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
2555    Chandeliers.net    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2565    DogFood.net    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2575    FurCoats.net    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2585    MinkCoats.net    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
2380    SafePC.com    3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
2555    Chandeliers.net    5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2565    DogFood.net    4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2575    FurCoats.net    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2585    MinkCoats.net    1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
2605    Interacts.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2615    WineRooms.com    2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2625    InternetServiceProviders.com    30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
2635    WrappingPaper.com    20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
2655    EG.ca    10,000 USD to 20,000 USD

[LIVE] Auction Results From TRAFFIC Las Vegas

Latonas auction at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Las Vegas got off to a very rocky start. The online bidding system wasn’t working properly and the auction stopped twice in the first 10 minutes. Putting aside the usual 6 second delay in video feeds, the current lots and bids were not being updated.

Here are the domain sales results for the first 10 domains auctioned off:

Atlanta.mx
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Geo/Region
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
Current Bid: Passed In (no bids)

LeadershipSeminar.com
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Business
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
Sold: $700 (AusBid)

Guavas.com
2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
Category: Food and Beverage
Latonas Estimated Price: 2,400
Current Bid: $2,000 (in room)

EngineeringDegrees.com
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Education
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
SOLD: $2,400 (sold to Channel)

PostalCodes.com
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Geo/Region
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
SOLD: $5,000

Two minute break as we “went down online“.

Layaways.com
5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
Category: Shopping
Latonas Estimated Price: 6,000
Current Bid: Passed In (no bids)

Washington.mx
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Geo/Region
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
Current Bid: Passed In (no bids)

Second break, lasting about 5-10 minutes.

Sunburns.com
1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
Category: Health
Latonas Estimated Price: 1,500
Sold: $2,002 (to impulse)

Troops.com
Category: Society
Latonas Estimated Price: 20,000
Current Bid: Passed In (no bids)

BlackjackTrainingSoftware.com
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Casino and Gaming
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
Current Bid: Passed In (no bids)

Given the technical issues it will be interesting to see if online bidders continue to participate in auctions at conferences, rather than bid online at sites such as Sedo or Snapnames.

Company Tries To Sell Me A Pending Delete!

Its no secret that I buy domains / portfolios and own quite a few in the finance / mortgage vertical. As such, its typical for my mailbox to contain a few emails each day, from people approaching me directly.

When I looked closely at this recent email, there are a few issues that concern me. For the benefit of the community, I’ve decided to repost the entire message below.

Its clear from the whois record, that the domain name they are trying to sell me is in “Pending Delete” status. An interesting (some would say ethically challenging) business model.

For those newbies reading this, “Pending Delete” means they don’t own the domain, its about to expire (in less than 5 days) and you have about the same chance of catching it as they do. For the record, InTrust have a Better Business Bureau record!

—-

Priority Domain Availability Notice for refinance-my-mortgage.com:

In the next few days, refinance-my-mortgage.com will be listed for sale.  Since you have a similar domain name, we thought you might be interested in acquiring refinance-my-mortgage.com.

You can confirm your interest in the domain refinance-my-mortgage.com by filling out the form here: http://initrustdomainservices.biz/store/prioritynotice/SNIP

After we receive a confirmation that you are interested in the domain refinance-my-mortgage.com, our sales staff will be in touch with you promptly to make arrangements.

We look forward to hearing back from you.

Kind regards,

John Timmers

InTrust Domains

11590 Black Forest Road

Colorado Springs, CO 80908-6000

Trellian Acquires DomainState At Auction

The auction for Domainstate has ended, with the successful bidder being none other than an Aussie local (to me anyway). Congrats go to David Warmuz and the guys over at Trellian – you might also know them as above.com.

Travelocity Goes After Typo Domains – Wins Arbitration

Travelocity.com took DNRecover to the National Arbitration Forum over the typo-domain traveolcity.com stating that it was:

1. Confusingly similar
2. They did not have any rights or legitimate interests
3. They registered the domain name in bad faith

DNRecover didn’t respond, so after taking into consideration the Travelocity mark filed with the USPTO (Reg. No. 2,254,700 issued June 22, 1999) it was “game over”.

Just be crystal clear – I’m not a fan of typos. There is a line to be drawn when it comes to misleading and deceptive conduct and typos are on the other side.

If you are just starting out in Domaining, don’t register them – its just not worth it! Instead, build a sustainable portfolio with quality names you can park or build out.

[Video] Female Golfer Targetted By Cybersquatter

Casie Cathrea became the youngest Monday qualifier for an LPGA event at Blackhawk Country Club. Her official website is Cathrea.com.

Her father, Harry Cathrea tracked down Leonard Meng Lee who registered CasieCathrea.com; he threatened to sue Lee under the Federal Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act.

“It cost him two bucks and he wanted to charge me a thousand dollars”

“And he was also nice enough to say he accepts Paypal.”

Its been reported that Lee has registered more than 1,300 domain names of famous people, including Eldrickwoods.com.

In a statement to ABC7 Lee said “As far as I know, the name is not trademarked and I was legally in the right to register the domain”.

Apple Wins 16 Domain Names via UDRP

Apple has won 16 domains from Daniel Bijan, including macbookpro.com. This is by far the most domain names I’ve ever seen awarded to Apple in one hit.

Here is the official list:

blueipod.com
iphonecheap.com
iphonetoys.com
ipodaccessories.info
ipodkits.com
ipodsbaratos.com
macbookpro.biz
macbookpro.com
macbookpro.net
macbookpro.org
macfriend.com
redipods.com
macbook.us
macbookpro.us
macbooks.us
macpro.us

Claim Numbers: FA0911001294886 and FA0911001295941.