The concept that a domain name registrar might be monitoring your domain name availability queries and even registering a domain name you don’t immediately register strikes me as suspicious. Some in the domain sector believe this practise is partially accurate, while others believe it was done for the benefit of some consumers.
Although there are many rules and regulations in place to maintain a level playing field for buyers, sellers, and investors online, there are some practises that attempt to circumvent these standards. It’s unfortunate, but there will always be people wanting for more stuff, even if it’s not truthful.
Domain front running is one of the untrustworthy practises that will almost certainly result in major trust difficulties between registrants and potential domain buyers.
Is this practise still going on today? Is this something that has happened before? There may appear to be opposing viewpoints, but let’s examine at the available facts to see what we can learn about domain management and how to avoid it.
What is the definition of domain name front running?
The technique of registrars purchasing domain names with the goal of selling them online to a larger number of potential clients is known as domain name front running. Because investors and webmasters utilise registrar search tools to identify domain names, the registrar is aware of the names they are interested in.
People who wish to acquire a domain name are anxious that if they find a nice domain name in the registry but are unable to purchase it immediately, they will return to see the name they have purchased.
That domain will then have “For Sale” as a landing page with advertisements. The registration is private to the registrar, and contacting the seller for a price results in a substantially greater “price premium” than when the name was utilised a few days ago. If this appears to be poor practise, it is.
This practise should, in theory, end in 2013, however perspectives differ on whether this is the case. Why 2013? Because that was the year that an ICANN rule change prohibited the practise of applying for a registrar.
This follows a public humiliation in a case against Network Solutions in 2008, when they permitted a practise that they claimed was not a demonstration of a domain name but entailed a price increase and sounded the same. The prosecutor won victorious in the case.
So, why do some domain registrars behave this way? Simple. For quick profit. However, if you follow these procedures and sign up with a reputable domain registration company, you may avoid this.
How can you keep your domain name front and centre?
1. Do not discuss it in public
It is prohibited for a registrar to utilise lookup information to purchase a domain. But if you’re raving about a terrific name you found and other people hear about it, go ahead and buy it.
Don’t brag about the wonderful domain names you discovered. Especially before making a purchase. It’s merely a plea to take it away from you
2. Do not conduct your search in public; instead, utilise a computer terminal
When you utilise a registrar locator, you are essentially requesting information from the registry database about what is and is not available.
You can do it right from your computer if you have the correct software. They will not have access to the name you are seeking for if you ignore the registrar’s search feature. If you have any of these systems, you can do the following:
a) On a Mac or Linux machine:
Launch the Terminal app (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app). To get to Terminal quickly, press Command + Spacebar at the same time, then type Terminal.
Without the quotations, enter whoisquery.ext. Where “query” represents the domain and “ext” represents the extension.
For example, to perform a WHOIS lookup on domainherpa.com, type whois domainherpa.com.
Examine the output. If your domain is not registered, the message “No match for QUERY.EXT” will appear.
b) On a Windows machine, perform the following steps:
Download and launch Whois v1.01 from Microsoft. Alternatively, press Command+Space and then type Terminal.
Without the quotations, type “whois query.ext”, where “query” is the domain and “ext” is the extension.
Enter “whois domainsherpa.com” to run a WHOIS search on the site, for example.
Ir will display the output. If the domain is not registered, the message “No match for QUERY.EXT” will appear.
3. Register right away
Don’t be afraid to use an excellent name. If you acquire it now, there is no way somebody will come along and cut it off.
Immediately register the name and keep it in your account until you are ready to use it.
Conclusion
We hope you now understand how to avoid domain front running and what you can do ahead of time to avoid bearing the brunt of it. You may surely preserve your domain name for a longer period of time if preparations are done in advance.