Some advice please

[suzi]

Hi Guys

Been a long time since I was active on here... life has caught up and overtaken me! Will hopefully find some time to give my domains some attention at some point. Meanwhile....

I own a two word generic .co.uk domain. It might be something like 'thatchedcottages' - this isn't it and it isn't immediately similar, but this is close enough to serve the purpose.

I used to have it liked to a PPC site, but for quite a while (at least a year or two, possibly a bit longer) I've just had it listed with the registrars’ standard 'This Domain is For Sale' page.

A year or so ago I was approached by someone, who it subsequently transpired was effectively working as an agent for a company, who were intending to set up a new venture / subsidiary. The subsidiary was intending to carry out the business of - in my example - renting out thatched cottages. We discussed significant sums for the domain, but they subsequently bought the exact .com equivalent and pulled out of our negotiations. At about that time they also registered 'Thatched Cottages Ltd'.

A few months later, they now have a draft website up and running on the .com and I've just received an email from the CEO / MD or whatever he is, which he's actually sent to someone starting work for him, but has misaddressed the email to the .co.uk, instead of the .com! Hence it arrived in my inbox!

So - what I really want to know is, what's my position and is my domain under any threat from them? Can they try to claim it? What can I do to protect it? Its value is only really in the renting out of 'thatched cottages'. Should I put up a 'thatched cottage' rental site before their website comes out of beta? Or is it too late? Or is that the last thing I should do?!

Is there anything else I should / could do? Approach them with the suggestion that they ought to buy me out to prevent this happening to their clients?!! Or is my generic domain safe for me to keep and at some point, develop in to a 'thatched cottage' rental website, or possibly sell on in the future, either to them, or maybe one of their competitiors who already have a 'thatched cottage' rental business?

Many thanks

Suzi

PS Just to reiterate, the domain has nothing to do with cottages, thatched or otherwise!

 

[boxfish]

PS Just to reiterate, the domain has nothing to do with cottages, thatched or otherwise!

Does it have anything to do with one of the domains in your signature?

 

[suzi]

Ha! Thanks, but no it doesn't! I checked that before posting.

 

[namealot]

Maybe genuine error do you have “catch all” or common email e.g. admin@ sales@ accounts@ etc If its more unique exclusive to you perterpiper12x@ etc I doubt it?
Some its just a fishing trip see what you do, some try and use as mud to sling when creating a case normally easily countered but pain?

As your registration predates both there company and com set up (I might check for other cctlds TLDs incase they own those?) building a site may help but also depends what you said to them there agent in earlier correspondence? DRS chances of them winning are slim to none you don’t need to do anything? Maybe remove catch all or common emails set a unique email on holding page if you get more then you have a better idea there up to something?

 

[crabfoot]

Not long back I got £5k for an old .co.uk that I bought for £25. Because the registration pre-dated the purchaser's use of the keyword for biz purposes, and it had a (wrecked) site on it, they had to buy it ...

I would register the .uk, put up 5 pages on the history of thatched cottages, just so you can't be accused of squatting, then wait for them to come back and make an offer.

I would wager money that they will return.