Tracking down old domain owners

[dashu1]

Hello,
I'm trying to work out how to get hold of an old domain but seem to have hit a brick wall, I wondered if anyone here might have any ideas how I could find who I need to talk to - but I appreciate it's a long shot.

The domain originally belonged to an (government type) organisation who originally had a website on it. Lets call them organisation A.

Organisation A then merged into a new organisation (B) at which point they took down the website & haven't used the domain since (this was around 2004).

Organisation B then transformed into organisation C.

The domain is still registered with organisation A which of course no longer exists. It was re-registered without these details being changed in 2008.

If I can't track down whoever is now responsible for this domain (I've tried contacting organisation C to no avail), and since it is showing as belonging to a now defunct organisation, where can I go from here?

Will I just have to wait until it hopefully drops in 2010?

Thanks.

 

[bensd]

It was re-registered without these details being changed in 2008.

Renewed? or dropped and then re-registered?

Someone will have had to press the button in Org C, i guess just a bit more hard work and track down the right person(s).

EDIT - Just had another thought. Are there any specific contact names on the old website?

 

[Systreg]

Have you put the domain name in to www.archive.org? If there is history for it on there, then there may be some old contact numbers or addreses on the site pages from when A were running it.

 

[dashu1]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for the incredibly speedy answers

It was renewed it didn't drop, so as you say someone somewhere decided to hit the button and keep it.

It is listed on the archive but all it has is the old address and old phone numbers and no specific names unfortunately.

I've tried talking to organisation C but no one seems to have a clue, which I suspected might be the case when there have been so many changes.

I have to admit I'm a bit stumped.

PS - You would have imagined it would be someone at C that was now looking after it.

 

[bensd]

Have you asked to speak to the IT department (i assume it will be someone in this department dealing with domains/websites) at Org C?

They won't be the person to ask about if the domain is for sale however it might be a start.

 

[GreyWing]

Dash, I think I know who it is you are rtying to track down. I have tried this week and didn't get anywhere. Even registered org a's old domain name to try and get catch all email's to see if any clues, but no good.

Unfortunately would have been good to track them down but not to be.

 

[getmein]

I presume organisation C has a website, would it be worth contacting their web designers - they might have contact with whoever pressed the renew button in 2008. Are you likely to have any more luck if you go down in person (or is it a behemoth, multisite operation?). Can you find anyone at C who used to work at A?

Good luck and a well deserved acquistion if you manage to get hold of the domain.

 

[dashu1]

Thanks for the suggestions chaps.

I hadn't thought about trying the web designers. I'll have another pop at trying to dig deeper into org C then try the designers.

Greywing - I hope it isn't the same domain, this is tough enough without competition

 

[GreyWing]

Thanks for the suggestions chaps.

I hadn't thought about trying the web designers. I'll have another pop at trying to dig deeper into org C then try the designers.

Greywing - I hope it isn't the same domain, this is tough enough without competition

PM Sent........