Buying a domain name

how to avoid getting swindled

[gershon]

I'm about to purchase a domain name for several hundred dollars. The seller is in the domain name sales business. However, they don't seem to be so established etc., and I'd like to make sure that I actually get the domain name transferred.

What is the best way to handle this? How can we both ensure that we get what we've agreed to?

I'll add that the price is only a few hundred dollars, so expensive solutions are not relevant.

[gpmgroup]

Credit card and Paypal or Escrow.

[Webwork]

1. Get a sense of the seller. It's often helpful to have a phone coversation.

2. Escrow.com does a very nice job.

3. Be certain that the actual registration is transferred, which is more than the WhoIs record being updated.

4. Be certain to move the domain into an account over which you have exclusive control, not an account which is a sub-account of the seller.

That's a pretty good start for avoiding swindles.

[TopNames]

When buying a domain, the pitfall is in true ownership...not the funds transfer.

Use the www.#*$! history tool (fee based) to research the ownership history of a domain. If you see a recent whois change, contact the old owner to see if he did indeed sell the domain. Many of the current scammers are just changign the phone number and email address on the whois info...making it look like the old owner just updated his info.

[gershon]

Okay, I'll make sure to call them on the phone first, and I'll use escrow.com (do you know of any service with a lesser minimum fee?). How do I ensure that they transfer the actual ownership, not just the whois?