He lists 7201 Boyer, Montreal, Quebec H2R2R6, as his address. This is the address of some kind construction company, Aluminium Etc. Can't email them as they don't seem to have a site or an email. They do have a phone number listed, 514-945-5251, but I'm too lazy to call.
So this guy is now threatening legal action, go ahead dude.
Now here's some more info. The guy updated registration address to 5154 Rue De Cadillac, Montreal, QC H1M2K9, which, while found in Canada, is not found in Canadian White Pages. Guess what else is not found in Canadian White Pages, Magiel Greeff.
Now another name which appears associated with that address on domain registrations is Ockert Greeff, who also doesn't appear in Canadian Yellow Pages. However, the host of gm52.com, firstwebspaces.com, is registered to Ockert Greeff of 30 barnes road, brixton, johannesburg, gauteng 2092, ZA. And ZA stands for, South Afrika.
Is this a scam? Is this the new 419?
Can make no claims other than what I've said above. Email came from Magiel Greeff who is listed as owner of the domain. Both addresses do exist in Canada. But.
Greetings
I'm Magiel Greeff, a software developer from Montreal, Canada. I see
that you are associated with hchinc.net and that your website
appears for the search term "carpet cleaners nyc". I thought that you might
like to know that I am seeking a buyer for my domain name
CarpetCleanersNyc.net.
CarpetCleanersNyc.net is a defining name for this industry and owning such
a
name will attract targeted customers. In addition, you will find that
Google will boost your ranking for "carpet cleaners nyc" once you start
adding
content to the website. Google reports a monthly search volume of
6600 searches for "carpet cleaners nyc".
If you do not wish to develop a website for the domain right now, you
can point the domain to your existing website, so that visitors to the
domain arrive automatically at your existing website. Even if you just
keep this domain for future use or sale, it will solidify your online
presence and block competitors.
If you would like to consider acquiring this domain name, or would
like more information, please reply to this message. I would be
willing to offer you CarpetCleanersNyc.net at a very reasonable price.
Thank you for taking the time to read this message. I look forward to
hearing from you.
All the best,
Magiel
GM52.com
Tel: +1 (518) 213-3660
E-mail: magiel@gm52.com
I am Magiel Greeff. Moshe is entitled to his opinions, but I want to make it clear that I do in fact own the domain in question - CarpetCleanersNyc.net. Anybody with questions are welcome to contact me at the the email address or phone number listed above and I will gladly provide proof of ownership.
ReplyDeleteSo this guy starts emailing me about how, even though while claiming to do web development and SEO and having no knowledge of either and even though his advice will hurt whoever is stupid enough to buy the domain from him, it's not a scam. And apparently it's an old address which he forgot to update.
ReplyDeleteDid some more exploring. His site, gm52, has folder browsing enabled. His site is hosted by firstwebspaces.com which also has folder browsing enabled and contains a php file with A LOT of errors. Also an html page, which, OMG, has frontpage mentioned in it! Now the real host is iweb.com. So if you have any problems, make sure to complain to them.
I never said that you don't own it. I'm sure you do. It's what happens after someone pays you that I find questionable.
ReplyDeleteAnybody that has questions regarding the value of this domain name, or domain names in general, can contact me or research exact match domain names. I suggest - http://www.seomoz.org/blog/exact-match-domains-are-far-too-powerful-is-their-time-limited
ReplyDeleteThe seo component is ofcourse just one factor in the value of a domain name. A good, descriptive name stands out within searhc engine results and tells a web user instantly what the site offers, and therefore attracts more visitors.
Actually, what people should research is what happens if they change their domain name or have their site use multiple domains for same content.
ReplyDeleteOk, now those are good discussion points.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to change your domain name, you should use a permamnent redirect as recommended by Google, and your existing rankings will carry over to your new website. Research 301 permanent redirect.
Duplicate content is not advisable, but pointing a domain to another domain does not have a negative effect on rankings. It is having two different sites with the same content that is not good for the newer site.
Hope this helps!
Spam, but worthy of a repost. ROFLMAO!
ReplyDeleteHmm, very interesting post. However, with all respect, Moshe, I don't understand why you had to be hostile to him. Let's review the facts. Someone contacted you about a domain they (presumably) own and asked you if you're interested in buying. Regardless of your interest in the domain, you have the right to be worried that they may be scamming, so just ask them how they guarantee delivery.
ReplyDeleteI work in the domain brokering industry and we often research domains and contact their owners to try and buy their domains for our clients. We ALWAYS close the deal with the help of an escrow service and a well-known domain registrar to guarantee the domain property will get transferred to us when the payment is made. Domains are like any other property. They can be developed (like a hotel or a family home ready to live in), or undeveloped (like a vacant piece of land in a nice location that you can buy and develop yourself to your own liking).
I hope my comment helped your understanding, and L'Shanah Tovah. If I were you, I would delete the blog post or tone it down. There's no point in going around using the scammer word with people you don't know and haven't verified that they are indeed scammers. But that's just my humble opinion. It's up to you to behave however your conscience tells you. May you be written for a good year.