Where have all the domain names gone?

[Ned]

Right, somebody out there must know what happens to all the domain names.

I'm looking at setting up a couple more sites and researching available names yet loads and loads of likely ones are not available.
But when u look they're not actually in use, so what is going on?

Is there some bulk free name reservation scam where people just reserve lots of good names for some reason without it costing them anything? If I reserved loads and loads of names it would cost me a fortune so how can they do it?

Any way round this? - though the name doesn't matter much in this case anyway - I'm just intrigued.

[krazykizza]

ovh.co.uk do a free .co.uk system for a year, if you dont cough up after the year they put it on hold until the end of the two years. So the site you built up in that year would be trashed if you didnt pay the five quid renewal fee.

[JamieKG]

A lot of people buy domain names and then sit on them in case someone like you wants to buy one then they charge you the earth for them for example I wanted a domain the other day It was on a holding page I contacted the person who owned it and they replied with the domains I own start at $10,000 make me a offer

I obviously did not buy it

[Jake]

thats ridiculous! domains should cost about £2.99 per 2 years! Not £10000

[JamieKG]

Originally Posted by Jake

thats ridiculous! domains should cost about £2.99 per 2 years! Not £10000

Yes .co.uk ones others like .com .net are around £8.50 per year I think there should be rules on whether they should be force to put it back on the market
I would have gave her £100 for it but not $10,000

[Jake]

yes, this should not happen but i guess its like anything else, if someone bought it, they can do with it as they please as long as its not unlawful.