Facebook gets its deals on, but without FacebookDeals.com.
Facebook formally launched its new deals offering today in five test cities (including my hometown of Austin, Texas.) Here’s what I see when I go to Facebook.com/deals:
One thing the social networking behemoth doesn’t have is the domain name FacebookDeals.com. That domain was registered way back in 2006 and has been protected by a whois proxy ever since.
Not having this domain isn’t a bit loss for the company. People come to Facebook.com anyway, and I suspect most awareness of the Deals offering will come through social interaction while users are logged in to Facebook.
The caveat is that the domain name could be used in a way that damages Facebook’s brand, such as an online sweepstakes that looks like it’s part of Facebook. Or a phishing attempt.
For now the domain name resolves to a simple 1&1 “coming soon” page.
glaxxon says
Fb can easily get it back with a UDRP, despite the fact that the domain was registered in 2006.