Man Manages To Buy Argentina's Google Domain Name For £2

A man managed to buy Google Argentina's domain name after the site went down for a couple of hours last week.

Nicolas Kurona said he 'never imagined' he'd actually be able to purchase the domain, but he did so through a perfectly normal and legal process.

Web designer Kurona was working on a client's website last Wednesday (21 April) when he started to receive messages telling him Google was down.

Twitter/Nicolas Kurona

Speaking to the BBC, he said: "I entered www.google.com.ar into my browser and it didn't work.

"I thought something strange was happening."

So he visited the Network Information Centre Argentina (NIC), which is responsible for operating the Argentinian (.ar) domain names and after searching for Google.ar was shocked to see it listed as available for purchase.

Although not really thinking it would work, Kurona decided to try and buy it and soon 'received an email with the purchase invoice'.

The 30-year-old showed the BBC documents that prove he paid just 270 pesos (£2.08/$2.90) for the domain name.

After completing his purchase, Kurona typed www.google.com.ar into his search bar and was met with his personal data.

"I was frozen looking at the screen. I could not believe what had just happened," he told the news outlet.

His little experiment meant that at 9.52pm local time all the millions of google.ar searchers were coming to him.

PA

Kurona added: "I want to make it clear that I never had any bad intentions, I just tried to buy it and the NIC allowed me to."

He went on to say he's just grateful he didn't get in any trouble and that the NIC has since took the domain name away from him - although they're yet to refund him his 270 pesos.

Google Argentina told the BBC: "For a short term, the domain was acquired by someone else."

It confirmed it had regained control of the domain name 'very quickly'.

It's unclear how Kurona was able to make the purchase, with Google telling the BBC its licence for the domain hadn't expired and wasn't set to do so until July this year.

But whatever caused it, it's resulted in a weird week for Kurona who says it's 'slightly strange' he's suddenly receiving so much attention.

Topics: Google, Technology, Weird

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19