Backordering a domain.

[Shawn]

A domain I want that has been registered for the past six years expires Nov. 17th of this year. The site hasn't been active for the past two years, so there's a good possibility the domain will become available.

Question is: Will I be able to register it the day afterwards or is there some sort of waiting period?

[LuckyShima]

There is no way you will get it the day after it expires. You can expect to wait about 45 days until it becomes available. Then you will have to compete with others who might be watching it or see it on the "expiring domains" lists that are updated daily.

If you really want it you will have to apply for it with one of the expiring name catchers such as:

pool.com
snapnames.com
enom.com

Then, if one of the companies you have registered with to grab the dropped domain name has someone else also wanting to grab the name, you will have to go into an auction process with them.

If it is registered with Network Solutions then you have the added problem of them not releasing the names:

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/Oct/1080880.htm

"When Network Solutions announced a month ago it would retain expired domain names and not release them into the open market, it sought to impose a system that will unfairly extend the value of the near-monopoly it enjoys over '.com' addresses,""

It is not clear how this strategy by Network Solutions will play out in the end.

[Kyle]

Backorder the domain everywhere. Pool.com gets the most however.

Pool.com
SnapNames.com
Enom.com
NameWinner.com
GoDaddy.com

Enom doesnt let you backorder the domain until it has entered the 6 day period.

[chromate]

I used pool.com, snapnames.com and namewinner.com when I was trying to get discountdream.com. snapnames got it for me.

[Westech]

Icebane is right. If the name is really important to you, pay up and backorder it in all of the places listed in his post. I've cheaped out a few times on some domains I really wanted, only to kick myself when it was snapped up by one of the one or two places I didn't backorder from. Pool and Snapnames seem to get the most.

Even if you backorder everywhere, you still may not get it. There are several companies that attempt to grab expiring names for themselves either to resell or to hold on to for the traffic. Ultsearch and BuyDomains are two examples. I lost a domain I've wanted for a long time to BuyDomains a while back. Now they are "accepting offers" on it, and won't consider any bids lower than $699. It's not worth anywhere near that.

Good luck. This can be a nerve-wracking, expensive, and often disappointing experience.

[Shawn]

I'll spend thousands getting this name. I've always wanted it.

I'll also kill for it. Be aware.

[Westech]

Thousands, huh? What did you say that name was again? ;)

[Shawn]

Pooponastick.com.

[Blue Cat Buxton]

Pooponastick.com.

Sounds like it will be money well spent then

[James]

Have you considered emailing the webmaster and just asking to buy it?

[Shawn]

I have considered that, but if I do that, he could decide to go ahead and renew the registration for the domain, just to see how much money he could get out of me.

[Westech]

<runs off to backorder pooponastick.com...>

On a serious note, you're right to hold off on contacting the owner if it's about to expire. If he ends up renewing it, then it's time to think about contacting him.

If he won't sell, then it's time to think about murder.

[Kyle]

You won't have to throw money away. Snapnames, pool, enom, and namewinner are all auctioned based. You don't pay anything unless they get it.

GoDaddy, which has a joke of a backorder program, never gets domains. They charge like $15 I think.

[Shawn]

Good call, Westech. Murder should be legal.

[James]

So couldn't you, in theory, use all of the services at the same time to try and get the best chances?

[Blue Cat Buxton]

So couldn't you, in theory, use all of the services at the same time to try and get the best chances?

But then if it is like an auction, you would be bidding against yourself, just pushing up the price

[LuckyShima]

But then if it is like an auction, you would be bidding against yourself, just pushing up the price
No, it doesn't quite work like that. If you are registered with all the name catcher services then they will compete with each other to grab the name when it becomes available. There is no auction process at this stage.

The name catcher service which grabs the name will then see how many people were registered with it for that name (we will assume there was at least one for it to try to grab the name). If there is more than one person registered with it for that domain name that it has just grabbed, then there is an auction process to see who gets it. If there is only person wanting the domain name then it is passed to them for the pre-specified fee.

So ... the auction process only happens after one of the name catcher services has grabbed the name and only happens if more than one person has registered with them for that name.

The name catcher services do not pay any premium for dropped names, so there is nothing to auction. It is free to the first one who is lucky or expert enough to get it.

This is how it works in general. However, just recently Network Solutions (Verisign) have won the right to retain expired domain names and to conduct an auction of that expired domain name without the domain name being released (dropped) into the pool so everyone else can try to grab it. It is not yet clear how this is going to play out.

[Blue Cat Buxton]

Ah ha, that makes more sense

[Westech]

However, just recently Network Solutions (Verisign) have won the right to retain expired domain names and to conduct an auction of that expired domain name without the domain name being released (dropped) into the pool so everyone else can try to grab it. It is not yet clear how this is going to play out.

I've been out of the game for awhile. Is this WLS finally implemented, or is this some new bullcrap that Verisign has come up with?

[LuckyShima]

I've been out of the game for awhile. Is this WLS finally implemented, or is this some new bullcrap that Verisign has come up with?
I was talking about something new, where the expiring domain name remains under the control of the registrar where it is registered which can then hold a private auction.

I was blaming Verisign for this but it seems Tucows had already announced something similar.

http://www.icann.org/announcements/announcement-21sep04-1.htm

[paulfitz]

Strangely I've had good success with BlueRazor, which is affiliated with GoDaddy... Maybe the names just weren't in demand...

Pool didn't even update me of the status of the domain until 3 weeks after somone else registered it.

But as already said, try em all!

[ozgression]

Does anyone know how long the "redemption period" lasts? I have been watching a domain which expired over two months ago, but it still hasn't dropped.
________
Batavia Transmission (http://www.ford-wiki.com/wiki/Batavia_Transmission)

[s2kinteg916]

Try freewho.com ozgression it gives u a estimated date..

[ozgression]

Cool, thanks for that link.

Cheers...
________
silver surfer vaporizer (http://vaporizers.net/silver-surfer-vaporizer)

[chromate]

There's a good "time line" of a domain name life cycle somewhere on snapnames.com too.