Gold Rush Scramble for Expired Domain Names

Do you ever wonder:
What happens to expired domain names?
This article is going to help you master the domain names expiring process and how you can benefit from the quantum list of expired domain names that become available each and every single day.

In order to understand what happens when registering and renewing domain names, it may help first of all to know the structure and composition of a domain name.

A domain name is made up of two parts.

The last part is called the top level domain name

This is the part that is .com or .org or .net. There are many more of those extensions now that the Internet has been around for awhile. There are even top level domains that are country specific such as .fr for France. In fact, your country may have one too! Why not check around and find out for sure.

The second part of the domain name is the name you choose

This is called the sub-domain. It is either the name that you make up or it can be the expired name that someone else made up. Shortly, we will see how you can get hold of such valuable names.

All the domain names are recorded in a database and no two can be the same. That is why once you choose a great domain name, it’s your to use and none other!

Unless of course…keep reading! The Catch!

When registering a domain name, you are only entitled to use it for the period of time that you choose to pay for. That period of time maybe a year, two years or 10 years.

Once you let the fees lapse for that period, the domain name will expire and it will no longer be yours to use. Most registrars allow a domain name to be registered for a period ranging from one year to ten years.

Expired Domain Names Cycle, How it works

There are stages that a domain name goes through from the time a given name is registered to the moment it’s deemed as having expired. The first stage in this process is the “expiry date”.

As discussed above, a domain name is registered for however long a period you decide on and are allowed to be registered by law. When the domain name is due to be registered again and is not, that date is called the ‘expiry date’.

The next stage is when the registration period is up and you have the choice of renewing or not. An accredited registrar will typically send you a reminder well in advance of the upcoming expiration. During this time you only pay the standard fee charged for domain name renewal.

If you decide not to re-register your domain name, you will typically have a few days in which you can change your mind. Normally you will have a grace period that lasts about 40 days. Some registrars charge an extra fee if the name is renewed during this period.

When the 40 days are over, the domain name enters the redemption period. Be sure to pay handsomely in the name of fees if you change your mind to renew the expiring domain name at this stage.

After about 75 days since the expiry date, if you still do not want the domain name; it now depends on the registrar what happens next. They may delete the domain name or they can hold it for awhile before deleting it.

The domain name may show as being registered to the “unpaid names” department and stay in that status until it is finally deleted. Once the domain name gets to this point, it is almost ready to be re-registered.

That can cause a stir if the name is particularly valuable. Sometimes names are off the market for years and when they become available, people can get very excited at the prospect of getting the rights to that name.

How to Snatch Expired Domain Names for yourself

Is there a given domain name that you’ve set your eyes on and know that for sure it would be the perfect domain name for your business? If so, you may be in the company of many others who are keeping an eye on the same name as well.

Once such a names is available for re-registering, if you are not quick, someone else may just grab the name. Here is how not to let that happen to you:

The best way of ensuring a chance to snatch one of those desirable names is knowing when it is about to be put back into the available domain names pool before others know about them as well.

There are sources that will provide that useful information. There are some that will tell you which ones have expired in the past 24 hours. This information is varied. Some require you to be a member of their site. Others provide the service free.

Names that are about to Expire

If you are planning to look for names that are getting ready to expire there are several sites that you can use for this as well. This does not mean they will not be renewed, but if you find a couple you want to keep an eye on, this is a good way of doing so.

There are sites that keep track of such details and you can use them to find out what is available. As with the expired names registry, some are free and some are paid memberships. In addition, you can also get a list of all the domain names that are going to be expiring on a certain date.

It is rarely possible to be able to get to know a domain name that is about to expire without using some type of tools and software. That is why there is a whole new niche dedicated just to helping people to learn all about the secrets of how to find expired domain names that they want.

Although they are not 100% when it comes to getting the best expired domain names for you, they have a better chance than you having to do it by manually trying to be the first one discover when those names becomes available or when one is deleted.

These companies typically charge a fee. What this basically means is that you are paying for a chance to be among the first to get to know as the names become available for re-registration. If they do not get any of the names you wanted within a specific time, you are always able to bail out.

Regardless of how you get the name, you will have to keep in mind; you do not own the domain name. You are only allowed to use the name as long as you pay the renewal fees. It does not matter that you thought up the name. You still are subject to paying fees to use the name.

Where Money is involved:

Because of the fee and money aspect involved, it’s always wise to know the previous owner of the name and what they used that name for. That is especially true if you are planning to use the name for a brand new site.

It is also handy to know if that is a domain name that has been out of circulation for a while or has been banned by search engines and such valuable information.

In conclusion, keep in mind, your domain name usually says something specific about your site. If you want to keep the domain name you chose make sure you pay the renewal fees on time. This will keep your name from expiring and being picked up by someone else.

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