Who is the Primary Owner of All the Domain Names?

"How to purchase a NEWLY expired DOMAIN name immediately"

• I'd like to purchase a newly expired domain name (expired, according to whois) a few days ago, and looks like it is owned by a non-USA entity. The url currently has a generic 'placeholder' site, and doesn't look to be utilized...I believe it will NOT be renewed by the company that currently owns it. I would like to be the FIRST to have the opportunity to purchase this url before anyone else, providing it is not renewed by current owner! Related research needs: 1) When/how are urls "released" (read 'purchasable)' after they have expired? 2) Is there a site that will sell me this expired domain name faster than any of the other general sites that sell domains? Currently, even though this domain name has expired I still CANNOT purchase it through buydomains, or godaddy. I do NOT wish to bid for it (paying more than $10 a year) and want to try to purchase it on the 'open market' through buydomains who I register all my domain names with. Is there OTHER companies like buydomains that will allow me to purchase this domain "faster?" I'm assuming the governing body has regulated the available time frame to keep 'everyone' on a level playing field...but you should know much more than me. I have heard of namewinner through dotster starting at $25. but not sure if this is considered the "industry standard site," in otherwords, the one the best web masters utilize. 3)Do you think I'll have better luck, or is it advisable to seek to purchase the site directly from the site's current registrar?

• Answer:

  Hi, maptheway. Since there are many domain name registrars with many different policies, registering an expired domain can be difficult, to say the least... When a domain name 'expires' - the period the current owner registers it for has passed - the domain name is deactivated first. After a brief period, the domain is then returned to the pool of domains available for registration. The length of this grace period varies depending on the registrar. Some may release it for registration immediately, while others may wait as long as 60 days past the listed expiration date. You can usually find the length of this waiting period from the previous registrar's web page and FAQ (usually listed in the whois information). According to http://www.isp-planet.com/perspectives/unclaimed.html, this period may also be extended by "a registration partial payment, billing disputes, credit card charge-backs, bounced check charge-backs, clerical mistakes, incorrect postings, bankruptcy [or] legal disputes". As for registing an expired domain: one service that will allow you to 'reserve' a domain name is Snapnames (http://www.snapnames.com/). When a domain name expires, they will immediately register this domain for you automatically. This service is, however, considerably more expensive than a 'normal' domain name registration. The domain is also registered though their company, not through your registrar of choice (although it is possible to transfer the domain at a later date). If you want to register the domain yourself through BuyDomains, a service that might be of use to you is Domain Watcher (http://www.domain-watcher.com/). This service will 'watch' a domain, and notify you the moment it becomes available to register, without actually registering it. This too, however, costs a fee. Your last option is to check the 'whois' information as frequently as possible, and to register it as soon as it becomes available. As for your success, this will vary depending on how popular the name is. If it's reasonably obscure then it may not be registered immediately, while if it is popular, other people may already be watching it. On the other hand, if the domain name has passed it's expiry date, then it is possible you will no longer be able to buy it off it's current owners, since they will have no control of it. These sites may also be of use to you: 'Domain Name Deletion and Expiry Cycle': http://www.igoldrush.com/expired1.htm Article on domain name expiry: http://www.isp-planet.com/perspectives/unclaimed.html These searches may also provide additional information: 'on hold expired domain period': ://www.google.com/search?q=on+hold+expired+domain+period 'registering expired domain name': ://www.google.com/search?q=registering+expired+domain+name&btnG=Google+Search I hope this information is of use. -- wildeeo