question Is it wise to contact the owner of a domain name that is expiring and buy the domain?

[jideofor]

Hello,


The topic was changed just before i hit the submit button. I had wanted to mention the name of the domain holder but I don't feel it is wise to do so.

Okay here is the deal, I have this domain name I will like to own. It expired since over 15 days ago and I don't think he is going to renew it.

However, do you think it is wise to contact the current owner and offer them say $50 for the domain name or it is best I allow it hit godaddy auction and try to buy it from there?

While I like the idea of approaching the current owner, my worry is that he may see reasons to renew and hijack the price instead of selling to me.

What do you think?

 

[NickB]

I personally would take my chance at Godaddy - Like you say the owner will more than likely renew and ask for a lot more money as they see it has interest.

The risk is that it might go for more than $50 in the auction but probably far less than what the owner would of originally asked for

 

[UncleBrand]

by experience, if you offer 50$
this will be rejected, and the guy will ask for Xxx or some crazy number
you better track down the auction and don't mention it here

 

[jideofor]

I personally would take my chance at Godaddy - Like you say the owner will more than likely renew and ask for a lot more money as they see it has interest.

The risk is that it might go for more than $50 in the auction but probably far less than what the owner would of originally asked for

Thanks. I will track it down and wait. I do track it every day for the past 15 days.

 

[MapleDots]

Hello,


The topic was changed just before i hit the submit button. I had wanted to mention the name of the domain holder but I don't feel it is wise to do so.

Okay here is the deal, I have this domain name I will like to own. It expired since over 15 days ago and I don't think he is going to renew it.

However, do you think it is wise to contact the current owner and offer them say $50 for the domain name or it is best I allow it hit godaddy auction and try to buy it from there?

While I like the idea of approaching the current owner, my worry is that he may see reasons to renew and hijack the price instead of selling to me.

What do you think?

I have acquired numerous domains with direct contact of the owner. I think the odds are better getting it there than on the open market because you are negotiating with a single person. As soon as it hits GoDaddy you are competing with the world and if the domain has any real value it is going to get expensive pretty quick.

So I will go against the grain here and say YES contact the domain owner.

I did and was successful for quite a reasonable price.
If you are successful in 2-3 out of ten times then it will have been worth it and you beat everyone else to the punch.

 

[bmugford]

Any decent domain is likely going to sell @ GD for decent money at public auction.

As far as contacting the owner, you never know.

If you contact the owner they might renew it and keep it, they might want a crazy amount, or they might be happy to sell it for cheap.

I would take a chance in a situation where you think the domain is likely to go for more at auction than you are willing to pay for it. In that situation what do you have to lose?

But, at the same time I don't think $50 is a real compelling offer for an owner either.
You are probably going to need to come to the table with a better offer for a realistic chance of success.

Brad

 

[equity78]

Who is the owner? A domainer or someone not associated with domaining. I think any domainer is renewing and never selling for $50. If it's a person who just owned it for a blog or some website then you do have a chance, but like @bmugford said you need to be more than $50. Best of luck.

 

[hookbox]

If it's a domain that you want to keep for yourself then let it go to auction and if you overpay a bit so be it. If you show interest to the owner he may want to keep it. If you're buying it to resell then make an offer and he may bite and if he doesn't then try to get it at auction. Most people won't waste their time for 50 bucks. 250 bucks will at least get your foot in the door.

 

[Josytal]

If the domain has some value, it will attract attention and receive bids on GD. If there is no bid till now, may be that's an indicator that the domain, after all, doesn't worth much. Just an opinion.

 

[RevolutionaryDomains]

If the name is reg'd at GD and still within the grasp of the current registrant, s/he will likely have to pay the $80 redemption fee, plus the renewal fee, just to keep the name to enable selling it to you. If this is the case, your $50 offer falls short. Best to offer something that covers their costs in full, and makes it worth their time and hassle, IMO.

If it's a name that only you have a bead on, and interest in owning, expired auction may be the better option. However, if even remotely good, and part of a currently popular niche, such as crypto, marijuana, augmented reality, etc; then an expired auction may cost you more.

Researching similar names in the same niche to see recent expired auction prices may help you decide which option is best...gl

 

[RevolutionaryDomains]

Waiting may not be your best option if it's already over 15 days. Looks like registrants have until day 18 to renew at standard renewal rates. Below is the process s/he will have to go through to get it back if beyond day 18...cheers!

https://www.godaddy.com/help/recovering-expired-domain-names-5018

If your domain name expired more than 18 days ago, you can attempt to recover it. Besides the cost of renewal, you might be required to pay a redemption fee. If your domain expired less than 18 days ago, you can manually renew it.

 

[Coinking]

I have tried this method and you know owner offer me $40,000 of two words .com and i laugh loudly and than orginal owner instantly renew it.
So don't contact them the chances of renew increase.

 

[MadAboutDomains]

My experience with this is that 9 out of 10 times the person that owns the name realises that it's expiring and renews the name. Often with no reply to the enquiry email about purchasing the name.

 

[karmaco]

My experience with this is that 9 out of 10 times the person that owns the name realises that it's expiring and renews the name. Often with no reply to the enquiry email about purchasing the name.

Yes they renew immediately and then either reply or don’t.

 

[RevolutionaryDomains]

Could be the registrant is simply getting the free press, so to speak, by letting it run to the end of the renewal period, which is day 18. Names receive more eyes during the process, and sometimes more offers once renewed. I do this with many names, as it gets them on the up and coming drop lists for folks to see, which is just casting out another line among potential buyers.

That said, it may work to your benefit to wait and make your offer inquiry at, or after, day 19, to ensure they have to pay the $80 redemption fee on top of the renewal fee. They're less likely to back out of an agreement once they pony up the funds to re-secure the name so it can be resold. Just ensure to use Escrow, so you are protected. That way, if they did back out you don't lose any money, and they'll have to eat the redemption costs on a name they were going to let drop.

 

[jideofor]

Actually,

I would have reached out to the current owner but on seeing he is a domainer, I decided not to.

I had reached out a domain owner before, bought the domain name and sold it for 4 figures. However, this was due to the fact that the person in this case isn't a domainer.

 

[Lord Antares]

I also tried this and the owner saw the message and didn't respond. Probably renewed the name.

I guesd if you keep trying, you might get lucky. Btw what's your method of finding the owner?

 

[ResoluteDomains]

Hello,


The topic was changed just before i hit the submit button. I had wanted to mention the name of the domain holder but I don't feel it is wise to do so.

Okay here is the deal, I have this domain name I will like to own. It expired since over 15 days ago and I don't think he is going to renew it.

However, do you think it is wise to contact the current owner and offer them say $50 for the domain name or it is best I allow it hit godaddy auction and try to buy it from there?

While I like the idea of approaching the current owner, my worry is that he may see reasons to renew and hijack the price instead of selling to me.

What do you think?

I am renewing my dropped names now! hahahahaha! JK

I would contact the owner, you never know. Otherwise Huge Domains or whatever that monster is called will likely get it and sell it back to you for $2000.

 

[wwwweb]

I believe Merlin perfected this craft long when many good domains were available, and before the registers realized how lucrative expired domains were.

Majority of the time they don't realize registration has lapsed, so your screwed there.

Other times they have more into it, so they are not going to sell it to your for a wholesale amount, other times they are busy professionals, and cannot be bothered for a few bucks, and would rather let it follow the natural cycle, then sell it to what they may label you as a domain squatter.

Many times many automated bots have already spammed them if you are talking of something of value, and they are keen to think it is worth more.

The good days of such practice are long gone, many from Rob @ Epik employed Jessica to constantly scan, and send out emails trying to buy up 4-5 figure domains with $100 opening offers that were going into Expiry.

Godaddy I believe banned a few people who they caught doing this as they said it was against their TOS.

In the end the likelyhood they renew it, or want more than you can currently get it for is probably a higher probability of working against you than getting it in auction. The issue is auctions have become very expensive, and aggressive, not much gets by anymore, and everything has a premium valuation right there next to it seeming like a bargain sitting there waiting to be bought.

 

[TRY]

I often let my domain names run to the 18th day before I renew them. I have been contacted in the past about domain names that expired past this date. Often it is not worth my time and effort and just let them get deleted eventually.
For example for $50 it would not be worth my time.

 

[wwwweb]

I often let my domain names run to the 18th day before I renew them. I have been contacted in the past about domain names that expired past this date. Often it is not worth my time and effort and just let them get deleted eventually.
For example for $50 it would not be worth my time.

Many people do this as many buyers are watching them hoping they drop, and when they go into expiry they think they have it, only to see it get renewed two weeks later sometimes causes a knee jerk reaction of a purchase.

 

[Want2learn]

Depends on how badly you want IT or worse yet, NEED!

 

[Bob Hawkes]

I actually see a lot of logic in responses on both sides of the debate on this one.

If you know (probably not) that the owner is not a domainer I would be more apt to approach them, but in a way that does not show the enthusiasm you have for domain. You never know might get it if in their mind they are letting it go.

When I am half and half re whether to renew I often wait until near the end of the period before renewing (at least when no extra charge). In that case, agree with those who say any offer to a domainer is likely to raise resistance to wanting higher price.

As a buyer, it is always good to view this as just one off several names you are considering. There is no guarantee either way of getting it.

Good luck no matter what you decide, and let us know ultimately if you were able to get it.

Bob

 

[TRY]

When I wait to renew on the 18th day it is not done for exposure, I just wait till the last minute sometimes.

 

[jideofor]

Last year, i found MicroMasters.com and wanted to get it. I tried to buy it at Name.com expired auction but i often met an error message when I tried to. Unknown to me, the domain name could have been bought via Godaddy and I realised this after it ended

But before then, I reached out to the old owner and all i got was cold no reply. I wrote him twice before stopping.