i just got a dropped domain today - literally 2 hours ago.
as i got some help by reading through Namepros, i thought i'd register to contribute.
by way of background: although i'm quite IT literate, i've never dabbled in this whole backordering process before. i'm not someone who dabbles in this domain "business" either.
i'm just a guy looking for a domain to build my (already planned and designed) app on - all the names that are available did not meet the expectations of my partner and i.
yesterday i decided to look for a dropped domain on a whim. i googled for dropped domains, hit up the first link and started looking to see what i could find.
i liked one almost immediately, and after a quick discussion with my partner, i decided to plan to register it "by hand."
so i started googling what time, etc... then i realized there was no way (that i knew how) i could register the domain the moment it got dropped. everything took time which i realized i literally cannot beat.
so i headed over to namejet - the affiliated/authorized (?) dropped domain "dealer" (not sure if the terms are right here) - got registered and waited for the next day.
seeing no one bid on the domain on namejet made me happy, and i waited until literally the last minute to place a $39 offer. deal done, i went to take a quick shower...
my thoughts over the prior 24 hours before that had made me realize that i liked the name enough, or at least, disliked the process of having to think any further on a domain name for my app, that i wondered if $39 was too optimistic a bid...
out of the shower, i looked through the namejet FAQ (and my aforementioned doubt) made me realize that the bid/order price may have something to do with how the system prioritizes their resources to capture the domain.
as i couldn't be sure how to revise my name jet bid, i decided to google for alternatives. older posts here on Namepros pointed to snapnames and i got registered there and quickly put in an offer of $100.
feeling a little more assured, and after much reading and searching on here, i found out dropcatch seems to be the most well tasked to get me my domain name, and the consensus was to hit up at least those 3 (if not a few more).
so i hit them up and placed a (minimum) $59 offer with 10 minutes on the dropcatch clock. i didn't feel a need to go beyond those 3 sites, nor did i like the idea of sharing my CC info any more than necessary...
not expecting to find out about the results... i got an email at 4.15PM (EST) congratulating me on my "successful transaction." i wasn't sure what that meant and used WHOIS - seemed like the domain i wanted is now a freshly registered one. mine... right?
an hour later, i got another email confirming my "acquisition" of the domain name. joy!
anyway, i'm not counting the chickens before they hatch. hopefully it doesn't get yanked back by the registrar and i can now sleep better at night... i'll find out over the next few days.
my point is: namejet, the site affiliated with the old registrar, didn't come through for me. neither did dropcatch, the most well resourced one. i got it through snapnames, and price may have something to do with it.
my newbie experience was: if you like the name, don't skimp on your offer. and remember to hedge your bets by using more than 1 site. i don't think there's a "sure thing" in this game of dropped domains and sometimes too good to be true is simply just that.
thank you to all the posters that have contributed to this forum in past threads/replies. some of the info surely helped guide me towards getting my domain name!
as i got some help by reading through Namepros, i thought i'd register to contribute.
by way of background: although i'm quite IT literate, i've never dabbled in this whole backordering process before. i'm not someone who dabbles in this domain "business" either.
i'm just a guy looking for a domain to build my (already planned and designed) app on - all the names that are available did not meet the expectations of my partner and i.
yesterday i decided to look for a dropped domain on a whim. i googled for dropped domains, hit up the first link and started looking to see what i could find.
i liked one almost immediately, and after a quick discussion with my partner, i decided to plan to register it "by hand."
so i started googling what time, etc... then i realized there was no way (that i knew how) i could register the domain the moment it got dropped. everything took time which i realized i literally cannot beat.
so i headed over to namejet - the affiliated/authorized (?) dropped domain "dealer" (not sure if the terms are right here) - got registered and waited for the next day.
seeing no one bid on the domain on namejet made me happy, and i waited until literally the last minute to place a $39 offer. deal done, i went to take a quick shower...
my thoughts over the prior 24 hours before that had made me realize that i liked the name enough, or at least, disliked the process of having to think any further on a domain name for my app, that i wondered if $39 was too optimistic a bid...
out of the shower, i looked through the namejet FAQ (and my aforementioned doubt) made me realize that the bid/order price may have something to do with how the system prioritizes their resources to capture the domain.
as i couldn't be sure how to revise my name jet bid, i decided to google for alternatives. older posts here on Namepros pointed to snapnames and i got registered there and quickly put in an offer of $100.
feeling a little more assured, and after much reading and searching on here, i found out dropcatch seems to be the most well tasked to get me my domain name, and the consensus was to hit up at least those 3 (if not a few more).
so i hit them up and placed a (minimum) $59 offer with 10 minutes on the dropcatch clock. i didn't feel a need to go beyond those 3 sites, nor did i like the idea of sharing my CC info any more than necessary...
not expecting to find out about the results... i got an email at 4.15PM (EST) congratulating me on my "successful transaction." i wasn't sure what that meant and used WHOIS - seemed like the domain i wanted is now a freshly registered one. mine... right?
an hour later, i got another email confirming my "acquisition" of the domain name. joy!
anyway, i'm not counting the chickens before they hatch. hopefully it doesn't get yanked back by the registrar and i can now sleep better at night... i'll find out over the next few days.
my point is: namejet, the site affiliated with the old registrar, didn't come through for me. neither did dropcatch, the most well resourced one. i got it through snapnames, and price may have something to do with it.
my newbie experience was: if you like the name, don't skimp on your offer. and remember to hedge your bets by using more than 1 site. i don't think there's a "sure thing" in this game of dropped domains and sometimes too good to be true is simply just that.
thank you to all the posters that have contributed to this forum in past threads/replies. some of the info surely helped guide me towards getting my domain name!