Why do people let valuable domains expire?

[Lord Antares]

I don't get it.

I know there's people who die, forget to check emails or just don't know about domain value. Is that all there is to it?

 

[Bannen]

People registered great domains back in the 1990's (and early 2000's) when you could still get them at reg fee. They got them for their personal hobby use and also for business. But they weren't actually 'domainers', they were just laypersons or businesses who needed a domain.

Fast forward 15 to 25 years later... they let go the hobby, or change business plans and want a different domain, or retire the business... and because they haven't been following the domain business, they have no idea the domain they're dropping, and hand-regged way back then, now has value in the domain and business marketplace.

And yes there are also people who die, and their family/estate either don't realize they have the domains, or they don't realize those domains have value. Or they have no way of knowing how to get into the deceased's accounts and rescue the domains.

And there are businesses who do have valuable domains as assets, might have paid good amounts for them so they know they have value, no longer need them, and let them simply drop because they can't be bothered to try make a buck selling them. Might be a business worth hundreds of millions or more, who bought a domain as an asset or marketing avenue, no longer needs it, lets it drop because it's 'only' worth a few thousand or a few tens of thousands $.

Lots of reasons valuable domains drop, those are just a few

 

[Lord Antares]

/cut

Alright, but I see domains like FTHC.com (random 4ls) drop frequently. This suggest that the person dropping them is a domainer because why else would he buy a random 4l.com in 2017.? All 4ls were manually registered by 2013 IIRC so he had to have paid deliberately for it.

 

[Kennyraban]

Alright, but I see domains like FTHC.com (random 4ls) drop frequently. This suggest that the person dropping them is a domainer because why else would he buy a random 4l.com in 2017.? All 4ls were manually registered by 2013 IIRC so he had to have paid deliberately for it.

Please were do you normally see 4 letter .com domains drop?

I am interested.

 

[xyo]

There are currently 32 4L .com listed on Godaddy Expired Domains and 11 actually dropping in the next 5 days.

Like this or last week there were at least 2 4L .com dropped by Dropcatch which just where caught and auctioned last year.

As @Lord Antares said, at least those registered or mostly drop-caught in the last 5 years or so must have been in hands of domainers

 

[Mister Funsky]

I don't get it.

Lots of reasons, most of which are mentioned above. I acquired MANY dropped domains a wile ago that had been held by someone I consider to be a master domainer...held many of them since 99. One day, dozens dropped and I jumped on them...the reason they missed them is way simple (they have sooooo many) that when they made a basic change in their 'system', it seems they were missed. Oddly enough, some have since been listed for sale with a broker (not by me). I immediately doubled my asking price.

 

[Lord Antares]

There are currently 32 4L .com listed on Godaddy Expired Domains and 11 actually dropping in the next 5 days.

Like this or last week there were at least 2 4L .com dropped by Dropcatch which just where caught and auctioned last year.

As @Lord Antares said, at least those registered or mostly drop-caught in the last 5 years or so must have been in hands of domainers

This.

 

[likeslikes]

Please were do you normally see 4 letter .com domains drop?

I am interested.

They drop every day. You can find them by searching on ExpiredDomains.net when using the filters.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Alright, but I see domains like FTHC.com (random 4ls) drop frequently. This suggest that the person dropping them is a domainer because why else would he buy a random 4l.com in 2017.

It is interesting that that specific one is still listed at it's lander as available for sale for $25,795. It does seem strange to ask so much, but not try something intermediate before letting it drop. Clearly it would have sold for some worthwhile price. Unless of course there is one of the factors mentioned at start - death, illness, personal emergency, bankruptcy, etc.

This is what they say about why they got this domain name"

"Get On The Web Limited some years ago registered for its websites, portals and projects a number of generic domain names (including this one), which are now no longer required. We are offering for sale the domain name FTHC(.)COM"​

 

[Lord Antares]

It is interesting that that specific one is still listed at it's lander as available for sale for $25,795. It does seem strange to ask so much, but not try something intermediate before letting it drop. Clearly it would have sold for some worthwhile price. Unless of course there is one of the factors mentioned at start - death, illness, personal emergency, bankruptcy, etc.

This is what they say about why they got this domain name"

"Get On The Web Limited some years ago registered for its websites, portals and projects a number of generic domain names (including this one), which are now no longer required. We are offering for sale the domain name FTHC(.)COM"​

I typed in 4 random letters as an example; I didn't check.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Oh I thought you were giving one that actually dropped. Never good to suggest on NPs a specific name if you don;t mean it. Gets searched and discussion has nothing to do with it.