.com catching

[fred]

Can anyone recomend any good .com catching services?

I am watching a domain for a client and it's not been renewed (yet) so am looking for the best options to obtain it at a reasonable cost.

It's not a prime generic... it's a two word that matches their company name... currently belongs to a company in the US with the same name.

Thanks

 

[mdb]

Pool.com
Snapnames.com
Namejet.com

Are the main ones I think, there may be others now? If it's a name you're desparate to snag I'd book with all three.

I've not had success with Pool, but I have with SN and NJ, then again I've probably only ever backordered a dozen or so .com's.

If other people bid on the domain too it will go to an auction, i.e. say NJ manages to catch it - they'll hold on to it until the auction's resolved. The auction starts straight away when the catch it made automatically... And then it's simply down to using ebay tactics to win it.

HTH

Mike

 

[Edwin]

Godaddy also operates a catch service that worked ok for me from time to time, back when I was catching .com (haven't bothered since around 2008)

 

[golddiggerguy]

Domain Monster is always a good one and no upfront fee and indicates when it will drop too.

Costs if caught are a flat £29.99 + registration costs plus VAT (i think)

 

[foz]

What's the time frame for expiring to drop .com's?

I know the .uk is 92 days.

 

[Skinner]

Everyone is apparently different, .com is full of great white man-eating half shark half t-rex on steroid types.

There are required minimums, which is like 30-45 days, and 5 are pending delete, 5-7 are 'free renewal' time, the others are redemption and such.

 

[foz]

Everyone is apparently different, .com is full of great white man-eating half shark half t-rex on steroid types.

There are required minimums, which is like 30-45 days, and 5 are pending delete, 5-7 are 'free renewal' time, the others are redemption and such.

Thanks, so a max of ~57?

 

[Skinner]

There doesn't actually seem to be any strict rules other than 5 pending delete and 30 locked. The other numbers for grace and redemption and whatever else they call it seem to be made up as they feel like. Most of the big companies are fairly routine with them so once you know how long the particular company takes all their drops generally follow that.

Many names appear to be sold before drop as well by the registrars, others are years before they are released much like nominet do sometimes. Lots of backhand deals I suspect.

 

[foz]

Thanks, would have thought ICANN would be more strict on a fixed timetable. I guess its left to Verisign to set?

 

[Bailey]

Funny to read but just about all the comments above are pretty well accurate. It really is still the wild-wild west out there. The plus side is you do need to stay on your toes and a good dropping domain can still find its way into just about any ones lap.

Overall your capture technique really depends on the registrar it's currently held with. The bottom line is very, very few .coms remain unregistered particularly if they have anything approaching saleability.

 

[Skinner]

Not even left to Verisign, its left to GoDaddy, Namesco, Dynadot, whoever the registrar is they set the rules.

Some of these companies control massive amounts of domains and ICANN/Verisign have ingrown teeth and let them get away with everything short of murder. So any attempts to change the current is met with epic resistance.

The .com works like Jordan (don't like her) goes to GoDaddy and says, I'm a killer marketter, sign on this dotted line which gives me permission to scalp, sell, and rob your domains as they expire and I'll split the money with you.

So from there on, GoDaddy's names NEVER actually become first come first served, as Jordan and her back-order cum auction site gets to cherry pick AND taste the traffic for anything worth keeping before it gets dipped in day old blood and thrown to the dogs.

Edited: Name Change

 

[Bailey]

Oh - Not so Much of the "Bailey this and that" if you don't mind.

Like many i've just experienced the system in all its guises over the years and learnt to live with it. You can indeed find yourself at the benefit of preferential treatment in the .com world But, I'm not one of them.

Yes I have a personal account manager - and thanfully I can talk to someone who knows me 247 (" So tell me Ray- what's troubling you today" ?). But i've always put that down to the fact - they are killing themselves laughing at some of my domain drops reselling in the x,xxx

 

[Skinner]

I noticed a growth of brokers with inside connections. I had a name booked with one of the biggies, who assured me 100% it would go to them as the authorised catcher and assuming I'm the only bidder it would come to me.

However because I own the .co.uk I got an email offering me the name for less than I already posted a starting bid, I figured sure why not.

I got the name at $49, no auction, nothing.

I have had many such emails in the last 6 months, not sure if they are from the big boys camp or a clever entrepreneur with some contacts, but maybe its opening up a little.

 

[liam]

unpicked.com worth a try but payments upfront

 

[Bailey]

Rant over

 

[Bailey]

Rant over

 

[liam]

I noticed a growth of brokers with inside connections. I had a name booked with one of the biggies, who assured me 100% it would go to them as the authorised catcher and assuming I'm the only bidder it would come to me.

However because I own the .co.uk I got an email offering me the name for less than I already posted a starting bid, I figured sure why not.

I got the name at $49, no auction, nothing.

I have had many such emails in the last 6 months, not sure if they are from the big boys camp or a clever entrepreneur with some contacts, but maybe its opening up a little.

One of the big ones doing it was intrustdomains.com . Recently got bought by epik.com

 

[foz]

One of the big ones doing it was intrustdomains.com . Recently got bought by epik.com

They have cheap .com registrations US$7.84, would their be a catch?

Anyone know what the wholesale price of a .com is (what Registrars pay Verisign). I think a small fee has to go ICANN's way too?

 

[aZooZa]

The .com drop scene is an incestuous and corrupt wilderness, populated by packs of hungry wolves who may drop a morsel of torn flesh now and then.

You've only to check out DNF these days to see the worthless scraps on offer.