Want to Register Elapsing Business Domain Name? Any Issues?

#1

There is a Website domain name I wanted for a long time. It is currently being used for a business (I know that other different businesses have used this domain in the past). It states that it will be up for grabs in about a month. This is our Family Name. I’m sure there are several companies that have this name (these companies are note as big as a McDonalds)…

Is there any issues with grabbing this name if they don’t renew it?

Is there a way to sort of do a proxy bid. Have some company bid on it just at the perfect time, so I don’t have to wait, and try and bid on it (and possibly forget)?

We want this for a Family Genealogy site…

Thanks,

AlterEgo

#2

There are no issues for grabbing the domain if they don't renew it. It actually could be benificial. You can get a head start on pagerank if there are already a lot of links to that domain.

Some registers have a choice to auto snatch it for you. It will lost extra though. There are some other services that you can pay to have this done. I have not tried any so I can't do any recomendations.

#3

i run webdomainhoster, and there is an automated service that will do what you are talking about, although there is no guarantee you will get it.

this is the faq for backordering expiring domains:

"What is Domain Name Backordering?

Backorder this name and we will ATTEMPT to grab and register it on your behalf, if and when it expires and becomes available.

Your low $18.95 backorder cost includes the registration fee, ICANN Fee, plus automatic monitoring and email alerts on changes to the Registrar, Status, Expiration Date, and Name Servers. Your domain backorder fee can be re-assigned to other names as often as you like, until you are successful in acquiring a domain name.

You also have the option of making your backorder private -- which means your personal identifying information (name, phone number, email and home addresses) is shielded from public exposure in the WHOIS directory from the very moment the backordered domain is successfully acquired.

Please understand that a backorder does not guarantee you the domain name being backordered. The domain name may be renewed by its current owner and not become available or we may be unsuccessful in our attempts to grab it and register it on your behalf.

Again, if your backorder is not successful, it can be reassigned to another domain name. (And if your unsuccessful backorder is private, your private registration can be applied to any other backorder)."

i once lost a .com domain(wasn't paying attention when it expired), and somebody else grabbed it at renewal.
so i took the .net equivalent instead, because that was still available.

they held it for five days(you can still get your money back if you release it within five days), but tried to sell it to me for $3000, since they saw that i registered the .net.

when i told them i didn't want it anymore, they gave it up and i got it for my regular price of $7.99! your best bet is to backorder it, whether you do it through me, or with somebody else.
at least you have a chance of getting it.

good luck with it! Very Happy