What happens to a domain name that is unsold on snapnames auctions?

**floyd777** · 03-24-2008, 08:14 PM

Hi,

I've been trying to figure this out for a while but I'm not sure I have.

Every day, thousands of domain names are up for auction on snapnames. Obviously many of them are junk names and never get sold even for $9 - so what happens when a domain name that has been listed at snapnames never gets any bidder - whether it was listed for $9 or $99?

Does it eventually get dropped by snapnames in the next few days? Or do they hold on to it and relist it?

**Yofie** · 03-24-2008, 08:18 PM

edited

No promotions allowed here.

**dcristo** · 03-24-2008, 08:26 PM

Good question. Are you hoping to pick it up at reg fee?

**biggedon** · 03-24-2008, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by floyd777

Hi,

I've been trying to figure this out for a while but I'm not sure I have.

Every day, thousands of domain names are up for auction on snapnames. Obviously many of them are junk names and never get sold even for $9 - so what happens when a domain name that has been listed at snapnames never gets any bidder - whether it was listed for $9 or $99?

Does it eventually get dropped by snapnames in the next few days? Or do they hold on to it and relist it?

names that are listed by their respective owners in an auction and receive no bids won't get sold. these names remain in the possession of the seller until they expire.

names that come up in your query of searched terms will go back to the "available to register" pool if they are not backordered and caught by snap or another dropcatcher.

**Yofie** · 03-24-2008, 08:28 PM

WOW! Fine line there... Promotion or helping out our community. Hmmmm

**floyd777** · 03-24-2008, 08:31 PM

So..in theory thousands of domain names listed for $9 upwards (I was not talking about domains that are put by domain owners but the drop catch names), go back to the available list?

Is Snapnames then just tasting these names and deleting them in 5 days for some other registrar to taste?

What happens when ICANN initiates their tasting changes? Do we expect the snapnames and other drop catcher volumes to go down?

**biggedon** · 03-24-2008, 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by Yofie

WOW! Fine line there... Promotion or helping out our community. Hmmmm

posting a link to your website for him to go and get some answers is promotion

you could give explanation here or have sent the link via pm.

**Yofie** · 03-24-2008, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by floyd777

So..in theory thousands of domain names listed for $9 upwards (I was not talking about domains that are put by domain owners but the drop catch names), go back to the available list?

Is Snapnames then just tasting these names and deleting them in 5 days for some other registrar to taste?

What happens when ICANN initiates their tasting changes? Do we expect the snapnames and other drop catcher volumes to go down?

Since SnapNames.com is one of the biggest tasters, I would think their volume would go down if a fee was put in by ICANN. SnapNames drops about 30K domains daily and I have seen up to nearly 50K.

**floyd777** · 03-24-2008, 08:39 PM

Thanks Jamie,

So has anyone experimented with doing an availability search for a snapnames list from say a week or more ago - and if so, do you find a large percentage of domains being available?

I mean there are so many absolutely junk names that they have to be dropped again not to be picked up anyone ever again.

I am not looking to register these - I am just trying to understand their business model.

**biggedon** · 03-24-2008, 08:39 PM

Originally Posted by floyd777

So..in theory thousands of domain names listed for $9 upwards (I was not talking about domains that are put by domain owners but the drop catch names), go back to the available list?

Is Snapnames then just tasting these names and deleting them in 5 days for some other registrar to taste?

What happens when ICANN initiates their tasting changes? Do we expect the snapnames and other drop catcher volumes to go down?

no, snap is not tasting those names.

they have expired or will expire or are in the deletion period.

I've caught a few nice one's at $9.00 on occasion.

**Yofie** · 03-24-2008, 08:58 PM

99% of the "Public Auction" domains are Tasted/ing... Then eNom grabs about 25K + from Snap when Snap redrops the ones they didn't sell. Some other tasters grab a bunch etc. So it's just really a different form of tasting that most know. Pool does it as well.

**britishbulldog** · 03-24-2008, 09:09 PM

Yeah o.k what happens when you got them on backorder with a date listed when it drops then come the date it goes to backorder,what's happened to the domain ? why did it not drop ??

**Yofie** · 03-24-2008, 09:36 PM

Originally Posted by britishbulldog

Yeah o.k what happens when you got them on backorder with a date listed when it drops then come the date it goes to backorder,what's happened to the domain ? why did it not drop ??

Most likely the domain was renewed by the owner and SnapNames never updated their database on the front end. That happens a lot. Oh yah, the registrars KEEP some from time to time as well.... Shed.net was the last one Register.com kept!!!!

**britishbulldog** · 03-24-2008, 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by Yofie

Most likely the domain was renewed by the owner and SnapNames never updated their database on the front end. That happens a lot. Oh yah, the registrars KEEP some from time to time as well.... Shed.net was the last one Register.com kept!!!!

Thanks for the heads up yofie ;-)

**katherine** · 03-25-2008, 10:35 AM

I confirm that a lot of names in the snap auctions are expired names that are being tasted. The live auctions last for 3 days, then the names are usually released but not all.

**Onward** · 03-25-2008, 11:05 AM

I agree that most names are being tasted....there was one name that a business competitor of mine dropped...really of no value to a taster as it had virtually no traffic. I did not want to pick the name up at $60....no one took it at snap... it got tasted for a month...reappeared on snap....no one took it again....got tasted again for a period of time and finally dropped 6 months later...and I picked it up for $7.00 later.

**NameFetish** · 04-08-2008, 12:21 PM

I also wonder about this, after a name goes unsold at the snapnames auction, how many hours untill it is released to the general public as an available reg fee domain?

**KaneCo** · 04-08-2008, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by Jules70

I also wonder about this, after a name goes unsold at the snapnames auction, how many hours untill it is released to the general public as an available reg fee domain?

usually snapnames will pick it up again and auction it cheaper then if it still goes unsold then if someone had it back ordered at GoDaddy they would get it, if not then most likely it gets dropped and should be available.

**NameFetish** · 04-08-2008, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by KaneCo

usually snapnames will pick it up again and auction it cheaper then if it still goes unsold then if someone had it back ordered at GoDaddy they would get it, if not then most likely it gets dropped and should be available.

Thanks, I was thinking there we're domainers running automatic scripts to check the availability like every 10 minutes in an attempt to catch it just when it releases. One of the reasons i was thinking that was that often times I see the same business get it: "Oregonnames".

**KaneCo** · 04-08-2008, 12:41 PM

they test traffic, you should be able to get it on a GoDaddy backorder once oregannames has it. They will drop it and try and register it over and over again testing the traffic. This is the one time that godaddy will get a name unless the traffic is really good then they will tray and keep it.

Been a while since I picked up a lot of drops I used to be able to predict who would get it next....

I think actually snapnames is oregan names and then a taster will get it or soemthing I confuse my self sometimes, I am going back to mowing the grass now!