How can I get this name?

[morel]

I would like your advice on the best approach of obtaining a certain domain.

It is a really good one word domain, with a .org extension.
It was regged on Nov 11, 1996.
It expires on Nov 10, 2002.
The registrar is Register.com.

Which of the possible options (if any) would you recommend:

1) Make an offer to the current owner

2) Hope the name expires, and Register.com drops it.
Pursue the name aggresively with various drop services (I already have a snap on it).

3) Hope the name expires, and if it goes into the unpaid department of Register.com, try and make an offer to Register.com.

 

[yesonline]

Since you have ordered a snap on it, now you'd be better to wait and see if it will expire as you wish. Making an offer to the owner for now would not be a smart move because you could just remind him to renew this domain or let him know his domain is worth something

 

[Ciqala]

Morel if it is that great a name you could try putting in a bid with the drop services that only charge IF you win to hedge your bets.

I caught my first drop today through dropwizard.com even though it had a snap and a namewinner bid on it as well (that was registered with NSI not register.com though).

It'd suck if it got stuck in the register.com unpaid names dept. I hear its near impossible to get a name from them.

Ciq

 

[RON2]

I was in a similar situation with a name I really wanted, nearing the drop date within a couple weeks. I decided not to contact the owner and let Snapnames do its job.

SO a few days before it expires it got sold to someone else. I learned my lesson and that's the last time I will let that happen.


Keep relying on your Snaps guys, and in the meanwhile, I'll beat the Snap everytime by going to the owner. :razz:

 

[domainquestion]

First of all, not many names that were registered back in '96 are dropped by their owners.

Second of all, it depends how much you really want the name.

If it is really really important to you then make an offer to the owner. He may ask $50 for the name and he may ask $50,000 for the name.

The odds are high though that after he receives your offer he will
renew the name in the quite unlikely event he was planning to let the name expire.

 

[DropWizard.com]

Morel, seriously it doesn't hurt to register it (after it expires) with other drop services. But I will tell you from experience that register is hanging on to anything good these days.

I've got stuff months past the expiry dates with them.:cry:

Gordon

 

[Beachie]

Hi Morel

I know the domain you are talking about. The fifth letter is 'h' - am I correct?

Having a SnapBack is a good start.

Register.com have an unpaid names department, and if the registration is allowed to lapse you will see the contact details change to "Register.com Unpaid Names Dept"

If this happens (you should get an email from SnapNames within a few minutes of the change), your best chance is to ring register.com (the phone number will be in the contact details) and tell them you are willing to pay the registration for it.

If they say no, wait 24 hours and try again. You might get a friendlier phone pleb.

If they still say no, at least you still have a SnapBack if it does drop.

I have made offers to original owners twice before. The first time the owner did not contact me, and the name was renewed within 24 hours (it was well over its expiry date). The second time the owner told me he was "getting around" to renewing it, and I could buy it for lots of $$$. I'm convinced I reminded him to renew, and he would have let it drop.

Register.com tend to hold expired domains for long periods of time, so you might be waiting a while for it to drop.

Hope that's helpful,

Chris