I will be ready to launch my "brave new" website in a few weeks; and, it seems to me that the domain name should, fairly accurately, indicate what it is that you are engaged in.
Well, I have found a very appropriate domain name that was not renewed when it should have been; and, seemingly, is up for grabs in a few weeks time. (The statutory 90 days will have expired.)
My question is how do I acquire this domain name: to whom do I apply, and how much will it cost me? I would be very grateful to anyone in this forum who could help me out with the right guidance.
Best
Kingfisher
This is how I got one of my domain names. The very day it expires, call the registrar of your choice and order it. All registrars are different. I use Network Solutions and get five years at a time for $20 a piece. There are cheaper deals out there if you look. If they give you a hard time about whether or not it's available (somtimes they do), be persistant.
Somtimes there's a "hold" on a domain because the previous person had some issue with their account. This happened to me with another domain. If this is the case, keep calling and urge them to clear it up quickly. Offer your help to resolve the issue. I had to get on the phone, to Texas from New York, to inform the person that there was an issue and got them to fax proof of this or that to close the account. Netsol was too lazy.
If the domain is really what you want, it's worth the trouble in the long run.
Good luck on your brave new venture!
Pool and SnapNames to catch dropping domains.
I tried SnapNames and it didn't work. I was never notified when the thing expired. Then again it was a brand new service at the time. Go ahead and try it, if you like.
But if there's a hold on the domain for some reason, SnapNames won't work either. You'll need to call up and nag them to get it resolved. They'll leave a domain on hold indefinatly.
However, you both seem to be from the United States; and, as I am from Liverpool, in the UK, I am not sure if the rules and regulations, that govern these matters, are the same for both our countries. Anyway, any further advice will always be appreciated. And, thank you Joe 1ene, for your good wishes in my new venture.
Best
Kingfisher
Does anyone know anything about this piece of kit?
Best
Kingfisher
(UK)
Is it a .com or .co.uk you are interested in?
If it's a .com then I would use somebody like Pool.com. They "watch" the domain, and if it drops then they try to register it within seconds. The problem with using them is that is somebody else is also "watching" the domain with them you have to bid against each other in an auction.
Snapnames is a similar service but without the auction as only 1 person can hold a snap on a domain. The problem with Snapnames is they lose out quite a lot to other systems (like Pool).
If it's a .co.uk then take a look at somebody like dropcatcher.co.uk. Operates similar to Snapnames (where only 1 person can watch a domain). I have had some good success with them.
Or you could try to manually register it yourself when it drops. The problem with this is that if one of the domain watching services is also after it then you will almost certainly lose out.
In the end though, it depends how "valuable" the domain is seen as. The more valuable it is then the more competition there will be to register it.
EDIT> By the way, there's difference if you are registering the domain in Bootle or Budapest :)
