How to get domains for bankrupted websites

[goodroi]

I monitor alot of websites in my industry. From time to time one of these websites shut down. Often it is because they are bankrupt, other times the owner just decided it was time to retire or sell out.

Those domains have some nice link juice and I would bet some decent direct traffic. I have been fortunate enough to grab a few of the domains so far since I back ordered all the domains.

I was wondering if there is a smarter way to go about this? Many of the domains are not even registered to the company. They had their vendor register them under the vendor's name.

Should I contact the vendor and see if they would sell the domain for a company that went bankrupt? Would that alert them to the value of the domain? Should I just fight it out with the other vultures looking for expired domain carrion?

[Webwork]

Fighting it out often means you've lost a certain advantage, i.e., a measure - sometimes the full measure - of profitability. The outcome depends on the final numbers.

Making a call results in 1 of 4 outcomes. 1) "You want the name? It's yours. Tell me what to do." 2) "Oh, I didn't know it was lapsing. Thanks." It gets renewed. 3) "Make me an offer". It gets renewed or lapses. 4) You can't reach the authoritative person and it lapses.

When I was working the phones several years ago I think I was making "happy deals" about forty percent of the time. I think that was better odds of getting a better deal than at the drop auction.

YMMV. I always entered the call with the mindset that whatever the outcome I'd be happy. IF the person wasn't aware the domain was lapsing then I was happy they didn't lose it and so on . . .