SnapNames - Should I Bother

What are the advantages?

[Tiebreaker]

There is a Network Solutions domain that I am after, but since it is a very obscure niche and the domain has no page rank or traffic (never been developed), I am pretty sure that only 2 people will be interested in buying it - me and the current owner.

The current owner has owned it for 5 years - I think he plans to develop it eventually - I contacted him 6 months ago, but he was not interested in selling - I am pretty sure he wants to keep it, but the whois contact details were wrong, so I'm guessing Network Solutions have tried to contact him without success (I had to track him down by finding an alternative email address that he had listed on another website after Googling his name)

So my question is - is it really worth paying $60 to SnapNames - or should I just wait for it to expire and then register it as normal?

Would using SnapNames help me get access to the name quicker - ie give the guy less time to realise that he's forgotten to renew it!

[internet ventures]

I think with snapnames you only have to pay for the domain if they manage to secure it.

So I don't think you have anything to lose. That's providing you are willing to pay the $60 they charge for securing the domain, or maybe more if someone else tries to secure it through snapnames at the same time.

I have tried to get 3 domains using snapnames and never had any success.

[Tiebreaker]

After researching this further, I've put in my bid at SnapNames

If I understand it right, after Network Solutions 35 day grace period, the name will go to me (if there are no other bidders)

But if I don't put in a SnapNames bid, the domain will enter a further 30 day 'Redemption Grace Period' - during which the current owner can still renew - so I think it is well worth the $60 if it reduces the current owners opportunity to renew by 30 days.

If I've got it wrong, perhaps someone will explain it to me!

[incrediBILL]

If the domain is THAT GOOD - offer to pay $$$ to the owner if he registers it

I picked up my .COM (already had the .NET) a few years back for $1500, and it made way more than that the first month. It was a judgement call what I offered, not too little to be laughable (like go away boy, you're bothering me) but enough if he needed cash he'd jump. He jumped for the cash so I knew he was hungry, and if he knew now what it was worth would probably fall over dead.

[Tiebreaker]

Already offered to buy it 6 months ago - but I didn't get to the stage of specifying a price, because he just wasn't interested in selling at all.

It's not the kind of name that would justify huge bucks (there is no existing traffic to the domain, which is how I assume you earned >$1500 in the first month - and it is not a really great, short name in a highly competitive area - but it is the absolutely perfect name for the niche website that I wish to develop)

I'm pretty confident that there won't be any other bidders for it at SnapNames - the greatest danger is that the owner realises it is about to expire!

[WebWalla]

Tiebreaker - I'm in a similar situation and decided to go the SnapNames route also. However, I didn't realise that this would reduce the owner's renew time by 30 days - can you tell me where you got that info from.

Is this true even if it was registered at Tucows and not NetSol?

Thanks.

[Tiebreaker]

I didn't get this info from one specific place - more I pieced it together myself ....

In the SnapNames FAQ you will see details of their relationship with NetSol - which clearly states that after the 'Grace Period' has expired (35 days following the expiry date in the case of NetSol domains) - the domain will go to SnapNames if anyone there has placed a backorder.

So what if a NetSol domain expires with no backorders placed at SnapNames?

For this info I searched the NetSol Terms and conditions - you will see that domains then enter a further 'Redemption Grace Period' which lasts 30 days (the current owner can renew the domain for a hefty fee during this period, but nobody else can).

After this 'Redemption Grace Period' has expired it spends 5 days waiting to be deleted - then anyone can register it.

Can't speak for Tucows domains - I have no experience with them.

[snsh]

It's funny how domainowners turn down cash offers for their domains, and then let them expire. They just don't want to let go, even though they don't want to hold on.