Registering an Expiring Domain
A few years ago, while I was working on my master's degree, I owned the domain name RAPIDROCKET.COM. I used the domain as part of the vast Ebay Empire that helped put me through school. After I graduated and stopped stuffing envelopes, the domain name expired and was purchased by a squatter.
Then, in December, I noticed the domain was about to become available again. The whole domain expiration process has grown increasingly complicated. Mike Davidson has a great post describing the expiration process and how he was able to register his dream domain for $369.
I'm far too cheap to spend that much, so as the domain was in the 5-day "deletion phase," I paid GoDaddy $18.95 to "backorder" it. When you backorder a domain, you're really competing against anyone else who might be trying to register the domain once it becomes available. Suffice it to say that GoDaddy doesn't exactly put all its resources behind snatching your domain for a measly 19 bucks. There are far more sophisticated players who are hitting domain registrars constantly to pick up expiring domain names and, as you might expect, GoDaddy failed to get me my domain as it was immediately registered by an Enom user.
The backorder was nonrefundable, and since I didn't have any other domains on my wish list, I left it in place. Five days later, I received an email that my domain had been successfully captured. Beautiful! Turns out the owner released the domain within the 5 day "domain tasting" period after realizing it wasn't generating any traffic.
I am now the proud owner of RAPIDROCKET.COM. What shall I do with it?
Then, in December, I noticed the domain was about to become available again. The whole domain expiration process has grown increasingly complicated. Mike Davidson has a great post describing the expiration process and how he was able to register his dream domain for $369.
I'm far too cheap to spend that much, so as the domain was in the 5-day "deletion phase," I paid GoDaddy $18.95 to "backorder" it. When you backorder a domain, you're really competing against anyone else who might be trying to register the domain once it becomes available. Suffice it to say that GoDaddy doesn't exactly put all its resources behind snatching your domain for a measly 19 bucks. There are far more sophisticated players who are hitting domain registrars constantly to pick up expiring domain names and, as you might expect, GoDaddy failed to get me my domain as it was immediately registered by an Enom user.
The backorder was nonrefundable, and since I didn't have any other domains on my wish list, I left it in place. Five days later, I received an email that my domain had been successfully captured. Beautiful! Turns out the owner released the domain within the 5 day "domain tasting" period after realizing it wasn't generating any traffic.
I am now the proud owner of RAPIDROCKET.COM. What shall I do with it?