What are Back-Orders
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| You MUST read and UNDERSTAND this part |
| » | A backorder means you will be the next domain name owner, IF it is due to return to the open market |
| » | If you get the domain name by back-order, it does not include any live time in the zone file |
| » | There can be only ONE back-order per domain name |
| » | At any point during the 90 days after expiry, the original owner could renew the domain name |
| » | Back-Orders will NEVER result in auctions or any further competition for the name. |
| » | You will not be refunded the cost of the back-order if it is unsuccessful in acquiring the domain for you |
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If you purchase a Back-Order for a domain, until your back-order expires,
you have bought a guarantee to be the next owner of the domain,
if the domain would otherwise have been released back into the open market.
Domains are automatically released to the open market 90 days after the domain has expired,
unless the current owner of the domain (or their registrar) renews the domain at any point before that time.
This is what we mean when we say "due to return to the open market".
After the domain name has expired and it enters its pendingDelete phase,
if nobody has already bought a back-order on the domain name
the WHOIS page for the domain name will give the exact date & time it is due to be queued for release.
By buying a back-order for a domain you are guaranteeing that you will be the next
owner of the domain, if the current owner (or their registrar) fails to renew it.
However, you must be aware you are taking a chance,
as the present owner of the domain (or their registrar) may renew the domain at any time up to 90 days after it has expired.
The time-line explained, where a back-order has been purchased
- The name expires and enters the pendingDelete phase, but it stays in the zone file for a further 30 days and remains the property of the current owner
- For a futher 60 days it remains the property of the current owner, but is removed from the zone file
- 90 days after the name expires its ownership is transferred to the owner of the back-order and they are sent an email
telling them they now own the domain. From this point onwards, it is possible for someone to buy a new back-order on this domain name.
- The new domain name owner has 30 days, from the date of the transfer, to renew the subscription on the domain name.
Domains acquired via a back-order will never go live unless a renewal is purchased on that domain.
Until the renewal is purchased the expiry date on the domain will be
set to the date & time it was acquired, for the new owner, by the back-order.
- If the subscription is not renewed after 30 days, the domain name will return to the open market (or to the owner of any new back-order).
Names registered through registrars may be subject to different terms and conditions. However,
no name will be returned to the open market by the registry until 90 days after it has
expired.
FAQ
- If I acquire the domain name via a back-order, how long will the domain name be live in the zone file?
Buying a back-order does not buy the domain name any live time in the zone file.
This is because we can not be sure you will ever end up acquiring the domain name. Hence
buying the back-order, then buying time for the domain name in the zone file must be two
separate transactions.
What you are paying for, with a back-order, is the right to be the next owner of the domain name,
should it be due to return to the open market. If you wish the domain name to then be live in the
zone file, you will have to buy a renewal on the domain name. You can do this either thorugh this
site or through one of our registrars and you get 30 days to do this.
If you do not buy a renewal on the domain name within 30 days, it will be returned to the open market.
If you do not wish to pay for the back-order, you can simply wait for the domain name to
be returned to the open market and buy it when it becomes available. However, you run
the risk of it being snapped up by a Drop-Catch service provider
or someone else buying it first. Drop-Catch service providers spend a lot of time and money to ensure they
snap up the name as quickly as possible, typically within a few seconds of the name being released.
When you buy the back-order you are buying the removal of this risk.
The cost to us for processing a new domain registration is greater than the cost of renewing an
existing domain. Hence we charge higher fees to reflect this.
When you purchase a back-order these extra costs are covered by the cost of the back-order, so that
if you acquire the domain name, all you have to pay for is the renewal.
The cost of a 2 year back-order + 2 year renewal is exactly the same as buying a domain from new for 2 years.
By shopping around, you may be able to achieve a better price by buying through one of our regsitrars.
- Can the current owner find out if there is a back-order and, if so, who has bought the back-order?
The identity of the owner of the back-order will always be kept confidential - except where the back order
was bought through a registrar, in which case the purchasing registrar can obtain the contact details
of the owner of the back-order - of course, these are details that they had supplied in the first place.
The current owner will not be told when a back-order is purchased on their domain, but they can find out if one exists.
- How will I know if I have successfully acquired the domain name?
We will send you an email to tell you. So, please ensure you keep your contact details up-to-date
and have given us an email address where you regularly check the mail.
- Can there be multiple back-orders on the same name, if so who gets priority?
There can only be one back-order on any one domain name, so there is no question over priority. If you
own the back-order, you get priority.
As soon as the domain is about to be returned to the open market, the back-order is executed (and therefore comes to an end),
at this point it is now possible for someone else to buy a back-order on the name.
The new owner of the domain name will have 30 days to purchase a renewal on the domain name before it will once again be scheduled to
return to the open market.
- If I aquire a back-order directly, can I purchase the renewal through a registrar?
Yes. You must first set an AuthCode (like a password) on the domain name, then give this AuthCode to
your chosen registrar. They will then use the AuthCode to transfer the domain from your direct control to
your control via their systems - as part of the transfer it is normal to also be required to
purchase a renewal.
From the registrar's point of view, transferring a domain name that has just been acquired via a back-order
is no different than transferring a domain name that was purchased from new.
- What's the difference between buying a BackOrder and using a Drop-Catch Service?
They are both there to do the same job, which it to get you the domain name, should it reach the end
of its Redemption Grace Period and came back onto the open-market. However, there are some differences.
A Drop-Catch service,
as its name suggests, tries to "catch" a domain name after it
has been put back onto the open-market by the registry.
Therefore, there will always be some time when the name is open to all. This means if you
have contracted a drop-catch service to try and catch a name for you, its possible someone else has also contracted
a different drop-catch service and it may be down to chance who ends up getting the name.
Some drop-catch services will not make any charge unless they successfully get the name for you, however, there
will always be a charge for a back-order, whether you eventually get the name or not.
If multiple parties register for the same name with the same drop-catch service, it is common for the
drop-catch operator to subsequently hold an auction for the name, should they be successful
in acquiring it - potentially meaning additional cost to you.
However, if you own the back-order for the name, you will be the first in the queue
to receive the name (if it comes back onto the open market) and the only additional
cost to you is buying additonal years of service (renewing) the subscription for the name.
| Drop-Catch |
| Pros |
- The may be no charge
- Choice of providers - you can shop around
- If there is a charge, it may include some time live in the zone
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| Cons |
- Even if the name is released you still may not get it - e.g. a different drop-catch operator may get it
- You may have to compete in an auction for the name
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| Back-Order |
| Pros |
- If the name is released you will get it
- You can choose to keep the domain's original creation date, if you wish to retain the domain's visible age
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| Cons |
- There is a fee to pay, even though you may never get the name - if you don't get the name, there is no refund.
- You must pay extra to get live time in the zone
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| Simply waiting for the domain name to be released |
| Pros |
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| Cons |
- If it is a desirable name, a drop-catch operator may be after it and will always get there first
- Other individuals may still get it before you
- Through NIC.TM, the fee you pay for a new domain is higher than for a renewal,
so the total cost may work out more (or less).
The prices (and term & conditions) offered by different registrars may vary.
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- Can a third party who offers a drop-catch service get the domain before my back-order is processed?
NO. This is definitely not the case.
This is because the back-order is (effectively) a pre-registered transfer, not a delete-and-reinsert (drop & catch).
Therefore there is no time at which the domain ceases to be owned by someone, this would be the only time when it could be snatched by a third party. A back-order is a
guarantee that you will be the next owner, if the domain comes back onto the open market.
- Are there any reasons I might not get the domain?
Yes, there is only one reason - if the owner, or (where applicable) the controlling registrar,
pays for its subscription to be renewed before its 90 days Redemption Grace Period is over. For example ...
- The current owner renews the domain
- A controlling registrar may internally transfer the domain to one of their other customers, who has paid for it to be renewed
- A controlling registrar may renew the domain at their own expense e.g. to keep the domain for themselves, or so they can send it to auction
- A third party may approach the existing owner and offer to buy the domain.
However, please note, becuase your back-order subscription is for two years, if they
only renew the name for one year, there is a chance you may acquire the domain name
in one years time.
- If I buy a back-order, how likely am I to get the name in the end?
This will vary from name to name, in studies we have seen typically about 60% of back-orders result in the back-order owner getting the name.
Of course, you may be able to get the name by not using either a drop-catch, or back-order, but simply by waiting for it to return to the open market.
You will have to make a judgement as to how likely it is that the owner will renew the name,
and (if they do not) how desirable the name might be - e.g. how much to you want to name? how much competition will there
be for the name?
- What does the Domain's existing creation date option mean?
When you buy a back-order on a domain, that domain would have already existed for some time.
Its age will be reflected in the current Creation Date for that domain.
If your back-order is successful in acquiring the domain name for you, you may wish to
either ...
- Reset the domain's current existing creation date, so the domain appears to the outside world as a new registration
- Keep the domain's current existing creation date, so the domain appears to the outside world as a domain that has been live and active for some time.
For live domains, the domain's creation date will be visible in the WHOIS information
for that domain.
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