Understanding the process and options involved with registering an expiring domain can be a confusing task. How, Where, When?This article will explain the basic steps to researching an expiring domain name, and the many different options (or should I say necessary steps to insure success).The normal domain expiration process for .com .net

(domain deletion cycle):

Phase 1. Active Domain

A domain is registered for a time period of 1-10 years. During this time the domain owner has unrestricted use of the domain.

Phase 2. On-Hold

At the end of this time period, the registrant is required to pay a renewal fee to the registrar to continue to use the domain. If the domain is renewed go back to phase 1, if not the domain is placed in an onhold (on-hold) status for 1-45 days (each registrar has determines how long this period lasts). During this time, the registrant (owner of the domain) can still pay the renewal fee and continue to use his/her domain name. During this onhold period the domain resolves to the registrars website or does not resolve at all.

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There are bargains to be had buying domain names on EBay. I buy a few every week and bid on lots more. Here’s a few tips for a successful domain buying experience on EBay.

1. Know the Value of What Are Buying

There are lots of resources on the internet to check the value of domains. If you are buying 3 character domains www.3character.com provides a price guide each month. Another great source of historical price data is EBay itself. At EBay.com click on the Buy tab. In the search box type in ‘domain names’ and click on the Search button. The brings up the following navigation:

Computers > Networking > Other Hardware > Services > Domain Names > .com

Click on the Domain Names link to get a list of all domain names. Now click on the Advanced Search link. On the next page click on the checkbox near the top that says “Completed Listings Only” and ensure that the ‘In this Category’ pick list reads ‘Domain Names’. Now scroll to the bottom and click on the ‘Search’ button. You should now see a listing of recent selling items. The items in red are those which failed to sell and the green items are those which did sell.

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