Domain I want expires soon, what’s the process to get it?

There’s a domain I’m interested in that’s expiring with GoDaddy later this week. I believe it may not be renewed since the company was acquired and the product/brand is no longer active. What’s the timeline and best way to acquire the domain? I’m not looking to spend more than $100-200, but hopefully less.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

EDIT: I’ve placed a backorder with GoDaddy—2 days until expiration. I’ve been careful not to search the domain on their platform until I submitted the backorder. Hoping to avoid any shady tactics from GoDaddy.

EDIT 2: The domain was supposed to expire yesterday, but it looks like it was renewed for another year.

You’ll likely have to wait another 45-60 days now.

After a domain expires, most registrars give the owner some time to renew without penalties. After that, it may go into the Redemption Grace Period (RGP) or get auctioned off. Here’s GoDaddy’s timeline after expiration:

https://www.godaddy.com/help/what-happens-when-my-domain-expires-609

@Riley
Thanks for this! I did backorder with GoDaddy, and here’s my current understanding:

Day 0: Expiration (initial renewal attempt)

Day 5: Hopefully DNS changes (failed renewal)

Day 12: Third renewal attempt

Day 19: Domain is placed on hold

Day 26: Domain goes up for expired domain auction

Day 36: If no bids, domain goes into a closeout auction

Day 41: All auctions end

Day 42: If no bids or backorders, the domain is removed from the account and returned to the registry.

Does this mean it goes to auction no matter what? My plan is to check on Day 5, monitor the auction around Day 26, and bid if necessary. Does that sound right?

@Brayden
Yes, GoDaddy will likely put it up for auction if they think the domain has any value. I’d recommend setting a reminder around Day 25-26 to check if it’s up for auction. If it is, bid up to what you’re comfortable with. If not, you might get lucky!

It can take some time. I monitored a domain over the summer, and it took 75 days from expiration to deletion. I grabbed it around Day 73.

AlexWebster said:
It can take some time. I monitored a domain over the summer, and it took 75 days from expiration to deletion. I grabbed it around Day 73.

Did you use any backorders, or just wait and register it?

@Brayden
I waited and used a bash script to check WHOIS every 30 minutes and email me when the domain became available.

I had a bad experience with GoDaddy when trying to get an expired domain. After waiting for it to become available, I called their customer service, only to be told the domain had been renewed. The next day, I got an offer from a domain reseller, which made me suspicious of their practices. I suggest waiting out the period and registering the domain with a different registrar if possible to avoid drawing attention to it.

@Harlow
I’m really worried about this kind of shady behavior too. I avoided searching the domain on GoDaddy and only entered it when I placed the backorder. Hopefully, that keeps me under the radar.

I usually backorder through snapnames.com and have had success when domains drop. It costs about $70.

Kai said:
I usually backorder through snapnames.com and have had success when domains drop. It costs about $70.

That works for many domains, but GoDaddy often auctions expired domains instead of letting them go back to general registration. You’ll likely have to go through their auction process if no one bids or backorders it.

Kai said:
I usually backorder through snapnames.com and have had success when domains drop. It costs about $70.

If the domain is with GoDaddy, wouldn’t it make more sense to backorder directly through them?

@Brayden
Yes, if it’s a GoDaddy domain, backordering through GoDaddy is the best approach.

You can backorder through GoDaddy, and they’ll try to grab the domain for you when it becomes available. The email tied to the domain might not be active anymore, which could explain the delay.

Jacob said:
You can backorder through GoDaddy, and they’ll try to grab the domain for you when it becomes available. The email tied to the domain might not be active anymore, which could explain the delay.

Also, if you place a backorder but someone else already has, you can change the domain you’re monitoring. The backorder stays active until you eventually get a domain.

@Willa
Good to know! I have a backorder in place, so that’s helpful.

Jacob said:
@Willa
Good to know! I have a backorder in place, so that’s helpful.

I’ve had one active for 15 years. The owner keeps renewing the domain, but I’m holding out for the day they stop.

@Willa
I’m in a similar situation, waiting for an old guy to pass away so I can register his domain when his heirs forget to renew it. Morbid, but effective.

Looks like the domain was renewed for another year. Bummer.