With drop catch we intend the method where you can claim new domain names right after they have been launched. If you want to know more about how this works, keep reading!
Before we start explaining more about crash trapping, we take a step back and explain what the life cycle of a domain name looks like.
LIFE CYCLE OF A DOMAIN NAME
Let’s say EXAMPLE.NL is a free domain name and it’s bought by someone, let’s call him Henry, at a registrar. Domain name registrants generally have to specify how long they want their domain name registered for. You can register a domain name for one year, but also for more than 10 years. This also depends on the registrar in question. In this example, Henry registers his domain name EXAMPLE.NL for one year.
Near the end of his registration, which will be after about 11 months, Henry will receive a message asking him to extend his domain name registration. In many cases this extension occurs automatically. When Henry does not want to extend his registration, it will expire and the domain name will be placed in redemption. We will return to this particular topic later.
A domain name can also be redeemed in the event Henry fails to pay his bills. The registrar will send multiple reminders, but as a last resort, the domain name will be canceled and redeemed.
WHAT EXACTLY IS THE REDEMPTION PERIOD?
The redemption period for the a.nl website is 40 days, but this may vary by TLD. In Henry’s case, the website is no longer active and he won’t be able to do anything with it. During the redemption period, no one else can register your new website with the same domain name. The only one who can get the domain name out of redemption is Henry himself. You can also let a registrar do this for you. The redemption period was established to protect domain name owners from sudden publication of their domain name. The day the domain name comes out of the swap can be found at SIDN.nl.
EXAMPLE.NL will be launched after 40 days and from then on everyone can register their website with this domain name. The exact moment when a domain name comes back on the market is called a ‘crash’. Often multiple people or parties are interested in the same domain name and will attempt to ‘capture’ it, all at the same time. This is where the term ‘drop catch’ found its meaning. The ‘capture’ occurs in a matter of seconds.
PROS AND CONS
The biggest advantage of direct capture is the cheap prices you can buy a domain name for. You don’t have to negotiate, which saves you a lot of time. If you’ve hired a company to get the domain name for you, you won’t have to do anything and can just sit back and relax.
Of course, drop catching also has its drawbacks. No company can 100% guarantee that they will capture your domain name. Especially in cases where a specific domain name is so popular, many parties try to trap you, making it difficult for your business to succeed.
In addition, the original owner can decide at any time to remove their domain name from the swap in order to keep it themselves, which means that you can never be completely sure whether a domain name that has been swapped will actually be removed.
IS DROP COLLECTION LEGAL?
If you google the term droplet capture, you will find many articles and forums with people questioning the legitimacy of droplet capture. To give you an answer right away: yes, it is legal. Once the domain name has been discarded, it does not belong to anyone. From then on, anyone can legally register under that domain name.
The owner of the domain name in question has received multiple reminders asking them to extend their registration. The domain name has also been put up for redemption for a period of 40 days. If the owner has not responded to any of these actions, the owner will not be able to prevent the domain name from being deleted. If he still wants to use the domain name, he will need to contact the new owner of the name.
CAN I LEAVE THE CAPTURE BY MYSELF?
Every time a domain name comes out of the swap and is removed, anyone can register their website under the new name. If it is a very popular domain name, the chances of detecting it are very small. Drop catching also takes up a lot of your time. Specialized companies like catchtiger.com have an auto-capture system and can register a new domain name in seconds. This is why we recommend that you hire a company if you want to get a domain name. CatchTiger.com offers everyone an equal opportunity to own the domain name by putting all captured domain names up for auction. All domain names in this open and transparent domain auction have additional information such as search volume, number of backlinks and ads.
WHY ARE SOME DOMAIN NAMES SO EXPENSIVE?
The price of a domain name is based on supply and demand, just like all other products and services. On top of that, a domain name is unique: you won’t find the exact same name anywhere in the world. In many cases, the price of a domain name is not related to the actual purchase value, but the price is calculated in another way. A domain name can be valuable for several reasons:
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You own a business or have a pet or mother-in-law with the same name.
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Your domain name has a lot of history and authority, because it was once used by a large site.
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Your domain name is short and easy to remember, which makes it more valuable.
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You have a unique product and don’t want a competitor to use the same domain name (defensive registration).
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Your domain name consists of a search term, which can establish a high position in search engines.
Of course, there are many more reasons why a domain name can be valuable. And don’t forget: a domain name one wants with all his might, another couldn’t care less about. That is the beauty of domain names.
Do you still have some questions after reading this blog? Please send us a message and we will answer them for you.