Jeffrey is the Co-Founder of Saw.com, focusing on domain sales and acquisitions. Visit www.Saw.com if you want to purchase a domain.
Oops! You accidentally let the domain you own expire. What happens next? First off, don’t panic. You still have a while before it is gone.
Most extensions follow the same common process, but some of it is based on which registry manages the extension of the domain, which registrar the domain is registered with and how long ago it expired. In this article, I will be covering the process of a .com domain. For example, certain extensions, such as ccTLDs (country-code Top-Level Domains) and gTLDs (generic Top-Level Domains), can have special rules regarding renewals.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) adopted the Expired Registration Recovery Policy on Aug. 31, 2013. The policy requires registrars to notify registrants of important information regarding expiration notices, redemption procedures and fees. This information is easily found on your registrar’s website.
Like many other regulations, it is up to the interpretation of the servicer. That means the registrar is obligated to follow the guidelines that ICANN has provided, but they all have their own way of handling renewals. Like the varying laws from state to state, they all generally follow a standard timeline for issuing notifications to registrants. See below for an example. (Note: This example does not reflect a specific registrar’s renewal process. See each registrar’s renewal policies for specific information.)
Please note if the domain is a few days past the expiration date the domain is not lost forever. Additionally, buyers out there who think they can just wait until the clock strikes 12 the day the domain expires with the idea they can immediately scoop the domain up must understand that this is simply not possible. Hiring a professional to help you navigate this process might be the best thing you can do.
Source: (https://www.forbes.com/)
