Frequently Asked Questions

Domains

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1. Is it possible to hide some or all of my contacts details in the WHOIS ?

If you registered your domain through a registrar, you should contact them to change your privacy settings.

We fully support all the industry standard (EPP) privacy controls.

If they are unable to help you, we have a form you can use to set the privacy controls on your domain. All you need to know is the domain name and the password of the Owner or Admin contacts.

If you do not know the password of the Owner contact, you can reset it, if necessary

You can also use an AuthCode to set the Privcy controls - you would get this from your registrar. Normally an AuthCode is only used for transferring the domain between registrars, but if you are unable to reset the Owner password (e.g. becauase the owner's email address is incorrect) you can set the privacy setting using an AuthCode.

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If you registered you domain name directly with us, login and use the options to modify the domain privacy or modify the contact privacy options of your records.

You can hide the contacts details from the WHOIS in one of two ways - on the domain or on the contact (or both).

In the domain you can select to expose all information, no information, or only the street address (hiding the phone, fax & email).

In the contact record you can choose exactly which parts of the contact recod should be made public. This can include hiding all your contact information. NOTE: If the same contact record is used for many domains, changing the privacy settings in the contact record will affect all domains that use it.

Use the Contact modification page to mark what parts of your contact data will not be disclosed.

The most restrictive disclosure policy is calculated based on per contact and per domain privacy settings. i.e. you must choose to expose your contact information in both the domain and the contact records for it to be visible to the public.

The option Domain Information to publish is available at My Domains page then, in the drop-down to the far right of the corresponding domain, select Modify Conatcts / Privacy.

NOTE: Exposing your contact details may be necessary if you are proposing to purchase an SSL Certificate for your domain name.

2. My domain has expired and/or is showing as pendingDelete, but I want to keep it. What should I do?

If you are the registered Owner Contact for the domain, and it is still in its Redemption Grace Period, or is showing in the WHOIS as pendingDelete, you can keep the name by simply renewing it.

If you originally registered the name with a Regsitrar ...

1. If you wish to stay with the registrar you should be able to renew the name with them.
2. If you wish to transfer the domain to your direct control, you will need follow our transfer procedure.
3. If you wish to transfer the domain to a different registrar, you will need to transfer the domain to your direct control first, then transfer it to your new registrar. You will only be required to renew the domain when you transfer it to the new registrar.

If you originally registered the name with us,

1. If you wish to keep the domain under your direct control, you can simply renew it through our web interface
2. If you wish to transfer the domain to a registrar, you will need follow our registrar transfer procedure.

All transfers to a regsitrar (either from another registrar or from your own direct control) require that you purchase a renewal at the same time.

3. I'm interesting in contacting the owner of another domain, but the contact details for the current owner are hidden.

We have a form you can fill out that will send an email message (of your choice) to the current owner without revealing their contact details to you.

It is necessary for you to register on our system and Login, to use this facility.

After the have logged in click the More Options button, then select Message the Owner of another domain

4. What is an AuthCode and how to I get one?

An AuthCode is officially called an AuthInfo Code, and an Auth-Info code by ICANN and registry operators. It is alternatively called an auth code, a transfer key, a transfer secret, an EPP code, EPP authentication code, or EPP authorization code.

You will need this in order to transfer control of your domain to or from a registrar, or you own direct control (using this site). The controlling registrar is the one you have to go to in order to edit your domain's details or renew its subscription. For NIC.Names.Of.London you can use this site as your control point and come here to edit your contact details or renew your subscription.

If you domain is managed by a registrar, you will need to request an AuthCode from them.

If you can not obtain an AuthCode from your regsitrar you can take control of the domain yourself using the Owner's password - which can be reset if necessary.

If you manage your domain yourself through the NIC.Names.Of.London web site, you will need to set the AuthCode yourself.

1. Login
2. Click on the My Domains button to go to the list of your domains
3. Select Set an AuthCode from the drop down to the far right of the corresponding domain name.

For security reasons, all passwords are stored in an encrypted format so it is not possible to reveal the AuthCode in plain text after it has been set.

For the purposes of transfering the domain, either to a registrar or to your own direct control, the Password of the Owner or Admin contact will also work just as well (as an AuthCode) to authorise the transfer. However, regsitrar's usually prefer to use an AuthCode, as this is the industry standard.

AuthCodes are single-use passwords - once the transfer has been completed the AuthCode will be removed. For this reason, it is safer to use an AuthCode when transfering your domain as the AuthCode will be erased once it has been used.

5. How do I transfer my domain from a Registrar to my direct control?

1. Get an AuthCode from the Registrar
2. If you have not already done so, register your contact details on our system
3. Login using the contact details you have registered
4. Click on the More Options button
5. Select Transfer control of my Domain from a Reseller to me
6. Enter the domain name and AuthCode to transfer the domain name into your direct control

There is no fee charged to transfer my domain from a registrar's control to your own direct control.

If you are having trouble getting an AuthCode from your registrar (e.g. they are no longer in business), you can reset the Owner's password and use that password instead of an AuthCode.

NOTE: Please note - you can use a Registrar's Owner Contact Record to prove your owership of your domain, but you will never be able to login using this record. You will need to create a contact record that you own and control.

Ownership and control of contact records needs to be protected to ensure your contact records stay private to you, and their contact records stay private to them.

6. How do I transfer my domain from my direct control (NIC.Names.Of.London) to a Registrar/Reseller?

1. Login into our interface using the email address and password of either the Owner or Admin contact.
2. Set an AuthCode (single-use transfer password) on the domain.
3. Give the AuthCode to the Registrar/Reseller of your choice
4. They must now request a transfer using this AuthCode.

We will impliment the transfer immediatly on receiving the rquest from them, if they have provided the correct AuthCode.

You will be requied to renew the domain for at least one year as part of the transfer procedure.

Note, there is at least one Registrar who will require the domain Owner to change their privacy settings of your domain and disclose the e-mail address of the Owner. This is due to legal obligations in their legal juristiction.

7. How do I transfer my domain between two accounts at NIC.Names.Of.London?

1. Login using Account A
2. Set an AuthCode on the domain.
3. Log-out (from Account A)
4. Login using Account B
5. Go to More Options > Transfer control of my Domain from a Reseller to me.
6. Enter the domain name and AuthCode

If the AuthCode matches, the domain name will be immediatly transferred to Account B, and Account B will be set as every contact for the domain.

NOTE: Account A must be either the Owner or Admin Contact for the domain to have permission to set an AuthCode on the domain.

8. How do I transfer my domain between two Registrars?

1. Get an AuthCode from the Registrar that currently control your name
2. Give this to the registrar you wish to move to

You will be requied to renew the domain for at least one year as part of the transfer procedure.

9. My domain needs renewing, can I renew it with different regsitrar?

Yes. Simply follow the Registrar to Registrar transfer procedure.

10. How long does it take to transfer the domain?

All transfers are immediate. After you give the AuthCode to your new Registrar the dot-Names.Of.London Registry does not delay the transfer.

Note, it can take some time before the Registar updates their database to reflect the transfer. There can also be delays in card payments to the registrar etc. ... but if the AuthCode is valid, then we will transfer your domain to your new regsitrar as soon as they issue a request and use that AuthCode. If the transfer has not gone through on our system it can only be because we have not yet receive a valid transfer request.

11. What happens to the contact records during a domain transfer?

If you transfer a domain to be under your direct control, then the account you are logged in with (when you execute the transfer) will automatically become the contact for all fours roles in the domain (Owner, Admin, Technical & Billing)

If you transfer a domain to a registrar, the details of all the domain's contacts will be copied and the new copy-contact records will be assigned to the receiving registrar.

If you are transferring from one registrar to another, if the loosing registrar is assigned as any of the contacts (e.g Billing Contact), then the contact details will not be copied, instead the receiving registrar will assume that role.

As part of this process, all current privacy settings will be copied and transferred along with the contact's details.

12. I gave my AuthCode to a Registrar but they say the transfer is failing, what should I do?

If the AuthCode is correct, the most common reason for a transfer to fail, is becuase there is an outstanding operation on the domain.

For example, if your domain is currently under your direct control, and you have applied for it to be renewed, but have now decided to renew the domain through a registrar, the outstanding renewal application will cause the transfer to fail and the registrar will see an error message that says "There is already an outstanding operation in that domain (transfer_domain:pending_operation)"

If this is your problem, you can remove your unwanted renewal application by logging-in to the NIC.Names.Of.London interface, clicking the My Domains button and selecting Cancel Renewal Request from the drop down to the far right of the corresponding domain.

13. How do I register and buy a domain name?

To register & buy a domain name use our Application Form. That page allows you to register both the domain name you want and your contact details in one step.

If you have already registered your contact details with us please login before registering & buying a new domain name, to ensure the domain name is correctly linked to your account.

- OR -

Register & buy the domain name though one of our Registrars

Please note: it is important, when asking a registrar to buy a name on your behalf, that you know they may have their own (different) terms of service, that you should ensure you are fully aware of, before making a purchase.

For example, because registrars often offer names in a range of different TLDs, to keep their costs down, they may well offer a uniform terms of service across all TLDs. However, because some TLDs offer different terms than other TLDs, by registering through a registrar you may not get offered the same terms of service by the registrar as we would offer if you purchased the name directly.

They may also, for example, have terms of service that relate to web site hosting / forwarding, email hosting / forwarding that are all part of the same "terms of service" document such that their provision of web hosting may cease on the day the domain name expires, causing access to the domain name itself (through their systems), to also cease on that day.

However, if you are still the registered owner of the domain, registering the name through a registrar does not affect your ownership rights, even if these rights can not always be fully enjoyed through the regsitrar of your choice.

14. How do I know if I am meant to pay tax or not?

• If you are inside the UK, VAT Tax must be paid at the UK rate. There are no exceptions to this.

• If you are inside the EU, but outside the UK, tax must be paid at the rate set in your country, unless you are a business with a valid tax / VAT registration identification number for your country. This identification number must be presented at the time of purchase.

• If you are outside the EU, tax is not paid.

15. How do I register my contact details?

You can register your contact details using New Contact Form.

If you wish to register a new contact record to assign to your domain you should first login, before creating the record to ensure the system knows it belongs to you. This ensures the details are kept as confidential as you require and ensures you have full control over the contact record.

16. How do I login ?

Use the Login Form to login, using the email address & password you entered when you registered your contact details with us.

17. What do the different contacts for a domain mean (Owner, Admin, Technical and Billing)?

Each domain has five different contacts - Owner, Admin, Technical, Billing and Regsitrar.

Contact		Meaning / Use
Owner		This should be the contacts details for the organisation, or individual, for whom the name has been registered. In some jurustictions, the owner may be responble for the uses the domain name is put to. For example, it may be possible they could be held legally liable for the content on the domain's web site. In order to ensure the domain owner retains all their rights over the domain name, it is vitally important that these contacts details are kept correct and up-to-date. If you have direct control over your domain and you login in as the Owner contact of a domain, you will have full control over the domain. You will be allowed to modify the contacts of the domain, modify the DNS / Mail & Web forwarding, renew the domain or transfer the domain to a regsitrar.
Admin		The Admin contact has the same control over the domain as the Owner has but they are not the owner, they are simply allowed to act on behalf of the owner. For example, a web design company may take responsibility for not only designing and updating the web sites for a company, but may also be responsible for registering their domain names, keeping them renewed and making sure they work correctly. In this case the web design company would be the Admin contact, but not the Owner. If you have direct control over your domain and you login in as the Admin contact of a domain, you will have the same control as the Owner.
Technical		The Technical contact is responsible for the DNS (or web & mail forwarding) for the domain. If other organisations are, for example, having trouble getting email to you or accessing your web site, then this is the person they should contact. If you have direct control over your domain and you login in as the Technical contact you will be allowed to change the Name Server (DNS) settings and / or the Web & Mail Forwarding settings and nothing else.
Billing		The Billing contact contains the name and address details that the invoice (tax receipt) will be made out to. They will also receive copies of the emails we send out to remind people when their domain subscription is about to expire. If you have direct control over your domain and you login in as the Billing contact of the domain, you will have permission to renew the subscription on the domain, but nothing else. If you registered your domain through a regsitrar, the regsitrar will normally be the Billing contact.
Regsitrar		If you have direct control over your domain, the Registrar contact will be unused, otherwise it will be automatically set to the contact details of the registrar who registered the domain on your behalf.

If you have direct control over your domain, it will be up to you to set-up and maintain the appropriate contact details for your domain.

Here is a summary of the control each contact will have.

	Owner	Admin	Technical	Billing
Change contacts	Yes	Yes	No	No
Receive Email Reminders	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Renew Domain's Subscription	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Receive a copy of the invoice (tax receipt)	No	No	No	Yes
Change Name Servers / Web & Mail Forwarding	Yes	Yes	Yes	No

If you are a small business or individual who has registered the domain name for you own use, it is highly likely that all four contacts will be the same and so can simply point to a single contact ID.

If you registered your domain through a regsitrar, you must maintain all the domain's contact details through their systems.

18. How do I reset my password?

You can reset the password of the contact associated with your domain using our Password Reset Form .

You can also reset a password associated with an email without giving the domain name.

Once you have clicked on the reset link you have been sent, the web page you are sent to that asks for the new password, will also give you the option of resetting all passwords associated with that email address.

19. Can I reset the password if the domain is managed via Registrar/Reseller?

Normally, all operations for a domain name that was registered through a registrar, should be done through their systems. However, the Owner password can be reset even if the domain is managed via Registrar.

This option allows you to transfer the domain (to your direct control or another registrar) in case of problems with the exiting Registrar (e.g. they are no longer in business).

To reset the Owner password use Password Reset Form .

20. How do I check if my domain is managed via Registrar or directly at NIC.Names.Of.London?

In the WHOIS for your domain, if your domain is managed via a Registrar, there will be a Registrar section which gives all the contact details for the Regsitrar.

21. How do I check WHOIS details of a domain?

The WHOIS query form is available in the upper-right corner of every page on our website, or you can use http://names.of.london/whois.html.

22. How do I change my Doamin's Name Servers or Web and Mail Forwarding?

After logging in, click on the My Domains button to see a list of all your domains, then select Modify Name Servers / Forwarding from the drop-down at the righthand end of the row for the domain name in question.

On the page you are taken to, you can configure nameservers of your dot-Names.Of.London domain or configure web & e-mail forwarding.

For Advanced users, you can point your domain name to the external name servers you have already set up and you will have total control over all the DNS for your domain name.

If you do not want to worry about managing your own DNS data, you can use our simple Web & Mail forwarding.

This option allows to redirect web traffic for your dot-Names.Of.London domain to an existing website, e.g. http://your-domain.of.london/ goes to http://example.com/

You can also configure forwarding for e-mails received by your dot-Names.Of.London domain (e.g. john@your-domain.of.london -> john@example.com). Remember to configure the account at your Email Provider to allow sending messages using your dot-Names.Of.London e-mail address.

23. How can I add or modify the DNS records within my domain (e.g. mail server, or web server IP Address)?

If you bought your domain through one of our registrars, you must use their systems to set up your own DNS data. There is no exception to this.

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If you bought your domain name directly from us, you have two options for setting up the DNS records within your domain

• OPTION: 1 - For a relatively simple DNS configuration with a small number of DNS records (to up 20 records), NIC.Names.Of.London can host your DNS data for you.

  You can maintain your DNS data through this site and we will ensure it is reliably published to the rest of the Internet.

  To do this ...

  1. Login into your account
  2. Cick the Domains button to get the list of your domains
  3. To the right of the domain you wish to configure, from the drop-down select Modify DNS / Forwarding
  4. On the next page, select the option DNS Data for this Domain is hosted here and you will get a table to fill in your DNS information.

  Shortly after you post your changes to our systems the new data will be live to the Internet.

• OPTION: 2 - For a more complex DNS configuration, please use an external DNS hosting provider, for exmaple a Free or Paid-For DNS Service provider to setup DNS records for your domain, and then point your domain to the name servers as advised by the provider you have chosen.

  For example, if you decided to use the free DNS service from Hurricane Electric, you would need to

  1. Register yourself with us, then buy a domain name
  2. Register yourself with H.E, then set up you domain's DNS using H.E's DNS Web Interface
  3. Change the DNS records in the domain you have with us to point to H.E's DNS servers - H.E will tell you which ones they have put your domain on

We would then recommend you use a service like MyDnsCheck to ensure everything is set up correctly.

If you simply wish to forward your domain's web & email traffic to other existing accounts, then we recommend you use our Web & Mail Forwading Service.

24. I recently bought a domain name, but its not working, what should I do?

The first thing to do is check in our WHOIS to see what the status of your domain is. If you bought your domain name through a registrar, we will make the name live as soon as we receive the order for it, unless there is some problem with their payment to us.

If you bought the name directly from us we will make the domain name live as soon as we receive payment for it. From the point we receive the payment, this will take a few seoncds, but not much longer. However, there can be processing delays in the payment processor's systems (e.g. PayPal or WorldPay). Again, check in the WHOIS to see the status of your name. You can also check the status of your name in the My Domains section of your login. For a new application the status column will show either Live - we have recieved the payment, or Payment Required - we have not yet received payment.

If you use our Web and Mail forwarding service, check the web site you have chosen to forward to works on its own without the forwarding. There are many on-line web site testing tools, so we would recommend you use one of those.

If you tested your new domain very soon after you bought it, it is possible that it was not quite live at the time you tested it. We will make a new domain name live within a few seconds of receiving the payment from you, but not before. If you test a new domain name before it has gone live, your ISP may retain the information that it didn't work for a while, so even when you re-try the site, they will still say it doesn't work, but this may be old information.

This is where using more than one external web site testing tool is useful.

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If you manage your DNS yourself, if you think your DNS is all correctly set up, the best thing to do is use a DNS checker to check all your dns is correctly set up and visible from the Internet. We often use MyDnsCheck, but there are many others out there.

If you are using DNSSEC and wish to check your zone will verify correctly, we usually use the Verisign Labs DNSSEC checker.

25. How do I change my contact info?

Login, click on the My Contacts button and, from the drop down to the far right of the contact you wish to change, select Modify Contact.

26. How do I re-try the payment?

First, Login, and click on the My Domains button to go to the list of your domains.

If you have already chosen to pay by PayPal or WorldPay, then you should see a web-link with the words Payment Required against the domain name. Click on the link and it will take you to the correct site to make the payment.

As soon as we receive the payment from the external payment site, we will process your transaction.

If you have chosen to pay by credit card, we will try the card three times, 24 hours apart and email to tell you if it failed or succeeded. If you wish to change your card detail or payment method, on the My Domains page, select Change Payment Method. from the drop down to the far right of the domain name.

27. After I login one or more of my domains are missing, what should I do?

The domains that show up in your list of My Domains are those domains for which one or more of the contacts on those domains match the email address and password (credentials) you logged in with.

If one or more of the domains that you own are not showing up in the list My Domains, this is probably because the email addresses or passwords of the contacts (for the missing domains) do not match the credentials (email+password) you have logged in with.

You should:

• Run a password reset procedure on your email address and/or domain, and select the option to reset all matching contact records. This is the best procedure to follow to recover any missing domains
• Change the credentials (email+password) of one of the contacts, for your missing domain, to match the credentials (email+password) you have logged in as, or
• Log-out and log back in using the credentials (email+password) of one of the contacts of the missing domain.

More info on missing domain you can find at Missing Domains page.

28. Do you published lists of recently released names?

Yes - names released within the last 30 days can be found at http://names.of.london/released/YYYY-MM-DD.txt

Each new day's list will be generated at the end of the delete phase of the overnight processing, so should appear shortly after 00:30 UTC.

Please note, although these names were released to the open market during the overnight processing, there is no gurarantee they will still be available at any point in the future.

Names acquired by back-order will not appear in the list.

Backorders

1. What is Domain Backorder?

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 60 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

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 60 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 60 days after it has expired.

The time-line explained, where a back-order has been purchased

1. The name expires and enters the pendingDelete phase, but it stays in the zone file for a further 14 days and remains the property of the current owner
2. For a futher 46 days it remains the property of the current owner, but is removed from the zone file
3. 60 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.
4. 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.
5. 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 60 days after it has expired.

2. 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.

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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.

 

3. 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.

4. 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.

 

5. 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.

 

6. 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.

 

7. 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
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
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
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
Simply waiting for the domain name to be released
Pros	Its free
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.Names.Of.London, 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.

 

8. 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.

 

9. 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 ...

1. The current owner renews the domain
2. A controlling registrar may internally transfer the domain to one of their other customers, who has paid for it to be renewed
3. 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
4. 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.

 

10. 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?
11. 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.