Name.com offers a backorder service, which increases your chances of getting an expired domain that has entered the Pending Delete period.
How expired domains work
If the current owner of a domain name decides not to renew it, a 77 day deletion process will begin. At several points in this process, the previous owner still has the opportunity to renew or redeem the domain name. Therefore, just because the expiration date on a domain has passed, it doesn’t guarantee that the domain name will drop and become available for registration.
How and when you can place a backorder
A backorder can be placed on a domain only when there is a drop date for when it will reenter the registration pool. The amount of time between when the drop date is announced and when the domain becomes available for registration can vary, as it depends on the specific TLD.
The last 5 days in the process is called the Pending Delete period, where the domain is scheduled to be released in 5 calendar days. Once the Pending Delete stage is over, the domain name will drop and become available for anyone to register. If you've placed a backorder on the domain, we will try to obtain it on your behalf. Although we only allow one backorder per domains at Name.com, there may be customers at other registrars competing for the same domain—so there's still a chance that someone else will secure it first.
If you obtain the domain then the domain will placed in your account and renewed for 1 year. There are no additional or extra charges for the renewal or upon the backorder's completion. We will email you notifications and updates to keep you informed as you go through the process.
If you do not obtain the domain then we will automatically issue a full refund to your original payment method. A refund takes 2-5 business days, and the information will be emailed to you as we obtain it.
Important Notes: We only allow one backorder to be placed per domain name. Though placing a backorder increases your chances of obtaining the domain name, it is never a guarantee.
