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I have a domain on GoDaddy which I want to transfer. Due to too much hassle (can't remove the privacy entries, lost email account password, etc. etc.) for a transfer, I just thought that I can let it expire to re-register it with a different host.

Is this possible or will GoDaddy keep the domain for some time before I re-register it?

TL;DR the domain expires 10/20/2011 - can I just register with a new host on 10/21/2011?

ernesto50
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Godaddy will hold the domain after is expires for a period of several months. If your renew domain more than 19 days after expiry, then there is a redemption fee added. This redemption fee can be sizable. Godaddy's help pages say that the latest you can recover the expired domain is 42 days.

Even after the 42 days, the domain may not go back onto the market. I have seen the register hold domains for up to 6 months before they could be re-registered.

When the domain does come on the market, every domain I have ever watched has got bought instantly by a domain hording company that puts spammy adverts on it.

I would think the idea of allowing a domain to expire and then register it again elsewhere is a very dangerous task. The domain will be out of service for about 6 months and there is a very high risk that someone else will grab the domain before you when it does become available. Better to transfer in the normal way.

Rincewind42
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If you let it expire it is possible that someone will purchase it immediately upon its availability. This tends to happen with domains that contain good keywords and/or get any traffic. Owners of ad networks then throw up pages filled with ads related to the domain name. These companies make big bucks and generally do not give up any domains they snatch. Others may buy it simply to resell it at a higher price, especially if the previous owner comes looking for it.

So, if you want to keep that domain you better renew it. Otherwise the chances of you re-registering that name takes a sharp decline.

John Conde
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    I often buy expiring domains like this. They typically start at $15 and go up from there depending on several factors. I'm nice though and will return a domain at my cost to the former owner. Most people aren't this nice though. Bottom line, if you want to keep the domain, you have to renew it. – jfrankcarr Sep 27 '11 at 20:24
  • Depending on your Registrar, they may have a grace period, so trying to re-register the day after it expires on one may not allow you to necessarily transfer it to the other. The most humorous mishaps were happening a couple years ago, a porn provider registered with a registrar that allows you to put in a reserve on expiring sites and caught quite a few church sites that had good traffic but failed to recognize that domain names expire. – Fiasco Labs Sep 28 '11 at 04:09
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As this question said, there is a grace period to allow you to keep your domain name without anyone else being able to just steal it because you're a day late on payment or whatever.

It should be possible to transfer the domain to a new host, though. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with how you would go about doing that.

Community
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xyious
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  • The transfer is initiated by logging into your old registrar and starting the process, then going to your new registrar and completing the transfer. The question is about bypassing this formal transfer by exposing yourself to domain theft or other other hiccups. – Fiasco Labs Sep 28 '11 at 04:14