: What happens if I let my domain expire? 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.)

@Mendez628

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.

Vote Up Vote Down

@Frith620

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.

Vote Up Vote Down

@Sarah324

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.

Vote Up Vote Down