Also called expiry stream · partner auction · pre-release
Pre-release auction, explained
Registration agreements usually let a registrar sell a name that lapses into its grace period. GoDaddy, for example, lists its expired names on GoDaddy Auctions 26 days after expiry for ten days, then moves unsold names to closeout. NameJet takes expired names from what it calls Priority Partner registrars after their grace period. The winner receives the name by an account push or transfer, and because the registration never ended, the name keeps its original creation date.
The catch is that the previous owner can usually still renew during the registrar's grace period; GoDaddy's rules say a renewal cancels the auction and refunds the winner. So a win is conditional until the name is delivered. For investors, pre-release auctions are a main source of aged names with traffic or links, and because the bidding is open, prices tend to settle near wholesale value. Check trademarks and the name's history before bidding, as you would for any purchase.
Example. An investor wins an expired two-word .com in a registrar's pre-release auction, then waits for delivery, knowing the former owner could still renew and void the sale.
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Education, not financial, legal or tax advice. Domain investing is speculative and most domain names never sell. Read the disclaimer.
