Letting a domain with Network Solutions expire - what happens?

I transferred all my dozen or so domains out of Netsol years ago, but one domain that I really don't care if I lose it is still with them and is up for expiry in a few weeks. Last year I tried to transfer it out but I never got the confirmation code so I renewed it for a year (I think it cost $10 at the time). I have no other services with them (no hosting, no domain privacy, etc).

I'm trying the domain transfer again, and (as I expected) they offer the domain renewal special offer for $17.99 during the domain transfer process. So I try it, get to the checkout, and the price is $39.99 (this is for 1 year, no web or mail hosting, no privacy). I get on a live-chat and ask them where the $18 offer went, the agent seems to know about this "problem" but can only offer to charge the $40 and then refund me the difference - I say no thanks to that.

I'm wondering what happens if I fail to get an auth code and don't renew the domain (.com) with netsol. Will I be able to register the domain at some point in the future with another registrar? If not -why not? If so, how soon would it become available?

 

When domains "expire" they don't immediately become available to everyone. Instead they go through different changes in state before they eventually get released where anyone can purchase them again.

First the domain will go into a grace period or redemption period where you can still renew the domain, but it will no longer resolve. Usually you have to pay a higher registration fee during this period.

Then the domain will be pending deletion from the registry. During this time you can't re-gain control of the domain but no one else can register it either.

Then the domain becomes publicly available again. When that happens, anyone can buy it. If your domain is unpopular, it may go unregistered allowing you to buy it again, however most of the time the domains are snapped up by other parties right away, perhaps using an automated process to purchase it.

The time of the grace period and redemption period as well as the fees may vary based on whether the domain is a .com or some other TLD.

More info: https://www.noip.com/support/knowle...in-the-redemption-period-what-does-that-mean/

 

So just so I understand this - Netsol itself doesn't acquire or sit-on it's recently-expired domains - but really does let them go if they expire? And this happens how long after the grace period? And also - for the entities that grab and register recently-expired domains - is that really a lucrative business model? What are they paying to register recently-expired domains?

 

It would be possible for Netsol to pay the registration fees to the domain registry and register the domain for themselves if they did want it before the expiration. I once had a domain with 1and1 that expired and 1and1 itself actually registered the domain on expiration and tried to sell it for $$$. Netsol couldn't do this though until after the grace period and redemption period expire, but they could backorder the domain and ensure they are the ones who get it after the redemption period ends.

I looked into this a bit more, it appears that registrars can start to auction off or sell a domain before it hits the "deleted" date in what is called pre-release. So, NetSol can start taking bids for the domain before it expires and if they get a bid and you let it expire, it doesn't go to the "deleted" state, rather it goes straight on to a new owner. This can be thought of as a "Backorder" of the domain.

For more info, I suggest you read:
http://www.pixelmade.com/blog/domain-names/how-buy-expired-domain-name
https://acro.net/blog/namejet-and-pre-release-domains-an-on-going-fiasco/

As far as how much profit is being made, I would think it's the domain registrars that are making the bulk of it.

NetSol could decide it's more lucrative to buy the domain itself and try to re-sell it or they could choose to let it go. There is a registration cost if they decide to keep it, but as the current registrar they have first dibs. If they determine they want to let it go, though, then anyone could register it.

 

Have you talked with Net Sol support about the difficulty you're having transferring it?