can someone please tell me what refunded domains mean? because I found a .net domain name that is available. Now when I try to do a search in google using the "domainname.net" the domain name was listed as refunded domains. Can someone explain this to me please. Is it safe to register the domain? I just want to know because I once had a bad experience on registering previously owned domains
There are several businesses out there that pick up recently expired domains , park them for a few days, see if they generate traffic and revenue. If they don't, they are returned to the registrar before the 5 day grace period. This method allows the business to test-drive the doamin for a few days and if they don't like it they get the reg fee back. I have seen the phrase refunded domains used to describe domains that come from this process. As far as I know, there are no specific problems from registering these domains. However, because it would have been dropped within the grace period, it is likely that the domain does not have good traffic value in and of itself (without advertising). That's not to say that you couldn't make a good site with it, just that not many people are likely to show up there by accident.
I believe you are talking about Domain Tasting! Domain Tasting and Early Domain Deletions Domain Tasting refers to a fairly new domain phenomena that claims over 1.5 million domain registrations and deletions per day. Most of the major TLD registries have allowed registrars to delete domain registrations and receive a full refund within the first five days of registration. This results in domain tasting, or the process of registering domains (usually by the thousands), testing them on parking pages for a period of 4-5 days and then releasing the domains that are not generating revenue. There are no rules when it comes to deletions, so in theory, a domain taster could register and taste a domain multiple times before finally deciding whether or not it meets their criteria (usually it must generate more money in a given year then it cost to acquire). Several large, well funded companies have now mastered the art of domain tasting and claim pretty much every daily dropped domain. In other words, any domain that drops as part of the daily drop cycle gets registered and tasted, almost immediately after dropping, and then re-released several days later for others sample. Many tasters register tens of thousands of two and three word combination domains that were never previously registered, in addition to the drops. Most of the high volume tasters own at least one registrar and have budgets that allow tens of thousands of domain registrations per day. Since they only keep a very small percentage of what they taste, the money stays in constant circulation. The only way to combat domain tasting (since virtually anything that drops as part of the regular drop cycle gets picked up by them) is to backorder domains through one of the drop catchers. The following registrars allow direct domain deletions: eNom Moniker GoDaddy