Domain drop catching, also known as domain sniping, is the practice of registering a domain name once registration has lapsed, immediately after expiry.

Just recently we had a case where a client was ready to launch a new website with us and we asked them for the details of their domain name. They then found out their domain name, registered through their previous supplier, had lapsed four months ago and had since been grabbed and registered by a domain sniper who charges a premium for them to get their domain name back.

So we wanted to raise your awareness to this type of service and give you some tips to protect your domain name and avoid this sort of scenario.

1. You need to have the registered business or company name and/or a registered trademark to have rights over the name when it comes to a legal dispute.
2. Register the name through a reputable supplier. For example, for .au domain names the regulatory body is auDa and they provide a list of accredited registrars.
3. Make sure you know who is responsible for tracking and notifying you when renewals are due and who will invoice you.

We do provide domain name management for our clients some who have just one domain name and others that have 90+

You might just have your company name registered or if you have brand names for your products and services you might have these registered too.  And then depending what countries you operate in you may have secured your name with more than one extension such as .co.uk, .co.nz or .com to protect your brand.

Beware too of deceptive mail that looks like an invoice but offers a slight variation on a domain name you own and tries to trick you into paying a premium price.  This is another thing that occurs quite often and our clients always ring us to check before they pay any such marketing campaigns posing as invoices.

If you have any domain name queries do give us a call on (03) 9816 3488