Purchase of domain name

The second step is to make contact with this name holder, which can quickly become complex: because the WHOIS contact details are not up to date, the addresses given are incorrect, the holder hides its real identity behind a private WHOIS, etc.

Drawing on its experience, our legal department may carry out different research to increase the chances of identifying the holder. All methods identified by our department will be used here: e-mail addresses, telephone number, social networks, etc.

We will inform you of the establishment of relations with the domain name holder. The holder will be contacted on behalf of an anonymous third party, the potential buyer. This approach involves making carefully-considered contact in order to avoid creating the impression that we are desperate to buy at any price. If contact could not be established quickly with the holder, more assiduous attempts will be made using the different contact details that we have found.

Depending on the progress of the steps or the unresponsiveness of the holder, we can decide together to communicate directly on your behalf if you wish. This may have a negative effect on the amount negotiated, so this step should be approached with caution.

If the holder cannot be reached within three months, we will inform you and close the file. You will be given a research and actions report. If the recovery is to be initiated and conducted in an emergency situation, we also offer an option that allows you to benefit from actions taken in a tighter timeframe.

At the start of the process, if the domain extension allows, we will set up a real-time detection probe that will allow us to intervene if the domain name is not renewed, or is deleted, by the holder at the end of its registration contract. If the name falls into the public domain in this way, you will have the opportunity to:

• Recover the domain name if you are the only applicant (additional fixed fees in the appendix).

• Take part in auctions that will take place in the event of multiple requests: additional fixed fees plus the cost of the auction (management of the end of an auction outside French business hours is subject to a charge for the time involved).

However, through various solutions, we offer multiple strategies to maximize the chances of recovery and reduce the chance of an auction.

Where direct contact is made, we will inform you of the holder’s intention to sell or keep the domain name and of the holder’s expectations in the event of a buyback opportunity. We will begin trading to establish a purchase price that meets your expectations.

Special case of specialized platforms:

In the context of trading on specialized platforms (Sedo, BuyDomains, Namedrive, etc.), if the bid made according to your budget is accepted by the seller, an irrevocable purchase obligation will be automatically transmitted. It is therefore important to consult your account manager to know the applicable rates and we will ask you to confirm your agreement before submitting the bid.

These platforms require fast payment times (maximum five days). After these deadlines, the transactions are cancelled. In this situation, SafeBrands will offer you a “cash advance” option (see below).