How Exactly Does Drop Catching Work/ The Levels Of Competition

[Murray]

I just have some basic questions

Is drop catching totally automated? say there is a drop on the 1st of november and it's a domain you want, do you leave your computer on that day and just run your scripts (not sure of the proper term) and if possible it picks it up for you, or does it actually involve you having to be at your computer doing something?.

Other question, are you domain catching guys all playing on the same level field? say xxx.co.uk was dropping and 10 people wanted it, would you all be just as likely to get it,so pot luck, or are some people just better than others somehow..

Thanks.

 

[Admin]

It is fully automated (down to NS) and usually server based, not your personal PC or laptop.

Success depends on the quality of your script, your server ping response time to the Nominet Servers and a bit of luck.

There are plenty of people here offering drop services so try them first before you think about investing in your own system as the cost would probably outweigh your return at this stage.

Admin

 

[Edwin]

That's covered most of it. You're best off thinking of it like a never-ending arms race, with combattants constantly refining their weapons (scripts), positions (servers "closest" in ping times to Nominet's own) and tactics (even distribution of DAC time across the day, run it full tilt for a window of a few hours and hope for the best, concentrate on just ONE name a day, etc.). Even then, success can come down to luck on the day because the drops are totally random and any particular dropping domain may happen to fit someone else's tactics better THAT DAY.

For example if a name dropped at 00:01 then somebody who runs their script for an hour a day between 00:00 and 00:59 is going to have a much better chance than somebody who runs theirs evenly all day. But they would lose anything that dropped between 01:00-23:59 and it's impossible to predict when stuff dropped, so in other words they have a great chance about 4.1% of the time!

There is no "perfect" answer, there are just better and better approximations, and the most successful drop catchers constantly strive to improve.

 

[Murray]

Thanks guys.

It's just I have found a good system of finding the expiring domains I want, I've signed up to a drop catching service and they have missed two so far this week I would have liked.

I have a couple of other domains dropping in the next few days id really like also, I guess I'm going to have to place orders for them elsewhere to up my chances.. even then though I know there is still no guarantee.

I'm a bit worried I'm going to have to spend £xxx amount booking these domains all around the place, then I'm going to miss out on them to a private catcher, and it seems most places just give you credits back instead of the money so id be out of pocket by a bit at the end of it.

So with the process as you guys described, is a private catcher more likely to catch a domain then a company selling the service? because they are dedicating their time to catching the one they really want that day rather than a company concentrating on mulitple domains for their various clients?.

Thanks

 

[Edwin]

Every answer you're looking for is in the forum archives. I say that not to be unhelpful, but because it's impossible to over-emphasize that it is a COMPLICATED process basically if you want to maximize your chances.

Here are a few threads to get you started...
http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/drop-catching-domain-names/85436-last-12-months-drop-catching.html
http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/drop-catching-domain-names/88774-how-approach-monster.html
http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/drop-catching-domain-names/81936-drops-drying-up.html
http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/domain-research/78026-8-ways-get-new-keyword-ideas.html
http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/drop-catching-domain-names/71116-future-drop-catches.html

 

[RobM]

A lot of catchers here take orders on a 'no-win no-fee' basis. There is obviously no financial risk with those. However great domains are going to be backordered everywhere (in some case by more than one person) AND also private chasers are going to go after them. In some cases that is all they will be chasing whereas public catchers will most likely be chasing more than one. Welcome to the world of dropcatches where the more popular a domain the more of a 'lottery' it can be

 

[Murray]

Every answer you're looking for is in the forum archives. I say that not to be unhelpful, but because it's impossible to over-emphasize that it is a COMPLICATED process basically if you want to maximize your chances.

Here are a few threads to get you started...
http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/drop-catching-domain-names/85436-last-12-months-drop-catching.html
http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/drop-catching-domain-names/88774-how-approach-monster.html
http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/drop-catching-domain-names/81936-drops-drying-up.html
http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/domain-research/78026-8-ways-get-new-keyword-ideas.html
http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/drop-catching-domain-names/71116-future-drop-catches.html

I spend a lot of my time on a SEO forum so I understand not wanting to go over the same topics over and over with noobs.

But I have to say a big thank you for that list, it was some very interesting reading!

I think It answered my questions + added some more interesting insights, so cheers.

The one thing I'm worried about with booking domains is If I go to someone and say "Oh hey I want you to get this incredible domain for me" if it really is an incredible domain, why would they not just say "urmm no that is ok I will pick it up for myself cheers".

There is a public catcher who I was going to book a domain with, for the simple fact he picked up the domain I wanted the other day..

But the thing is, within 24 hours he has put a makeshift wordpress site on it, and the whois is him.. so it seems like he caught the site for himself? a public catcher, catching privately for himself worries me a bit because I don't want to give someone a list of names and then them register them and keep them.

Would a public catcher list ones they're going after themselves as booked on their site?

The domains I am interested in aren't on face value.. valuable, they aren't worth anything for the domain name themselves.

I feel a bit like a chicken in a fox house lol.

 

[RobM]

If you backordered the domain and the catcher caught it then kept it for himself that's a big no-no. Catchers should not chase domains for themselves that are backordered. If they offer a 'one slot' system then the domain should be caught for the person with the backorder. If they offer an 'auction' system then the domain should be bid for by the people with backorders. At no point should a catcher be taking it in my opinion. However I don't see the problem with a catcher using his own system for a domain that is not backordered - you say you were 'going to book a domain'. Does that mean you didn't?

 

[Murray]

If you backordered the domain and the catcher caught it then kept it for himself that's a big no-no. Catchers should not chase domains for themselves that are backordered. If they offer a 'one slot' system then the domain should be caught for the person with the backorder. If they offer an 'auction' system then the domain should be bid for by the people with backorders. At no point should a catcher be taking it in my opinion. However I don't see the problem with a catcher using his own system for a domain that is not backordered - you say you were 'going to book a domain'. Does that mean you didn't?

I booked the domain with someone else, missed out on it, looked up the whois, found his site.

Sorry I'm not accusing them of any wrong doing, I'm just nervous of it and asking how a public catcher does things, I assume it's just by marking domains down as booked?.

 

[RobM]

Well that sounds pretty bad. You booked with someone, they caught the domain, then kept it? Maybe you should be warning other people about them. 99.9% of the catchers on this forum wouldn't do something like that.

 

[Systreg]

If a public catcher wants to catch a name on their own system, you'll find that's it's marked as already booked with them.

I use quite a few of the main public catchers, there are 8 that I use regularly and I book with as many of them as possible. If I enter the name on their site and it's not booked, I can book it, if it's already booked then someone either got in before I did, or the catcher has marked it as booked so that nobody else can book it, as they'll be going after it for themselves, which is fine.

 

[Murray]

If a public catcher wants to catch a name on their own system, you'll find that's it's marked as already booked with them.

I use quite a few of the main public catchers, there are 8 that I use regularly and I book with as many of them as possible. If I enter the name on their site and it's not booked, I can book it, if it's already booked then someone either got in before I did, or the catcher has marked it as booked so that nobody else can book it, as they'll be going after it for themselves, which is fine.

Yep sorry about the confusion this is what I was asking, thanks.

Have you found any catching services to be on the whole more successful?

I was thinking of booking with these three in the future, mostly because I already have credits with one and the other two are pay after catch.

caught.co.uk
devaid.co.uk
domainmonster.com (possibly?)