From a figure to a name in your account
Buying a domain is a small transaction with an unusual shape: the thing you buy is a record held by a registrar. The steps below keep your money safe until that record is yours.
The name moves first. The money follows.
The four steps
We agree the figure
You get one price in writing. If it works for you, we confirm the buyer's details: the company that will own the name and the person who will receive it.
Escrow is opened
A licensed escrow service opens the transaction for both sides. You pay the escrow service directly, by the method it offers, and it confirms to both of us when the funds are secured.
The name is moved to you
We move the domain into the registrar account you name, or send you the code to transfer it in. You check that it is there and under your control.
You confirm, and escrow releases payment
Once you confirm receipt, the escrow service releases the funds. If the name never arrives, the money goes back to you.
Each step waits for the one before it.
How long it takes
Agreeing the figure takes as long as you need; there is no deadline. Once you pay, escrow services usually confirm funds within a few business days, depending on the payment method. A move within the same registrar can finish the same day. A transfer to a different registrar normally completes within about a week.
One registry rule is worth knowing: after a change of owner, some registrars lock a domain against transfer to another registrar for 60 days. The name is still fully yours during that time; it simply stays where it was delivered until the lock ends.
Days, not weeks, once payment is made.
What it costs
The figure I quote is the price of the name. There is no commission on top and no charge for asking. The escrow service charges its own fee, which we split or which is set out in the agreement before anything is paid. After the purchase you renew the name at your registrar's normal yearly rate, like any other domain you own.
One figure. Nothing added to it later.
Questions people ask
Why not simply list the name on a marketplace?
Because a marketplace shows it to everyone, and most of those people have no real use for it. Writing to the one company it fits is slower, but it means the name goes where it makes sense.
Is the price open to discussion?
You can always tell me what you had in mind. I set the figure with care, so I will not open with a number I expect to halve, but a reasoned reply always gets a reasoned answer.
Can someone else in my company handle the purchase?
Yes. Many purchases are completed by a finance lead, an office manager or the company's web agency. Tell me who, and I will deal with them directly.
What if we are not ready this quarter?
Say so. I would rather know your timing than write again at the wrong moment. The name may still be here later, though I cannot promise it will be.
How do I know the name is really yours to sell?
The escrow service holds your money until the domain appears in your own account. If it does not, you are refunded. You never have to take our word for it.
Anything else: ask on the contact page.