Domains registered at Enom are not for sale unless the registrant has specifically listed them through a domain auction or a parking page. If you want to acquire a domain that is registered at Enom, your options depend on whether the domain is actively maintained, expired, or already listed for sale. This article explains how to contact the current registrant, what to do while a domain moves through its lifecycle, and where to look for domains available at auction.
Note: A registrar does not own the domains registered through it, so Enom cannot sell actively maintained domains.
Why expired domains are not immediately available
Expired domains have a grace period during which the registrant can renew. Only the previous registrant has access to renew the name during that time, so expired domains are not available for purchase by a new registrant until the lifecycle completes.
Contacting the registrant
The registrant is considered the owner of a domain name. If you are interested in purchasing a domain registered at Enom, you can try contacting the registrant directly. Domains registered at Enom do not show the registrant's contact details in a Whois lookup unless the registrant has set up their domain's Whois publicity service. Even so, it is still possible to reach out to the registrant directly.
Note: While the registrant may receive your message, they may not reply. Enom cannot control whether the registrant responds. Enom does not reach out to registrants on behalf of interested parties.
Step 1: Look up the registrant's contact details
Use a public Whois lookup tool to find the contact information published for the domain.
- Navigate to a Whois lookup site, such as whois.com.
- Enter the domain name and search for it.
- Find the registrant's contact information. You will generally see one of two types of contact details:
Privacy-protected details. The @whoisprivacyprotect.com email forwards to the registrant's email address. Use this address to email the registrant directly.
- GDPR-redacted details. Copy the link in the registrant email field and paste it into your URL bar to open the Tiered Access contact form. The information you submit in the form is forwarded to the registrant.
Step 2: Send a message through the Whois contactability service
When a person uses the form to send a message to the domain owner, Enom sends an email to both the registrant and the sender.
The sender first receives a confirmation.
The registrant's email address then receives an email containing the sender's message.
Waiting until deletion
Most gTLDs follow a similar life cycle: they expire if not renewed, then pass through grace and redemption periods before the registry deletes them. If the registrant has not renewed the domain, use the lifecycle to estimate when the domain becomes available. Once available, the domain is purchasable by any interested party on a first-come, first-served basis. If the domain name is memorable or short, there is a higher chance that others are also watching it or have already placed backorders.
Backordering domains
If you cannot reach the registrant directly and want more help purchasing a domain after it expires, consider placing a backorder. Some services monitor a domain on your behalf and attempt to purchase it once the registry deletes it and it becomes available. Enom does not offer or recommend a backorder service, but many options are available online.
Finding domains at auction
A domain owner may have already put their domain up for sale at an auction site such as Afternic, Sedo, or GoDaddy Auctions. Check the auction sites for the domain you want if it is not tied to an active website or email service. If the domain is at auction, bid on it through the auction site to complete the purchase.
Next steps
- Review the domain lifecycle to understand when an expired domain becomes available.
- Learn how the Whois publicity service affects which contact details are visible.
Questions? Contact Enom Support.
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