Frequently asked questions

Our frequently asked questions are split into sections to help you quickly find the answer to common questions we receive.

Backorder/Catching

Do I have to pay upfront?

No, you do not need to pay upfront, however we ask that you add a payment card to your account so that we know you are a genuine customer. This is due to having previous customers create an account, backorder domains, and then never pay when we're successful.


Will my payment credit(s) expire?

No. Any payment credits added to your account will remain indefinitely until used.


Can you refund my payment credit if the domain backorder is unsuccessful?

Depending on how long ago you made your payment, we might be able to refund it if requested.

Note that in doing so will remove your ability to backorder domains. You can reinstate this by making a new payment.


How many domains can I backorder at once?

Currently, each account is limited to five backorders at any one time. We regularly review this number.


How can I increase the number of domains I can backorder?

You can increase the number of backorders by purchasing payment credits in advance, or by subscribing to our drop list service.


What does 'Polling' mean?

Polling is when we start continuously monitoring the domain name on the day we expect it to become available.


Can I cancel a backorder?

Backorders can be cancelled at any point until polling begins. Once we start polling a domain, you cannot cancel a backorder.


What happens if the domain name doesn't drop on the expected date?

If your domain name does not become available on the day we expect it to, we will continue to poll the domain name at regular intervals.


Can I cancel a backorder if the domain did not become available?

You can request cancellation of the polling through the control panel. Once cancellation is requested, we will send a stop request to our polling system. The backorder should be cancelled shortly after your request is received.


What tag do you use to catch domain names?

Domain names are caught using the tag DROPPED-UK.

Catching

It looks like you caught the domain, but it is not registered in my name. Why is this?

All domain names are caught using our details. This is primarily for speed to ensure our system is not delayed by looking up your registration information during a catch. It is also for our security to ensure we receive payment for our service.


Can I change the Registrant details for a caught domain name?

The first Registrant transfer from our details is free of charge. If we have already processed a Registrant transfer, then changing these details again incurs an additional fee.


I've set the Registrant for my caught domain. How long does it take for the WHOIS to update?

The WHOIS will only update once you have submitted your tag change request.

If you have submitted Registrant and tag details, but have not paid for the catch, the Registrant transfer will not take place until payment is received.


How long does it take to transfer a caught domain?

Once a domain is caught, we'll email you requesting payment and to confirm Registrant details and tag. Once these have been received, tag changes are processed within 15 minutes. Everything is fully automated. Be sure you advise the receiving tag your domain is on its way (usually via a transfer in).

If a tag change does not occur within 15 minutes, then the receiving tag will need to accept our request to transfer your domain. If this is the case, we'll have emailed you to advise.


How long do I have to pay for a caught domain name?

All caught domain names must be paid for within 30 calendar days. Auction payments must be completed within 72 hours.

Any unpaid domain names outside of this timeframe will be subject to our payment terms and conditions, specifically the Withdrawal section.


Are there any additional fees?

No. If we successfully catch a domain name on your behalf, we'll ask for our advertised fee. Once payment has been received, we will transfer the domain name with your chosen Registrant details to the tag of your choice.


Do you add VAT to your prices?

No, our prices already include VAT.

When you make a purchase, an invoice is generated which clearly shows the VAT breakdown and our VAT registration number.

Transferring domains

What do I need to do to transfer my domain?

The transfer process is straightforward, but there are a couple of things you should do to ensure a smooth transfer.

1. Complete payment for the successful backorder at dropped.uk
2. Go to your new provider and initiate a transfer in, so they know to expect the domain name and which customer account to put it in
3. Read your new providers FAQ to determine the tag the domain name is to be transferred to
4. At dropped.uk, specify the Registrant name and address who will be the new owner of the domain name
5. At dropped.uk, specify the tag to transfer the domain name to (you obtained this in step 3)
6. Await our email confirmation that the transfer has completed.


How long do transfers take?

The transfer process is usually completed within 15 minutes.


Can I have an authorisation code to transfer?

UK domain names do not use authorisation codes, we simply push the domain to the new provider via their tag.


You keep mentioning tag. What is this?

Every provider that manages UK domain names will have a tag. It's a word or phrase used to identify a provider. Our tag is DROPPED-UK. Tags are unique and do not contain spaces or punctuation, and are no more than 16 characters.


Where can I find my providers tag?

Your new provider should provide their tag when you initiate the transfer in, in their next steps. You can also read their FAQ or contact them directly. You can also view a list of tags on Nominet's website.


Is there a charge to transfer my domain?

The price you have paid for the successful backorder includes all fees, including the transfer fee. Your new provider shouldn't charge a fee to transfer in a UK domain name, but this will vary by provider.


Will the expiry date change when I transfer my domain?

No. As there are no fees associated with transfer, expiry dates do not change. Domains are not extended, the only change that takes place is the tag listed in the WHOIS.


I've received the transfer completion email, but my provider says you rejected the transfer. What's going on?

Firstly, check the WHOIS. Look in the 'Registrar' section, and you should see who has control of the domain name. If the domain is still managed by us, it will say "[Tag = DROPPED-UK]". If this is your new provider, you should go back to them and tell them to check the WHOIS. Once the tag change has completed, we no longer have any control over the domain name.


I entered the wrong tag. Can you stop the transfer?

If the tag is invalid, the transfer will be rejected. If, however, you entered the wrong provider, use the contact us page straight away so we can try to freeze the transfer. Note that our systems are automated, so transfers usually complete by themselves within 15 minutes.


I've chosen the name and address to register the domain to, but it hasn't updated. Why?

Your chosen name and address will only appear on the WHOIS once you have submitted the tag to change the domain name to.


Drop lists

How are your drop lists different?

Our drop lists contain every .uk domain name entering the standard drop cycle! We monitor every single registered .uk domain name.


Exactly how many domain names are you monitoring?

Our database currently contains 10,300,122 domain names, and changes every day as domains are registered and released.


What statistics do you obtain for each domain?

For every domain appearing on our drop lists, we obtain statistics from Alexa, Majestic, Wayback machine (archive.org). We also generate keywords for each domain, and check for these keywords for Google searches and estimated Google CPC (cost per click). Finally, each domain is checked to see if it is registered in .co.uk, .uk, .org.uk, .me.uk, .ltd.uk, .com, .net, .org, .info and .us.


When are the domain statistics calculated?

Drop list statistics are calculated the day prior to the domain name entering the drop cycle. This is the day prior to suspension, 64 days before the domain drops.


What does the padlock icon mean against .uk availability?

The padlock icon indicates that the .uk has a right of registration against the dropping domain. This means that when the domain drops, the .uk will become available for registration.


What do the numbers mean against .uk availability in an export file?

0 = available
1 = registered
2 = right of registration exists, but not for the dropping domain
3 = right of registration exists, and the domain will become available when the dropping domain becomes available
4 = reserved by Nominet, and will not be available for registration.


How do you take payment for drop list subscriptions?

When you sign up to a subscription, we charge your card for the subscription amount, and advise our card issuer to provide us with a unique token to identify your card. We store this token, and use it for the sole purpose of subscription billing each month.


Do you store card details for my subscription?

No and never! Your card information is securely submitted directly to our payment provider. We don't even see it!


When are monthly payments taken?

Payments are taken monthly in advance, on the day of the month you originally signed up. Eg. If you signed up on 8th, we will charge your card on the 8th day of each subsequent month.

If your billing day does not occur in every month (such as the 31st), your billing will take place on the last day of the month. Your next billing day can always be viewed from the subscription page within your account.


Do drop list subscriptions have a minimum term?

No. Subscriptions can be cancelled at any time. Once cancelled, drop list access will remain until your subscription period ends.


Can I redistribute an exported drop list?

Unfortunately not. Your subscription entitles you to unlimited use of the lists for yourself or your company, but they cannot be redistributed.


I've seen Open PageRank in your drop lists. What is this?

Open PageRank is a page rank metric introduced to replace the deprecated Google PageRank. Find out more by visiting this link: What Is Open PageRank.

Auctions

What happens if you successfully register a domain name with multiple backorders?

If multiple people backorder the same domain, it will enter auction and the opening bid of £35 will be placed by the first person who backordered the domain name.

If you were not the first person to backorder the domain name, you are under no obligation to bid.


What happens if a caught domain name goes to auction?

Auctions run for 72 hours and begin immediately once a domain name has been caught. All parties who placed a backorder for the domain name will be notified, and only these parties can participate in the auction.

The first backorder for the domain will automatically start the bidding at £35. Bidding in the last 5 minutes will automatically extend the auction by 5 minutes from the last bid. This is to ensure everyone has an opportunity to place a new bid and to stop auction sniping.


If I lose the auction, do I still have to pay?

No. If multiple users backorder a domain name, it goes to auction, and you do not win or participate, then there is nothing to pay.


What happens once an auction finishes?

The winning bidder will have 48 hours to complete payment. Failure to complete the transaction within this timeframe may result in the domain name being offered to the next highest bidder, and your account suspended.

If you have any issues completing a transaction, contact us as soon as possible to avoid account suspension.


Can other bidders see that I am bidding?

All bids in an auction will be visible for transparency, however each bidder is assigned a unique ID for each auction, so you can monitor the bids per user within an auction, but not across multiple auctions.


Bulk WHOIS

How does bulk WHOIS work?

Simply enter a list of domain names, and we'll run the domains against the WHOIS server and save the results to a text file for you to download.


How many domain names can I lookup?

Each account can lookup 75 domain names each day. If you subscribe to our drop lists, you can lookup up to 1,000 per day depending on your subscription level. (Subject to staying within Nominet's Acceptable Use Policy).


Acceptable Use Policy - what's this?

Use of WHOIS is subject to Nominet's Acceptable Use Policy, limiting each user up to 1,000 WHOIS queries per day. (See Nominet AUP). This is per user across all websites, not just ours.


What information is captured when I submit a WHOIS lookup?

Your IP address and hostname are submitted with the domain name(s) when you request bulk WHOIS lookups.