International customers often ask why we choose to auction our expired com.au and net.au domain lists prior to catching the domain - because in most other domain spaces, this is how expired domain auctions work. After all, why run an auction when you cannot guarantee the product? The answer relates to .au policy. You can read in detail the about .au policy here.
In short, the following basic policy points in com.au relate to how we run our Drop auctions.
1) Registrars cannot register domain names using their own entity. This is known as Domain Warehousing or Front Running, and it is a serious breach of the registrars accreditation agreement. Therefore, we cannot catch the domain under our own entity and then hold the auction afterward.
2) Up to the 12 Apr 2021, you could not register .au domains with the sole intent of selling them as per auDA policies. However from 12 Apr 2021 registrants are allowed to register a domain with the sole intent to resell the domain.
3) Finally, when you submit a Transfer (Change Of Registrant) there are fees. Unlike .com where you can push a domain for free, with .au domains you must complete a CoR and pay a fee, which can be up to $100 depending on the registrar.
Importantly, we have a No Win No Pay policy, so aside from the disappointment of not winning the domain, you will not be out of pocket for the effort or experience of participating at the auctions.
