Bidding
Who can bid? Anyone with an approved account who has accepted our terms. Sign up and confirm your email address, then we check the account by hand. DomainTree and its staff never bid.
How much does an auction start at? £50, unless the listing shows a different start price. DomainTree's own auctions have no reserve: the highest valid bid at the end wins.
What does "Reserve not met" mean? Some independent sellers set a reserve. We never show the amount, only "Reserve met" or "Reserve not met". A maximum bid at or above the reserve moves the price up to it. If the auction ends below the reserve, the name isn't sold and you owe nothing.
What is a maximum bid? The most you'll pay. The site bids for you only as much as it takes to keep you in the lead, and nobody sees your maximum while you lead. On equal maximums, the earlier one leads.
How much must each bid go up by?
| Current price | Step |
|---|---|
| under £100 | £5 |
| £100 to £499.99 | £10 |
| £500 to £999.99 | £25 |
| £1,000 to £4,999.99 | £50 |
| £5,000 and over | £100 |
When does an auction end? At the end time on the listing, in UK time. Auctions run for up to 10 days. DomainTree's own auctions usually end between 16:30 and 19:00 UK time, Mon–Thu. A bid accepted with less than 5 minutes left moves the end to 5 minutes after that bid, and this can repeat.
What if the website is down when an auction is about to end? Once the site is back we move the end later, normally to 30 minutes after it returns. Bids already placed stand, and we email everyone who bid.
Can I take a bid back? No, bids are binding. For an obvious typo (say £5,000 for £500), email us within 1 hour of the bid and more than 12 hours before the end, and we decide whether to cancel it.
Is there a buyer's premium or VAT? No buyer's premium, and no VAT (DomainTree is not VAT-registered). You also pay Nominet's registrant transfer fee, currently £10 + VAT.
Who is the bid history showing? Amounts and times are public. Each bidder shows only as "Bidder A", "Bidder B" and so on.
After you win
How do I pay? By UK bank transfer in pounds with the invoice reference, or by card on your sale page up to £5,000 (through Stripe; Apple Pay and Google Pay work too). Above £5,000, bank transfer only. Payment is normally due within 7 days; the invoice gives the date.
Our bank details are only on the invoice and your signed-in sale page, never in the text of an email. They never change: if you get different ones, don't pay, and contact us.
How is the name transferred? Once you've paid, give the new registrant's details and your registrar's Nominet tag on your sale page. We start a Nominet registrant transfer, which the new registrant must accept within 5 days, and move the name to your tag. The sale is complete when both are done.
What if the winner doesn't pay? We may cancel the sale and offer the name to the next-highest bidder at that bidder's own maximum (a second-chance offer). It only binds you if you accept it.
Can I cancel as a consumer? Usually, within 14 days, as set out in section 12 of our terms. The transfer details form explains how starting the transfer early affects that right.
Backorders
What is a backorder? You ask us to try to catch a .uk name when it drops. Nothing is paid up front, and catching isn't guaranteed.
What do I pay if you catch it? £50 if you're the only backorderer. Otherwise it goes to an auction open to all approved bidders, starting at £50, and the earliest backorder is the opening £50 bid, binding if nobody bids higher.
Can I set a maximum bid with my backorder? Yes, optionally. If the name goes to auction, your maximum is entered as your bid when the auction starts. You can change or remove it on My backorders until 5 minutes before the drop. It isn't used if you're the only backorderer.
Can I cancel a backorder? On My backorders, until 2 days before the known drop time. After that, email us.
Where can I see which names are dropping? On the Droplist page, free for members (sign up and confirm your email address). It lists the .uk names Nominet says will drop and when each becomes free. Filter by day, ending, length and words; each name has a Backorder button. Owners can renew until shortly before the drop, so names may disappear.
Other questions
Who sells the names? DomainTree, or a hosted catching client with DomainTree selling as their agent; the listing says which. Some names are listed by independent sellers, and you pay the seller directly.
Can I sell my own name here? Yes, with an approved account: see the Sell page. Listing is free; sellers pay 5% commission only when the name sells. We approve every listing by hand.
What do buyers see about me when I sell? Only your account name (set it on Your account) and whether you sell as a private person or a business. Your full name, address and phone number never appear on the site. Only the buyer who wins your auction gets them, with your email address.
Can I set a reserve when I sell? Yes, free, when you submit the listing. Bidders only see whether it's been met. If the auction ends below it, the name isn't sold and there's no commission.
Can my domain open its auction page while it's listed? Yes, if you want. Once your listing is approved, set the domain's nameservers to ns1.domaintree.co.uk and ns2.domaintree.co.uk at your registrar. Visitors to the domain then land on its auction page, and your Selling page shows whether it does. This replaces any website or email the domain has now. Change the nameservers back after the sale, or leave it to the buyer.
How many names can I have in auction at once? Up to 5 running and 20 waiting to start. Only one at a time may have a reserve or a start price above £50.
Can I buy a name outright? Some names on Domains for sale have a Buy now price. Buying is binding, like a winning bid, and follows the same steps: invoice, payment (bank transfer, or card up to £5,000), transfer. For the others, make an offer.
How do I contact you? Use the contact form or email [email protected].
If anything here differs from our terms of sale, the terms win.