How to Buy a Domain That’s Already Registered at Hover

Finding the perfect domain name for your business can be one of the biggest challenges in building your online presence — and it's even more frustrating when the name you want is already taken. If a domain isn't listed as a premium domain for sale on hover.com, you still have a few options for trying to acquire it.

Note: You can't buy a domain name outright or own it permanently. Domain registration is always done on a term basis — see Renewing Hover Services for how renewals work.

Before you begin

• The exact domain name you want: confirm it's registered to someone else and isn't already offered as a premium domain through Hover's normal search.
• A budget for an offer: DomainAgents charges $19.95 per credit and requires a minimum offer of $199 USD; Sedo's bidding amounts vary by seller.
• Realistic expectations: none of these options guarantee you'll get the domain, and some can take time to resolve.

Using DomainAgents to make an offer

Hover has partnered with DomainAgents to help you open a negotiation with a domain's current owner. Your offer is guaranteed to be presented to them. The service costs $19.95 for one credit — if DomainAgents can't reach the owner, you'll receive a credit to make an offer on a different domain instead.

1. Go to hover.com and search for the domain you want.
2. If there's an exact match, select Make an offer to open the DomainAgents partner window.
3. Review the information presented, then select Learn more to continue.
4. Enter your offer amount (minimum $199 USD) and select Place your offer. Once the domain owner creates a DomainAgents account, they can negotiate, accept, or decline your offer.

Using Sedo to make an offer

Hover has also partnered with Sedo, a domain name marketplace that uses a bidding process instead. When you place a bid, the seller decides whether to negotiate with you, and Sedo completes the sale if you both agree on a price.

1. Go to hover.com and search for the domain you want.
2. If there's an exact match, select Make an offer to open the Sedo partner window.
3. Review the information presented, then select Learn more to continue.
4. Enter your offer amount and select Make offer.

Domain back-ordering

Hover doesn't offer domain back-ordering, though some other registrars do. Back-ordering means paying a registrar to attempt to grab a domain for you if it ever expires.

Warning: Back-order services rarely result in you actually getting the domain. Use them with caution, and don't count on one as your only plan for acquiring a name you need.

Contacting a domain's current owner directly

Hover protects customer privacy, but we also recognize it can be useful for a third party to reach a registrant directly. Our WHOIS Contactability service lets you do that without exposing the owner's personal information.

1. Go to a public WHOIS lookup and search for the domain name.
2. Find the Registrant email field in the results — it contains a URL starting with tieredaccess.com/contact/, followed by a long string of letters and numbers. Copy this URL into a new browser window.
3. Fill out the time-sensitive form with your contact information and a message for the domain owner. Submitting the form automatically sends you a copy as well, so keep it as a record of what you sent and when.

Next steps

• Register your next domain before someone else does: see Registering a New Domain (Hover).
• Keep an eye on domains you're hoping will become available: learn how the expiration process works in The States of Domain Expiration and Redemption.

Questions? Contact Hover Support.