Sometimes, but rarely for free. If someone registered your domain fairly after it was released, they now hold it legally, and your main options are to buy it back or wait to see if they let it lapse. If they’re using it in bad faith, such as copying your business or holding it to ransom, a dispute under auDRP (.au names) or UDRP (.com names) may get it back.
Key takeaways
- First check it’s really gone. A .au name has a 30-day grace period after expiry, and a .com usually has longer.
- Buying an expired domain isn’t illegal. Disputes only work when there’s bad faith.
- An auDRP complaint starts at $2,000 and a UDRP complaint at US$1,500, before any legal help.
- Whoever holds your old domain can receive email sent to it. Update every account that uses that address now.
Is my domain really gone?
Check before you panic. For .au names, auDA allows a 30-day grace period after expiry. You can still renew during that time, though your website and email stop working, and some providers charge a restore fee. Once the 30 days end, the name is removed and anyone can register it, first come, first served (auDA).
For .com and other global names, the timeline is longer. After the registrar’s own hold, the registry must offer a 30-day Redemption Grace Period in which a deleted name can still be restored (ICANN). Our guide to what happens when a .com.au domain expires sets out the day-by-day timeline.
If your name is still in either window, call your registrar today. Our expired domain recovery service can help if you can’t reach the old provider.
Who bought it, and why does that matter?
Look up the domain in a WHOIS search. For .au names, auDA’s WHOIS shows the registrant’s name and their eligibility details, such as an ABN (auDA WHOIS Policy). Most new owners fall into one of three groups:
- A domain investor or drop-catcher. They grab names the moment they’re released, then offer them for sale. This is legal, and auDA itself mentions drop-catchers as one way names are picked up.
- A genuine business. Another company with a similar name took the chance to register it. They have a real interest in it.
- Someone misusing it. They copy your branding, take your customers’ enquiries or impersonate you. This is the case where a dispute may work.
What are my options to get it back?
Negotiate to buy it back
This is the most common route. Contact the holder through their website or the contact details in WHOIS. Don’t sound desperate, and set a ceiling before you start. Use an escrow service to pay, so the money is only released once the domain is in your name. Our guide on how to buy a domain that is taken walks through the approach and the scams to avoid.
Backorder it and wait
Some holders don’t renew. A backorder or drop-catch service tries to register the name the moment it’s released again. It costs little, but there’s no guarantee, and others may be waiting for the same name.
Complain about eligibility (.au names only)
A .com.au holder must be eligible, for example with an ABN and a name that matches their business, product or service. If you believe they aren’t, complain to their registrar, then to auDA if you’re unhappy with the result. auDA is clear that an upheld complaint won’t transfer the name to you (auDA). It may be cancelled and released, which gives you another chance to register it.
File a dispute (auDRP or UDRP)
Disputes are for bad faith, not bad luck. Under auDRP, you must show the name matches a name or trade mark you have rights in, the holder has no legitimate interest, and it was registered or used in bad faith. Fees start at $2,000, paid by you (auDA). Our guide to auDRP covers the process in full.
For .com names, the UDRP is stricter: the name must have been registered and used in bad faith (ICANN). WIPO charges US$1,500 for one to five names with a single panellist (WIPO). Neither process awards damages or refunds your costs, and legal help is extra.
What should I do right now, while I sort it out?
- Change your email everywhere. The new holder can set up email on the domain and receive anything sent to your old addresses, including password resets. Update your bank, Google, accounting software, suppliers and social media accounts first.
- Tell customers. Send a short note from a working address, and warn them to ignore emails from the old domain.
- Get a new domain live. Move your website and email to it, and update your Google Business Profile and directory listings.
- Keep records. Screenshot what the old domain shows now, with dates. You’ll need this for any dispute.
If the move feels like a lot at once, our website support team can move your site and email to the new name and check nothing is missed.
How do I make sure this never happens again?
- Turn on auto-renew, with a card that won’t expire before the renewal date.
- Renew for longer. A .au licence can run for one to five years.
- Use a contact email on a different domain, so renewal notices reach you even if the domain lapses.
- Keep your ABN active. Since May 2026, a .au renewal can be blocked if the ABN or ACN behind it is no longer active. Our guide to the .com.au renewal ABN check explains what to look for.
- Hold the names that matter, such as the .com.au and .au direct versions of your business name.
When you register your domain with WMS, we can help you keep renewals and contact details in order.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal for someone to buy my expired domain?
Yes. Once a domain is released, anyone eligible can register it. For .au names, auDA releases purged names on a first come, first served basis. It only becomes a dispute matter if the new holder acts in bad faith, such as copying your business or targeting you to sell it back.
How much will it cost to buy my domain back?
It depends entirely on the holder. Investors price names by what they think you’ll pay. Decide your limit first, compare it with the cost of moving to a new name, and pay through escrow so the money is only released when the transfer is complete.
Can auDA give me my domain back?
No. auDA doesn’t transfer names between parties. An eligibility complaint can lead to a name being cancelled, not transferred to you. To have a .au name transferred, you’d need to win an auDRP dispute, which is decided by an independent provider such as WIPO or the Resolution Institute.
Can I stop the new owner receiving my emails?
Not directly, because they control the domain. What you can do is change the email address on every account you hold, tell customers and suppliers your new address, and treat any message from the old domain as suspicious.
Will I lose my Google rankings?
You’ll lose the rankings tied to the old domain, because you can’t redirect it any more. Get the new domain live quickly, update your Google Business Profile and listings, and ask sites that link to you to update their links. Rankings usually rebuild over time.
Sources
- Renewing your domain licence, auDA
- Expired Registration Recovery Policy, ICANN
- Submit a complaint, auDA
- The auDRP process, auDA
- Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, ICANN
- WHOIS Policy, auDA, June 2026
- Schedule of fees under the UDRP, WIPO