The name you want is registered to someone else. That is normal: most good names are. Buying one safely comes down to five steps, and the one that protects your money is escrow. This guide walks through each step, with the specifics for .si names along the way.
The short version
- Find out if it is for sale. Visit the domain, check the big marketplaces, and look up its registry status.
- Check the name. Trademarks, history, and anything that could follow the name to you.
- Agree the price. Treat the asking price as a ceiling and comparable sales as the guide.
- Pay through escrow. The escrow service holds your money until the domain is in your account.
- Complete the transfer. The seller hands over control; escrow pays the seller once you confirm.
Step 1: Find out if the name is for sale
Type the domain into your browser first. Many owners show a for-sale page with a price or an offer form. If there is nothing, check the marketplaces where most domains change hands: Dynadot, Sedo, Spaceship, Atom and Afternic. For .si names, 52 of the 72 sales in our sales tracker happened on Dynadot, Sedo or Spaceship.
Then look up the registry record. For .si, the registry's public RDAP lookup shows when a name was registered, when it expires and its status. Two statuses matter:
- Pending delete means the name has expired. It cannot be bought from the old owner and becomes free within 30 days, so wait and register it instead of paying anyone.
- Server transfer registrant prohibited is usually set while a name is in a dispute (domain statuses). Do not buy a name in a dispute.
Step 2: Check the name before you pay
- Trademarks. Search the registers where you will operate: EUIPO eSearch for the EU, TMview for many countries at once, and the USPTO for the US. For .si, disputes turn on rights valid in Slovenia, so EU and Slovenian marks matter most.
- History. Look the domain up on the Wayback Machine to see what it was used for. Spam or adult content in the past can leave a reputation behind.
- Ownership. Make sure the seller controls the name: a for-sale page on the domain itself, a marketplace listing the platform has verified, or a reply from the address shown on the domain are good signs.
- Locks. Ask whether a registry or registrar lock will delay the transfer, and agree a timeline before you pay.
Step 3: Agree the price
Most premium names are listed with a buy-now price, and many owners also take offers. Use comparable sales as your guide. For .si, our tracker shows plural nouns selling for a median of about $1,900, two-word compounds near registration cost, and a handful of short dictionary words in five figures.
When you make an offer, say what you plan to build. Sellers take real buyers seriously, and a specific offer gets a clearer answer than "what's your best price?".
Step 4: Pay through escrow
Escrow is the step that protects you. A licensed escrow service such as Escrow.com holds your payment while the seller transfers the domain, and releases it to the seller only after you confirm the domain is yours. If the transfer never happens, you get your money back. Escrow.com's domain process works like this (how it works):
- Buyer and seller register and agree the terms: the domain, the price and who pays the fee.
- The buyer pays Escrow.com. Once the payment is verified, the seller is told to transfer.
- The seller transfers the domain and marks it as transferred.
- An inspection period starts when the buyer confirms they have the domain (or Escrow.com confirms it); the buyer then accepts.
- Escrow.com releases the money to the seller.
If you prefer not to deal with the transfer yourself, Escrow.com's Domain Concierge option holds the domain in its own registrar account during the deal and then moves it to yours (Domain Concierge), at roughly double the fee.
Escrow.com's published fees (fee calculator) shrink as the price grows:
| Price | Standard fee | With Domain Concierge |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 5,000 | 2.6% (minimum 50) | 5.2% (minimum 100) |
| 5,000 to 50,000 | 2.4% (minimum 130) | 4.8% |
| 50,000 to 200,000 | 1.9% (minimum 1,200) | 3.8% |
| 200,000 to 500,000 | 1.5% (minimum 3,800) | 3.0% |
The same table applies in USD, EUR, GBP, AUD and CAD. Paying by card or PayPal adds 3.05% and is only possible up to 5,000. Buyer and seller decide who pays the fee.
Buying through a marketplace instead
Marketplaces include their own payment protection, so you usually do not need separate escrow:
- Dynadot moves the domain into the buyer's account and holds it under a 15-day buy lock; listings of $100 or more can be paid in installments, with a 15% down payment (sale process, payment plans).
- Sedo holds the buyer's payment in a neutral account and pays the seller only once the buyer is the registered owner (Sedo transfer service).
- Atom promises a full refund if it cannot transfer the domain, whatever the price (Atom buyer terms).
Step 5: Complete the transfer
How the transfer works depends on the extension and on whether you keep the name at the seller's registrar. For .si there are two possible moves, and the registry charges nothing for either (transfers):
- A change of holder. The seller's registrar changes the legal holder to you after both of you confirm, and the registry emails both parties when it is done.
- A change of registrar. The seller sets an authorization code on the domain (as a SHA-256 digest of a password) and gives you the password; your registrar uses it to move the name to your account. The registration period stays as it was.
Once the name is in your account, update the contact email, set your own name servers, and consider a registry lock for a valuable name. Our .si domain guide explains these rules in more detail.
Red flags
- A seller who wants payment by bank transfer, crypto or gift cards instead of escrow.
- A price that suddenly changes once you show interest, or pressure to pay today.
- An escrow site you have never heard of, sent to you by the seller. Type the escrow service's address yourself.
- A name in pending delete or in a dispute offered for sale. It is not the seller's to sell.
FAQ
Is it safe to buy a domain from a private seller?
Yes, if you pay through a licensed escrow service or a marketplace with buyer protection. Escrow holds your money until the domain is in your account and you confirm it, so neither side can walk away with both the money and the name. Never pay a private seller directly.
How much does domain escrow cost?
At Escrow.com the standard fee is 2.6% for deals up to 5,000 (minimum 50), falling to 2.4% up to 50,000 and 1.9% up to 200,000. Paying by card adds 3.05%. Buyer and seller agree who pays it, and it is often split.
Can I buy a domain that has expired?
Not from the old owner. An expired .si name sits in quarantine for up to 30 days and then becomes free for anyone to register. Instead of paying for it, wait until it drops, or use a backorder service that tries to register it the moment it is released.