In order to get a complete insight into the workings of Catch.info, it is necessary to first explain some special terms in greater detail:

Top level / Second Level / Domain: Domains are Internet addresses. In the domain name Catch.info for example, the Second Level is “Catch” and the Top Level is ".info". Other Top Levels would be .at, .ch, .se etc.

Registry / Registry operator / Nic: Each Top Level is managed by a Registry or Registration authority or Nic. This is the uppermost entity of all domains under the corresponding Top Level.

Catching / Backordering / Snapping: These terms are interchangeable and all mean registering a domain through software-based methods, immediately after it becomes available - this is the service that Catch.info offers.

Drop / Drop list: If a domain "drops", this means that it is soon expected to be free and therefore would again be available for registration (or for Catch). Drop lists are listings of several such domains.

It is essential to create an account in order to place a catch order. Registration is free and charges apply only in case of a successful catch.

It is necessary to be logged in to be able to access all complex functions of the Catch.info platform such as more accurate filtering of our drop lists, placing catch orders or anything within own user account. We therefore always recommend to login to your account when visiting Catch.info.

Orders can be placed simply by clicking and can be modified and deleted up to the order end time. Till that time, orders function like a favorites list for interesting domains. After expiry of order end-time for the respective domain, the order will automatically get converted to a binding minimum bid for each domain.

Customers can directly affect the catch performance by modifying the amount of minimum bid/order. A higher minimum bid/order induces a relatively increased performance of our catch software for that domain.

The minimum order amount is net € 50. Charges apply only in case of a successful catch.

After we have successfully caught a domain as per the customer order, there exist two options:

Option 1 applies if no one, except the customer that placed the order, had ordered this internet address. An invoice is then automatically generated and sent to the customer. Once the invoice is paid, the domain is released for administration to the customer.

Option 2 applies if this internet address has been ordered by more than one of our customers. A closed auction is then automatically initiated between the customers who have ordered the same domain and notified by email. This auction lasts for 3 business days and ends, except in special case 2 (see below), at 18:00 CET. After the end of the auction, an invoice for the amount of the final auction price is automatically sent to the highest bidder. After payment of the invoice, the domain will be released for administration to the winner.

IMPORTANT: In cases of first successful catches for a new customer, there can be a small latency from 24 to 48 hours for the domain to be released for administration by the customer. This happens while the administrative levels are required to be set up at this point. In all subsequent catches, this delay would not occur since the administrative level would already exist.

Auctions are held when more than one customer had ordered a domain that was successfully caught by us. It involves a regular proxy bid system - on the lines of the ones that happen on Ebay - with potentially dynamic endings. Please read the Special case 2 (see below).

Example: Suppose the highest bidder sets € 500, and the second highest bidder sets just € 100, then the second highest bidder wins with a bid of € 150, € 50 being the minimum bid increment between the two.

This primarily allows one to set a proxy bid on domain without actually needing to be online at 18:00 CET, i. e. the auction end time. The proxy will keep setting the minimum higher bid required to win, until the auction is either won or the auction price exceeds the amount of set proxy.

Sometimes it may happen that we would not be able to finally secure the ordered domain. This happens due to tough competition for good domains in the market.

Our success rates however average about 70% (with only about 30% of the domains ordered from Catch.info going to all other catchers). What it means is that a bid with Catch.info already has a very high probability of actually landing the desired domain. If we remain unsuccessful in securing the domains in a few cases, no charges are required to be paid by the customers.

We use an internal credit system for managing the accounts. This means that customers can always transfer the money to us through the offered channels (Paypal, Bank Transfer, and Credit Card) which would then be internally credited to respective customer account. The successful catches against customer orders are then offset against it. Unused credits, subject to any transfer fees, are of course fully refundable!

Alternatively, it is also possible to place the main order and pay the outstanding amount after successful accounting as described above. However, this may possibly delay the release of the ordered domain to administration by the customer, while this becomes possible only after the payment for the domain.

Invoices are automatically generated and sent by email as soon as a domain is acquired as per the customer order or at the end of the respective auction.

For the companies based within EU and outside Austria, which have a valid Sales Tax Identification Number (VAT Number), the invoices will be automatically generated without Austrian VAT - but this is only possible if a valid Sales Tax Identification number is available beforehand. Subsequent change in accounting (such as submission of VAT Number at a later date) is not possible.

All invoices and bookings can be viewed under> Account->Accounting (login required).

The administration of domain caught by us is done on the interface of our partner 1Reseller. After approval by us - that is after payment of the caught domain - the caught domain is transferred to a specially set up account with 1Reseller. There these can then be managed by the customer.

In case of a first successful catch, there would be a short waiting period of 1 to 2 days until the caught domain is transferred. This happens while at this moment the customer account would not have yet been opened with our partner registrar. Such delays do not occur for all subsequent catches.

For domains that infringe the rights of third parties and as long as the domains have not yet been dropped, we offer rights holders the opportunity to place exclusive orders for the domains. After our examination and in the event of a claim being found admissible, this caught domain can be transferred to right holder exclusively through us. A request in this regard can be found here.

If the concerning potentially infringing domain was already dropped and we successfully caught it for a client, it may happen that we - until a possible auction has been closed or until the payment for the domain is done by the customer – may appear as the trustee owner (but are not actually the owners) of the domain for a few days in whois service. If this special case occurs, we request any rights holders to conduct a fresh whois search after about 3 days (by that time any auction would have completed) to contact the actual owner.

To prevent sniping (= bidding in the last second) and thus giving all customers the same opportunity of auction success, our auctions work like regular proxy auctions with dynamic endings. This means that if a customer sets a bid less than 10 minutes before the end of an auction and it leads to the change of the auction price, the auction end will be further extended by 10 minutes from this time.