Marketplace & platform rules
The rules that keep catching, selling, buying and settlement fair and predictable across DropOps UK. They apply to everyone and are enforced consistently. This summary sits alongside our Terms & Conditions and is written for clarity, not legal precision.
Some programmes are in pre-launch. Where a feature is not yet live — automated catching and marketplace payments — the rules below describe how it will operate at launch, and no live funds or registry actions occur until then.
How competitive auctions open, run and close. Every bid is a real commitment, so read these before you take part.
Placing a bid is a binding offer to buy at that amount. Winning bids create an obligation to complete the purchase.
Auctions open at a £30 starting bid and rise by published minimum increments. Bids below the current minimum are rejected.
The highest bid at or above any reserve at close wins. If bidding ends below the reserve, the seller may accept, decline or counter.
A bid placed in the final five minutes extends the auction by five minutes, so nobody can win purely by bidding at the last second.
Set your maximum and the system bids the smallest amount needed to keep you in front, up to that maximum — it never reveals your limit.
Bids cannot be withdrawn once placed, except to correct an obvious error and only at admin discretion before close.
What it takes to list an asset and see a sale through — for domains, portfolios, websites and online businesses.
A listing only goes live once ownership verification is valid for that specific asset. Interface visibility is never the security boundary.
A £5 listing fee applies per listing when the seller programme is live.
A 10% success fee (minimum £10) applies on completed sales, deducted from the seller payout.
Traffic, revenue, profit and history claims must be truthful and evidenced on request. Misrepresentation can void a sale and restrict the account.
After payment clears, the seller completes the domain release or transfer within the stated window, unless admin-assisted transfer is enabled.
Sellers may not bid on their own listings, or arrange others to, in order to inflate the price. Detected shill activity cancels the auction.
Your responsibilities when you watch, bid, make an offer or complete a purchase.
Winning an auction or having an offer accepted creates a binding obligation to pay for the asset.
Payment is due within 48 hours of auction close or offer acceptance, unless a different term is agreed in writing.
DropOps surfaces data on each listing but does not warrant it. Buyers are responsible for their own checks before committing.
For high-value assets a seller may reasonably request proof of funds before accepting an offer.
Failing to pay may forfeit the win, incur fees, and lead to bidding restrictions or account suspension.
How automated .uk drop-catching works and what you agree to when you schedule catches on your own Nominet tag.
Caught domains register directly onto your own Nominet tag. DropOps never takes ownership — it only automates the attempt.
You must supply valid EPP credentials and add the assigned catcher IP to your Nominet allow-list before catches can run.
Catching is inherently competitive. We use warm sessions and precise timing to maximise the chance, but no single name is guaranteed.
Attempts respect Nominet failed-create limits via RateGuard. You remain responsible for compliance with Nominet’s registration terms.
One active catch attempt per name per account. Names contended by several DropOps users follow the platform’s contention handling.
How money moves through DropOps — checkout, settlement, fees and payouts. Marketplace payments are not live yet.
Payment, due diligence and transfer each complete in sequence. No stage is skipped or marked done manually — the system enforces the order.
At launch, payment and transfer are sequenced so a domain is only handed over once the payment provider has confirmed the buyer's payment. No payment is taken or held today.
Subscription fees are billed monthly in advance. Marketplace fees are charged at listing and on completed sale, as shown at the time.
Subscription fees are non-refundable except where required by law. Disputed transactions follow the platform resolution process.
Payouts are released after transfer is confirmed, net of the listing and success fees due on the sale.
Until checkout goes live, DropOps holds no marketplace funds and no payments are processed.