A closed website does not prove registry deletion

Keep four observations separate when deciding whether to buy: a closed website, a contract or billing date at the previous provider, deletion of the registration, and current registrability. These events need not happen together. Do not start your own countdown on the day you notice an error page. Switch also explains that a domain can remain registered without an active website. In your research notes, record the exact domain, the time and the source of any status information. An old search result or a statement that somebody no longer needs the name is not a substitute for a fresh domain lookup.

A ruler begins at registry deletion and marks 40 days; a detached website error is explicitly not the starting point.
The 40-day transition period is measured from registry deletion, not website closure; availability must be checked again afterwards.

What the 40-day transition period means for a new buyer

Switch specifies a 40-day transition period after deletion. During that phase, a third party cannot newly register the name. The previous holder can ask the registrar to apply for re-registration if the allocation conditions are met. This is therefore not a sale window for another buyer. If you are the previous holder, ask the managing provider about the restoration procedure and its cost. Starting an ordinary new purchase is not the appropriate route. Do not wait for the period to end in the hope of buying your own name back more cheaply.

Planning example: a printing deadline is not a release date

A club wants a particular .ch address for an event, and the previous website has disappeared. Its flyers must go to print in two weeks. This is a fictional planning example, not a checked domain. The club has neither confirmed registry deletion nor knowledge of future availability. It records the name as not yet acquired and prepares a suitable second naming option. The printing decision depends on its own confirmed registration, rather than the number of days since somebody last visited the old website. Previous use of the name also needs a separate check for possible naming conflicts. Technical release does not answer that question.

Check again after the period instead of assuming a right to buy

A stated period does not replace a current availability check. The previous holder may have recovered the name, or another registration may have taken place. Use Switch’s official domain lookup and search the exact name at chname.ch. Keep the result as a snapshot, rather than a promise of purchase. If a lookup is unclear or cannot be reached, leave the status unconfirmed: a technical error does not mean available. Under Switch’s rules, competing valid applications are ordered by their arrival in the registry system. An earlier search gives you no priority. This guide provides neither a preorder nor automatic capture of a name that becomes available.

Place a new-registration order only for an available name

If the exact .ch address is currently registrable and suits your project after your naming checks, you can prepare a new registration. At chname.ch this currently costs CHF 9.99 for the first year, with standard annual renewal at CHF 12.99. EUR remains selectable as a separate pricing currency with the same numeric amounts. These are not promised restoration fees for a previous holder or private purchase prices for a name that remains registered. The name also does not give you the earlier user’s website files, mailbox contents or contracts. chname.ch currently does not sell web hosting. Keep a suitable alternative ready until your own registration is confirmed.

Your practical checklist

  • Record the exact .ch spelling and separate domain status from the state of the website.
  • Do not infer registry deletion from a blank page or an old expiry date.
  • As the previous holder, clarify restoration with the managing provider.
  • As a new buyer, recheck current registrability after the transition phase.
  • Keep an alternative in your project plan until your own registration is confirmed.

A useful question

Do the 40 days begin when the website stops working?

No. The Switch transition period starts with deletion of the domain name. An unreachable website does not prove that deletion.

Can I buy the domain for myself during the transition period?

As a new third party, you cannot make an ordinary new registration during that phase. Re-registration for the previous holder is a different procedure.

Does an expired countdown guarantee purchase at the standard price?

No. Check current availability and the actual offer. A new-registration price is neither a reservation nor a restoration or private-sale price.

Ready to check your name? Start with the exact domain, then compare alternatives. Find a domain →

Sources & further reading

Original guide by chname.ch editorial. Published on . Provider and registry instructions take precedence when requirements change.