Domain Pending Delete
After a domain expires, it goes through various phases before it is deleted. Prior to the Pending Delete phase, the previous owner still has the opportunity to renew the domain name. In this final phase called Pending Delete, the previous owner can no longer renew the domain and it can be deleted. This final phase normally lasts 5 days.
In this phase, the domain registrar controls the domain and can choose to let it drop, be deleted, and become available for anyone to register. Or the registrar may choose to offer it to the public in a domain auction. A domain or website buyer can bid here to purchase the domain for a new or existing website. The high bidder in the auction wins the domain and the registrar transfers it to the winner’s account. The buyer can use a domain backorder to acquire the domain.