Since I own a number of domains, I check deleteddomains regularly and can verify that the name was never dropped.
I later decided to renew the registration only to be told by the original registrar that some one else now owns the domain, under private registration. They refuse to give me any details.
Is there a way to check the veracity of this and also the date of this "new" registration?
Although we have been in conmunication with them for over five weeks, the whois records indicate that the domain now expires on 08-07-2005. Apparently someone has registered the domain for themselves, three days ago!
Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't the domain supposed to drop before it could be re-registed by someone else? Deleteddomains record indicate that it was never dropped. Also, why a "private registration" for such an innocuous name?
Something smells very fishy aout all of this. I am at a total loss as to how to proceed. Does anyone have any suggestions in dealing with this situation?
[edited by: tedster at 2:23 am (utc) on Aug. 11, 2004]
[edit reason] remove specifics [/edit]
isn't the domain supposed to drop before it could be re-registed by someone else?
It is supposed to, but I am not sure it *has* to drop. I was after a domain that had expired over 2 years ago. If you did a whois it was returned that it had expired, but the registrar refused to drop the name. It had belonged to a large customer of theirs and they were keeping it around as a favor. Tough luck for me because eventually the previous owner re-registered it without me ever getting a chance.
Some very polular registrars will force you to renew the domain prior to transfer if the name is close to expiring. So, what your registrar did is not uncommon.
In your case, it sounds like you did not want the name and let it drop. They sold it to someone else.
This kind of stuff happens all the time - I know it sounds simple, but if you have a domain that you *really* want you *must* keep it registered. Forget the costs or principles until you have the domain locked up.
1. He advertise free domain registration and then told me he charged me for it when I ordered hosting.
2. The domain I registered "for free" was in his name and he refused to turn it over, even tho I ended up paying for it.
Needless to say I dropped everything and ordered the .net version of the same name and obtained hosting elsewhere, but not after wasting a lot of money.
Since this registrar was in Canada, there wasn't a lot I could do about it.
Anyway, reading this other story makes me think the registrar industry is getting very risky.
