I thought this really sux... I found a dictionary word domain that had expired and was marked to be deleted. A lookup last month showed me this: SO I keep checking up on it... thinking it will be released and maybe I have a chance at getting it BUT instead I find the register never deleted it. Can they ( Moniker.com ) do this ? ( Guess so... as they did ) And is this practice fair ?
My domain registrar once did the same to me. They warned me before hand about the pending domain expiration. Unfortunately I never saw the email. Once the period was over they registered the domain so that I am still able to get my domain back provided I pay about $150. Instead I bought a new domain.
To clarify... This domain never changed ownership. Moniker.com (a registrar) already owned this domain for the year ending Jan. 11, 2007 (already went thru at least one expiration process in Jan. 2006) and it seemed it was about time to let it go public and make it available to someone new... like me Moniker.com decides to keep it for another year --- instead of "deleting" it and making it available. It was never my domain... and never fair game. These registrars are holding thousands of domains hostage for high ransoms.
That's the name of the game. Several registrars hold private auctions for deleted domains before they get released. Others never release them. It's a big revenue generator for them. Many will hold the domain hostage from the original owner if they show interest in getting it back. If you know the game, it's smart business. If you are a noobie, you think it's a bunch of slimeballs. It's all a matter of perspective.
This is a dirty trick for registrars. My previous company's domain was hostaged and was asked a significant amount of money to get the name back. This unscrupulous practice must be stopped.
And that, my friends, is where it boils down to, depending on what side of the fence you're on. Before you start yakking off this is unethical or whatever, make sure you have honestly given this a lot of thought, and if you've exhausted all options to be sure this never occurred in the first place. Options do exist, after all. As some have said, it's a popular practice among domain registrars to try to auction an expired domain name before possibly pulling the plug. However, a few of them will indeed hold on it because their legal agreements allow such. My question for some of you is why you let that happen in the first place. You can set autorenew, renew for up to 9 years, or even set aside a few months ahead of expiration, preferably 1-2 months. Now one of you might say, "Well, I have the right to renew anytime I want." Sure you do, and the registrar has the right to transfer ownership to their own name the day it expires. Last I checked, one registrar deletes domain names the day they expire. Any objections? One can argue s/he has this or that right. But guess who has the keys. If you object to this, then feel free to send your thoughts to ICANN. They're set to meet at Lisbon, Portugal. Caveat: you'll have different and competing interests involved as well.