I am collecting names of domain kiters. Let me know here if one of these criminals grabbed your domain.
Domain kiters grab expired domains that were not renewed. They do not steal domains. If you let your domain expire there is no one to blame but yourself (ok....so some people can blame Registerfly). I don't condone them but they do also grab WHOIS search data - but then this is not "stealing your site" as you never had the domain or site. The article you link to says that domain kiters don't pay for the domain and thus can make money even if the domain only gets 50 cents in clicks/year. This isn't quite true as they have have to keep about $7 in play for each domain. If they pay $7 for the first domain, drop it and get a refund, then get it again (or get a new domain), and keep repeating the cycle, they are still out of pocket the initial $7.
No, sometime registrar don't let me domain delete .. they renew it just after expiry and blackmail the owner to pay them extra funds. It has happened to me.
Assuming this is a .com, I guess you can see it that way if you're not aware that the .com Registry autorenews an expired domain name and charges the sponsoring registrar for it. The registrar has every right to secure payment for that autorenew if they can, and they can do anything with it as long as they are in compliance with their ICANN agreements. You might want to check with your lawyer on the legal definition of blackmail. But if you didn't renew your domain name in a timely manner and eventually lose it, you're not entitled to any sympathy.
I know I would loose it, but they should let it get deleted. What they do actually renewed on my behalf, without my permission or intention. If every registrar start doing this. No domain will ever expire (delete actually). lol ..
Had been in this kind of situation before. Lost one domain name to another company but they had registered it after I forgot to renew my domain name. And in this case it can be said they didn't stole it. I waited for them to let it drop and then get that domain name again. Waited for 3 years and finally got it back again. Right now it is a developed site that I had thought about developing 4 years ago. When I first registered the domain name but could not take it to its end.
Sorry, I kept the message too short. I should have added that they SPY on registration attempts (WhoIs lookups etc.) and then grab the domain.
I'm glad you come up with this thread Christine. This is great information that webmasters should know about. It happens to me last May when my hosting company forgot to auto renew my site for at least two days. Whew!