expired domain

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  photographerovernight · Member · May 3, 2017 at 8:36 pm

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  I’ve had a domain through wordpress for several years. I tried to let it expire so I could purchase it through my current website host, and wordpress held onto it (which according to ICANN is illegal) Now I can’t even renew it through my wordpress account because it says it’s taken. I clicked on the old notification about it expiring, and when I click renew, it takes me to my purchase history, where there is only a receipt for it. It will not allow me to renew or purchase my old domain. I’m not paying for a wordpress account if I can’t get my domain back. Also, I would like to pay for the annual domain renewal without having to have a wordpress account, as my website is not even powered by wordpress. Please allow me to purchase/renew my old domain.

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

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  kokkieh · Staff · May 4, 2017 at 2:32 pm

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  Hi there,

  Expired domains go through a process of about 80 days before they are released, which includes a redemption period at both the domain registrar, and the registry that controls the particular domain. This is exactly according to ICANN regulations, and in our case clearly documented in our support pages, here:

  Domain Expiration

  If you wanted to use your domain somewhere else, you should have transferred it, not let it expire. If you let a domain expire you give up ownership of it, and the registrar can do whatever it wants with the domain – registrars are under no obligation to release expired domains, but can sell them privately at auction during the course of the redemption period.

  Your domain is now nearing the end of the second redemption phase. At this point we can still get the domain back, but our registrar charges a $80 fee to restore a domain from redemption, as they again have to pay that to the registry to get the domain back. I’ll need you to agree to this fee before I can attempt to recover it.

  If you choose not to recover it, the domain will enter the final phase of expiration in a few days, before the registry will delete it completely. At this point your domain will become available again, but if it is on back-order at any registrar it will be registered immediately the moment it is released, and you will not be able to buy it again as it will belong to someone else as of that moment.

  Please let me know if you want me to try and recover the domain, or if you’re going to wait it out and try to get it when it’s released again.