I have a domain at namecheap and it expired yesterday, April 1, 2006.

I want to renew the domain. I heard it takes 90 or so days for a domain to drop, so I was thinking I should get the domain back, since it only expired yesterday? It's already gone from my namecheap account and it displays a different website :(

Best way to find out would be to contact the folks over at NameCheap

I've never let a domain expire at NameCheap before, but since they are still an eNom reseller at this point, there should be a 29 day grace period.

Just from looking at NameCheap's menu, perhaps it is in the Renew/Reactivate Domains folder that is visible after you login.

I certainly would not push the 29 day grace period, though, as eNom is actively selling these expired domains on their site in various auctions.

Good Luck! ;)

It's going to cost you a reactivation fee. At Enom that's approx $160 plus the renewal fee. If you want your name back, pay the fee. If you don't want to pay the fee, then walk away from that domain is your only other option. Just contact NameCheap and inform them you want to renew.

Oh, there is one other option. You could watch the ClubDrop auctions and bid on the name. As insurance bid at Pool/NameWinner/SnapNames as well. It's risky. If it's anyway desireable you might get outbid. If it's completely undesireable (then why you want it back?) you might pick it up cheap in the reverse auction. It's a risky strategy.

I'm more up on eNom than I am NameCheap policies with regard to expired domains. (Had several clients let their domains expire recently).

I can tell you that eNom will not charge you the Redemption Fee that Stu is talking about until it goes beyond the 29 day grace period.

I can't imagine that NameCheap's policy would be that much, if any, different

Hmmmm odd? Last time my domain expired, they sent me an email. They told me my domain expired and I had a few days to renew it. I renewed it with the link they sent me in the email. After that I had the domain and and was fine. You should contact Namecheap.

Yes, you are right, 4solutions. I stand corrected on that. My mistake.

I sent namecheap an email using their conact form a few days ago but go no response... I just sent them a new email. The weird thing is that whois says that my domain expiration date is April 1, 2007, as if someone had renewed it or bought it? It's quite a good domain, could namecheap want it for themselves?

Maybe someone has your domain name on backorder :(

The weird thing is that whois says that my domain expiration date is April 1, 2007, as if someone had renewed it or bought it?This is normal. It's because eNom has paid the registry (Verisign) for your renewal. I bet if you do a whois on eNom's whois server, you will see that the domain's expiration is April 1, 2006.

Like I said earlier, you have 29 days grace period with eNom, but then it will cost you $160 to get the domain back. Have you tried looking for it in the NameCheap control panel under the Renew/Reactivate Domains folder?

You know, I take that back... Stu2 recently researched the various registration agreements and was surprised to find that NameCheap really doesn't promise ANY grace period and has a $200 redemption fee.

It's possible you might have to pay that, but I can't imagine Richard being that unreasonable.

You might try PMing him. Richard is the owner of NameCheap, his WHT nick is enetwork.

You know, I take that back... Stu2 recently researched the various registration agreements and was surprised to find that NameCheap really doesn't promise ANY grace period and has a $200 redemption fee.

I remember reading in another forum that enom "forces" its resellers to charge a
fee that high for redeeming a domain.

>but I can't imagine Richard being that unreasonable

Neither can I.

I remember reading in another forum that enom "forces" its resellers to charge a
fee that high for redeeming a domain.

enom charges around 180 to each reseller.

In Enom's ToS, they charge $160.

At namecheap, it's easy. Log in and go to your account. Notice there is a menu option called "Reactivate Domains". Click it and then renew. BAM - you're done.