I guess this is a cautionary tale.

I was recently having issues with my Gmail account that’s tied to my Epik ( a domain registrar ) account, so when I was supposed to renew my domain, I didn’t receive any e-mails about it. When I decided to randomly check on my website, it seemed to be down. So I checked Epik and a domain that usually cost £15 a year to renew now cost £400 to renew as it was expired.

As a teenager who does not have £400 to spend on a domain, I decided to just wait until the domain fully expired and buy it for a cheaper price.

After some time, the domain fully expired and GoDaddy decided to buy it as soon as it did, and charged me £2,225 to renew the domain. I don’t understand how a price that large is justified, considering that my website gets barely any visitors and I basically only use the domain for hosting stuff. No idea how hiking prices this much is legal

  • lazynooblet@lazysoci.alEnglish
    1·
    2 months ago

    I have my dream domain. It was being squatted for a similar amount. I offered £100 and it was declined, I offered £250 and they replied to tell me the domain is easily worth the £2K, well sort after etc. I told them that this is my surname, and I’m not a corporation with unlimited funds and they can take the offer or leave it. 15 minutes later the offer was accepted. I was so happy. Still am chuffed about it.

  • fellowmortal@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    1·
    2 months ago

    Don’t pay this! You just reinforce their predatory practices. How renewals at much higher prices are allowed - no clue!

    Something similar happened to a company I know - it expired and was immediately bought by domain squatters, when they found them they were told that it couldn’t be sold back because the squatter had paid $XXXX for and had big plans (I assume it was BS, just a premise to get paid - no site was ever put on the domain)

    Solution: they bought the .org version and bought the .com back a year later.

    edit:grammar

  • miau@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
    1·
    2 months ago

    I am sorry that happened to you

    Thanks for sharing your story, though. I have a few domains, two of them being very important for me (one I use for all my emails, and the other one for all my self hosted stuff). So I’ll be paying close attention to their renewal

    I hope you can find another domain that you like and that you can transfer your stuff to it.

  • gencha@lemm.eeEnglish
    1·
    2 months ago

    Buy a different domain. Let them pay for this one until the end of time.