Help me get my domain back!

November 8, 2005 4:42 PM

In March of this year I registered a domain name using GoDaddy (went with the cheapest option). When the whole "Godaddy condones torture" scandal thing hit I immediately decided I didn't want to give them my business and procedded to cancel my domain, which apparently is not what I wanted to do. Help me get my domain back!

Ok, so the process was complicated but apparently I was not familiar enough to know the difference between transfering a domain and cancelling a domain and I chose to cancel my account. Now my domain is parked with lovely advertising for GoDaddy's service (the irony....) and I can find no option of getting my domain back unless I wait until march of next year (or later). What are my options?

posted by genial to technology (8 comments total)

Contact godaddy and explain the situation in hopes of having them change their policy to allow you to regain the name before the normal time limit has passed.
posted by odinsdream at 4:53 PM on November 8, 2005

Did someone else register it?
posted by null terminated at 5:18 PM on November 8, 2005

I recommend calling them. I just had an issue with a whole slew of domains I manage at work, some of which are with GoDaddy. The guy I got on the phone there was super helpful -- gave me his direct email address and called me back within 10 minutes of a follow up email I sent him.
posted by jdl at 5:32 PM on November 8, 2005

You might want to tell them a different rationale for why you were cancelling your account than the one you told us.

Saying you intend to continue to do business with Go Daddy might also encourage them to cut you a break and restore your domain.
posted by BackwardsCity at 6:35 PM on November 8, 2005

I don't think it's possible to actually cancel a domain (NB I may be wrong). What is sounds like GoDaddy has done is simulated the effect by changing your domain to point to their web page. It sounds eminently reversible.
posted by cillit bang at 6:36 PM on November 8, 2005

I've gone ahead and sent an email to customer service and I made sure to mention that I was willing to pay to continue my service with GoDaddy for the error I made (and of course I left out the details behind why I cancelled it). My biggest concern at this point is the time that has elapsed. I basically dropped the ball on getting around to this because the domain didn't mean much to me until now, 3 months later. Still, I paid for a year with them, and the domain has not been reregistered to anyone else, so I'm hopeful.

I don't think it's possible to cancel a domain either, I think it's something within GoDaddy (not sure of the purpose behind it) where they remove your association with the domain and rewrite the page to their own ad-filled redirect. Pain in the ass but I'll be sure to update, and if anyone has any other suggestions I'm open.
posted by genial at 9:38 PM on November 8, 2005

Why is it that you don't actually want to continue service with GoDaddy, though, now that it has been made clear the prior headliners are unrelated to GoDaddy, the business, but relate specifically to GoDaddy's founder?
posted by vanoakenfold at 8:56 AM on November 9, 2005

To be honest, it still left a bad taste in my mouth that regardless of the fact that the founder's opinions were his own, that he continues to get those opinions pasted on the front of GoDaddy's main website. It would be one thing if this was a personal blog, but his site is advertised along with his headlines right at the top of GoDaddy's site.

That being said, it looks like I missed the 30 day window (which I didn't know I had) to "uncancel" my domain and now they're saying its been released. Yet I can't register it either with them or anyone. Hmmm....
posted by genial at 9:34 PM on November 9, 2005