How can I get my domains back?

[sobroken]

Wondering if someone can help me.

Earlier in the year I went to work for a computer company who offered me cheap web hosting, cheap domain names and pop3 email as I was an employee. I transferred my domains (which I already had) to them and they hosted my site.

I worked for them for about six months and then left (not on bad terms, I thought!). I still have a month left to run on my domain package I took out with them, but my ex-boss has decided to deny me access to anything. He took down my website (which doesn't matter so much as I have it all saved anyway), changed the passwords on my email so I can't send or receive anything (which is affecting my new job as I have to give boss and clients a rubbish-looking freebie address now), but worst of all, he has transferred my domains onto his email address, so that I can no longer access my control panel and get them unlocked and transferred away!

He is also not returning any of my calls, and as you can imagine, I am absolutely furious. I want my domains back! They expire on the 27th November, and I am presuming he won't be insane enough to continue to pay for them himself, so I expect they will just expire.

What I need to know is ... once this happens, how long is it before the domain names become available again?

All advice will be gratefully received.

 

[rdram]

depends it could take 6 months until you can register the domain names and if your boss is a real butthead he can get them registered in his name. also someone else can be watching them the best thing to do would be to go in and talk to him or contact your registrar hoping its not him as well lol

 

[cwwozniak]

Did you transfer ownership of the domain names to your employer or just make them your registrar and transfer the web hosting?

 

[sobroken]

I just made them registrar. My name is still on the whois listing, as well as my address. He's just changed the account login details to that of the company.

The company are only resellers, the domains are registered with Joker.com, but I can't contact them as I can't login any more.

And he IS a total butthead, he's a paranoid pot-head who thinks the whole world is against him, so I can very well see him continuing to register them in his name.

I think it's unlikely anyone else would try to grab them, they are pretty personal to me, so if he won't negotiate all I can do is hope he won't keep them to be vindictive and then wait the six months for them to be deleted I guess.

Thanks for your help!

 

[cwwozniak]

the domains are registered with Joker.com, but I can't contact them as I can't login any more.

If you are listed as the registered owner, have you tried contacting Joker.com via their generic support contact page and explaining your situation?

https://joker.com/index.joker?mode=support&support_type=intro

 

[Fyzbo]

Don't let the domain name expire! There are companies who will immediately buy any domain name which expires in hopes it will be valuable to someone else. They then try to sell it for $1000 or more.

Talk directly to the registrar via phone, email, however and get the password changed.

 

[sobroken]

Thanks very much for your advice. I've done as you suggested and emailed them via their care form. I hope it works, I'm very worried, I didn't realise there was a real danger of someone else nabbing the domain when it expires.

Thanks again, will let you know if I hear of anything.

 

[AbvAvgUser]

Go to http://www.godaddy.com and backorder the domain name. It will cost some $20. They will automatically apply for registration on your behalf as soon as it available.

On expiry if a domain name is not renewed, it goes into redemption period and then is kept for deletion for a few days, etc. This is to give the current owner an opportunity to renew. So either keep track of the domain status on your own or spend $20.

I suggest spend. As Fyzbo said, there are companies grabbing all expired domain names. You can very well guess that they won't be doing it manually. There will be some customised bots doing it on their behalf. You can't compete with bots in terms of speed!

 

[royalprince]

backorder is a coooooooool n relaxing option, i was goin to specify it myself but nothin is better than xplainin the situation to the registrar.

I think that it is an internet abuse n there must be some law protectin ur domain