As domain owners know, letting your domain name expire is bad – if you still wish to use this domain name in the future. And while most domain names can still be renewed within 30 days after the expiration date, when these 30 days in question pass as well, the domain enters the dreaded Redemption Period state. Why dreaded? Recovering a domain name that has reached the Redemption Period state will cost you more.

The Redemption Period is allowed by ICANN and enforced by all big domain registrar companies. Here is what ICANN says about the Redemption Period and the higher fee for recovering a domain name :

During the Redemption Grace Period, registrants could redeem their registrations through registrars. Registrars would be able to redeem the name in the registry for the original registrant by paying renewal fees, plus a service charge, to the registry operator. Any party requesting redemption would be required to prove its identity as the original registrant of the name. (http://www.icann.org/registrars/redemption-proposal-14feb02.htm)

Up until this moment, recovering a domain name that has entered the Redemption Period state used to cost $190.00 USD. However, our domain registrar, eNom, has recently increased the price for the domain recovery – it is now $270.00 USD. This price is now valid for all domain names, which enter the Redemption Period state.