Domain Registration / Renewal

Just a quick question: A year ago, I registered a domain through my host when I first signed up with a hosting plan (the Dreamhost $10/year deal). Recently, the 1 year domain registration expired and I didn't renew my plan with Dreamhost. I went into my hosting account after it ended and cancelled all hosting options on the domain, but now when I go to other domain registration sites like Yahoo Small Business Domains (currently running a $3/year for registration special), it still says the domain is not available.

Whats the deal? How long until I can register it through another source? Renewing registration through Dreamhost is not an option btw. Thanks for any help...

halp! this should be an easy question to answer for anybody who knows about domain registration. google has been no help.

basically: Why can't I register my domain now, after it expired at my old host? And any fixes available to me other than renewing it through my old host.

I am assuming you haven't messed around with your registration options, read: had your domain automatically renew for the next year and didn't know about it.

If your term is cleared, DreamHost is probably still holding on to your domain name, for 30 days, as a safety precaution. It's reserved for a period of time in case you might want to consider renewing it with them.

You should be able to transfer it to Yahoo if you still hold the rights to it. Find the "Transfer Registration" form instead of registering a completely new domain.

it could be the same thing that happend to me.. I forgot to renew and someone gets it under you as a backordered domain through netsol

usually the spamming companies do this .