The Dog Photo Album#
Around over a year ago, I wanted to make a website album to store my dogs’ photos. So I went ahead and created one with good old static Hugo templates, and bought a cheap .xyz domain from Namecheap - yuzubebe.xyz.
It was probably less than a dollar or two USD at the time of purchase. XYZ domains are not exactly popular, so they come cheap.
Letting It Go#
When renewal time came around, I decided I’d like to discontinue the site, so I didn’t bother making the purchase. Simple enough - just let it lapse and move on.
Fast Forward to Today#
Fast forward to recently when I decided I’d like to revive the old site for a quick showcase. I went to resubscribe and bam - the domain was gone. When I looked to purchase it again, it was listed at USD 399.
Insanity.
Silver Lining#
Thankfully the domain was not critical to anything, so I picked up another one for just 1 USD - yuzubebe.online. Back in business.
The Lesson#
Whenever you let go of a domain, think twice. The price might just skyrocket overnight - 400% or more, for who knows what reason. What seemed like a worthless .xyz URL can suddenly become a commodity the moment it hits the open market.
Some domains get snapped up by squatters the moment they expire. Others get picked up by bots that monitor for lapsed registrations. Either way, what cost you a dollar or two can cost you hundreds to get back.
If there is even a small chance you will want the domain again - just keep it. At a dollar or two a year, the renewal cost is trivial compared to the headache of losing it.