I let one lapse and getting it back was a ransom deal. Used a second domain name for a year, and on a whim, was browsing namecheap.com and found my original one was available for, well for cheap.
Keep trying over time, maybe they will decide there is no interest and release it.
There is no truth anymore. Only assertions. The internet world has no interest in truth, only vindication for preconceived assumptions.
