How do I buy a domain name that's been expired for more than a year?

Question

A domain name that I want has been expired for more than a year but for some odd reason has not gone into DELETED status as it should have:

Registrar WHOIS Server: whois.networksolutions.com
Registrar URL: http://www.networksolutions.com/en_US/
Updated Date: 2012-07-11T00:00:00Z
Creation Date: 1998-11-12T00:00:00Z
Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2012-11-11T00:00:00Z
Registrar: NETWORK SOLUTIONS, LLC.
...
Domain Status: clientDeleteProhibited
Domain Status: clientHold
Domain Status: clientTransferProhibited
Domain Status: clientUpdateProhibited

Most registrars say the domain is not available for purchase but offer a backorder service. When I try searching the WHOIS record at whois.net, it says the domain is available for purchase through verio.com, but when I try to buy it, the next page says this:

While the following domain appeared to not be in use, a further check has shown it is registered.

All the articles I've read suggest that the domain should have been put up for auction or should have been released to the public long ago, so I'm afraid their advice for purchasing the domain may not be applicable. What is the correct way to go about purchasing this domain without messing up my chances to get it?

Is there a process by which I can claim this long-expired domain without having it go through the usual auction and backorder process?

Answer 1

As it turns out, all the third-party WHOIS lookup tools were using stale data. When I used Network Solutions' WHOIS tool, it reported that the domain record was last updated in November 2013, so it is not expired.