From what I have experienced, at most registrars it takes between 60 and 90 days past expiration before it can be picked up. Grace period, redemption period, auction period and then the registrar makes it available for registration.
During that time any sites on the domain would not be working because the domain would be inactive.
So, no, I do not feel bad about or feel that anyone is doing anything wrong if they picked it up and then offered it back. And you know that I don't like scumbags in the industry but this does not sound like one. They gave plenty of time for it to be re-registered.
You also don't know that when they picked it up that they knew who had it before. You are guessing at that part I think. I have picked up domains on the drop many times before. I never worried about why they were being dropped.
If that domain was that important, the owner had plenty of time to re-register it. If there was a site on it then that site must not have been very important.
If there was no site then the owner was cyber-squatting it to begin with.
No harm, no foul in this one.
Just my
.