Domain Name Scam

[imaginary number]

Hi all

 

I have posted this as a new thread even though I have noticed a thread just below regarding wider registration issues.

 

If this has been covered then sorry.

 

i received a letter yesterday from a company posted from NY reminding me that my .com, registered at the same time I opened my reseller acc here, was due for renewal.

 

On reading it my eye was drawn to the nice blue boxes on the page that covered the costs and then the bit where I put my cc and sign.

 

Had it not been for the fact that prices (£) are even higher than the UK then i probably would not have read it more clearly. On doing so it becomes obvious that it is another firm trying to poach me from you. They refer to the privatisation of Domain Registrations and Renewals and to be fair don't use small text and do mention that by agreeing you will be switching.

 

I personally find this objectionable but i must admit that had the prices been similar to yours i might have accidentally signed up. I do consider the letter to be misleading because of my own failings, ie. i scan though post rather than reading every word. I am sure though that it is perfectly legal ,unless advised otherwise.

 

I guess that the firm is taking advantage of the industry wide standard of not reminding users to renew until 90 days before hand- in this case mine is due 16 july.

 

Had I fallen for it then part of the blame would be due to the lack of linking between domain reistration and hosting at your end. I love hosting with you but hate the fact that registrations and hosting are different, with more usernames etc to remember. I hope that when i am due to renew for the first time the email reminder has the link because I cant remember what it is.

 

thanks

 

daryl

[imaginary number]

just went to their site and they CLAIM to offer 5gb of space and 100 emails addresses with the registration for as long as you stay with them. I though I would pretend to reister a random series of letters.com only to discover that that charge for pop mail boxes!!!!

 

on top of that it looks as though you have to pay a surcharge if you have less than two years left till you need to renew with them. Does this mean that if you take up their offer but go for less than two years you are liable?

 

"All domain names registered, renewed, or transferred with $$$$ after March 1st 2007 at $$$$'s regular price will qualify for this program. Any domain names transferred over to DROA during their registration period must have no more than 2 years left until expiry in order to qualify. (example: if today is January 2007 your domain name cannot expiry any later than January 2009). Any domain names that have over 2 years left on their registration period may be subject to a $15.00 per year additional fee at $$$$'s discretion. (example: if today is January 2007 and your domain name expires in 2010, $$$$ may charge an additional $15.00 on top of your renewal fee)."

 

I do feel sorry for newbies taken in by these companies.

 

am I allowed to mention them. Dont think i have said anything libelous but I am not a legally savvy.

Edited February 25, 2008 by imaginary number

[stevesh]

You probably don't need to mention the name. We all get those scam letters from a variety of slimeballs. A similar kind of thing has plagued the magazine industry for years.

 

The problem is that domain registration and website hosting well, are two different things. I'm not sure that TCH could do much more to integrate the ordering and renewal of both.

 

Your domain renewal email from TCH will have a link to the proper place.

[imaginary number]

Thanks Steve

 

I have dozens of .co.uk and have to date never come across this before with any of them (even though all are registered with my full contact details).

 

Given that it has existed for years I take it that it is legal then?

 

I am considering whether or not to contact my local tradings standards office in the uk but think they will fob me off and pass the buck given that the company is not uk based although the return envelope has a uk address

[TCH-Bruce]

It is not illegal but it should be. Too bad people fall victim to these scams or slams. The phone companies used to do this as well. Haven't seen one of those letters in a long time from a telco but I do get them for the domains I administer.

 

People need to be aware that this sort of practice goes on and pay attention to what they are reading and signing. If you didn't buy your domain from someone you receive a letter from it's best to just throw it away and move on.

[imaginary number]

thanks Bruce i think I will pursue this on the grounds that if I had signed up

I consider that I would I would have fallen foul of the "small print" from their website. This i can not see as being fair and equitable in any court.

 

In the event of having to pursue this in the US could anyone advise me of where to go pls?

 

Thanks

[Bob Crabb]

These scams are just typical of how slimey people use information that is public access to try to scam the consumer. As the number of domains that I manage have increased, so have the silly postcards and letters trying to scare me into renewing, often at a rate double or triple what I am paying for the domains.

 

So far, however, these guys have just used mail and not phone. One group of scammers that is a lot more tenacious is the automobile extended warranty companies. Anyone who has purchased a new vehicle in a state where registration data is accessible to the public has probably experienced the mail and phone calls about 3 years later from people with "reminders" that your vehicle warranty is about to expire.

 

Buyer beware!!!!