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From: Mike on 23 Sep 2009 17:41
On Sep 23, 5:21 pm, Charlie E. <edmond...(a)ieee.org> wrote:
> On Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:37:57 -0700 (PDT), mpm <mpmill...(a)aol.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> >Got a URL renewal notice in the mail today from Domain Registry of
> >America.
> >They've graciously sent me a courtesy renewal form which looks an
> >awful lot like an invoice.
>
> >Only problem:  I don't have anything registered with them.
> >And my provider for the about-to-be-expired URL is 1and1.com who
> >renews it automatically for free.
> >So, why would I pay $95 to Domain Registry of America?
>
> >I don't know exactly why, but this sort of pisses me off.
> >How many folks pony up the dollars not knowing they're getting
> >screwed?
> >There's no need to change registrars.   DRA is just on a fishing
> >expedition looking for expiring URL.
> >Note by the way, mine won't expire for 6 more months!!!
>
> >Anyway:  SHOULD I REPORT THEM TO OUR STATE FOR DECEPTIVE TRADE
> >PRACTICES?
>
> >Here's what the letter says, and then you decide (but tell me too...)
>
> >QUOTE:
>
> >You must renew your domain name to retain exclusive rights to it on
> >the Web, and now is the time to transfer and renew your name from your
> >current Registrar to the Domain Registry of America.  Failure to renew
> >your domain name by the expiration date may result in a loss of your
> >online identiy making it difficult for your customers and friends to
> >locate you on the Web.
>
> >END QUOTE
>
> >Scum bags!
> >I think I'm going to report them anyway....
>
> yeah, there is a similar scam here in CAL where, if you have a
> corporation, you get official looking notices to 'file your required
> paperwork' such as annual meeting minutes, etc.  Actually, the
> requirement is that you store them, but you are not required to do
> anything special with them.  They also get a lot of 'interesting' data
> with their applications (usually for a couple of hundred bucks!) but
> they are not doing anything you couldn't do yourself for free...
>
> Charlie- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I'd forgotten about that scam. I got a notice like that once myself.

I wonder what the return rate is on these sorts of scams?
Better than spam / junk mail? (Translation: Better than my 401k?)

I'm tempted to say it's a good thing I have some scrupals...
Otherwise, if this sort of stuff is legit (by that, I mean not
illegal), and enough dopes out there are willing to part with their
money like that... then why do I even own a soldering iron?

BTW: I did report them on the FTC website and also with the State.
I'm sure absolutely nothing will come of either filing.
From: Rich Grise on 23 Sep 2009 18:00
On Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:37:57 -0700, mpm wrote:

> Got a URL renewal notice in the mail today from Domain Registry of
> America.
> They've graciously sent me a courtesy renewal form which looks an
> awful lot like an invoice.

Are they the ones where you originally registered the domain?

If not, ignore it, unless you've sent somebody your card # in the
clear, in which case I'd RUN, not walk, to the bank and have that
card cancelled and get a new one issued.

Reporting them wouldn't do any good except maybe a warm fuzzy feeling -
there's nothing anybody can do unless they've actually committed a
crime, and AFAIK, "phishing" isn't a crime yet.

Good Luck!
Rich

From: Paul E. Schoen on 23 Sep 2009 19:58

"mpm" <mpmillard(a)aol.com> wrote in message
news:28933fc5-d014-4ac1-9b0c-a410205e6dcf(a)p15g2000vbl.googlegroups.com...
> Got a URL renewal notice in the mail today from Domain Registry of
> America.
> They've graciously sent me a courtesy renewal form which looks an
> awful lot like an invoice.
>
> Only problem: I don't have anything registered with them.
> And my provider for the about-to-be-expired URL is 1and1.com who
> renews it automatically for free.
> So, why would I pay $95 to Domain Registry of America?
>
> I don't know exactly why, but this sort of pisses me off.
> How many folks pony up the dollars not knowing they're getting
> screwed?
> There's no need to change registrars. DRA is just on a fishing
> expedition looking for expiring URL.
> Note by the way, mine won't expire for 6 more months!!!
>
> Anyway: SHOULD I REPORT THEM TO OUR STATE FOR DECEPTIVE TRADE
> PRACTICES?
>
> Here's what the letter says, and then you decide (but tell me too...)
>
> QUOTE:
>
> You must renew your domain name to retain exclusive rights to it on
> the Web, and now is the time to transfer and renew your name from your
> current Registrar to the Domain Registry of America. Failure to renew
> your domain name by the expiration date may result in a loss of your
> online identiy making it difficult for your customers and friends to
> locate you on the Web.
>
> END QUOTE
>
> Scum bags!
> I think I'm going to report them anyway....

I get those all the time. The wording is absolutely correct, and anyone who
is savvy enough to have already registered a domain with another registrar
must have had a major brain fart to send any money to these guys. It
clearly states that they are asking you to transfer your domain to them.

Some registrars make it very difficult to transfer domains, as I found when
I switched from ItsYourDomain to MyDomain.com. I had to fax them a copy of
my drivers license and send them a signed affidavit that I wanted them to
transfer it.

The sad thing is that these notices are sent to businesses where such mail
is probably opened and handled by a secretary who might just think it's an
invoice and would cut and send a check. The domain probably would not be
transferred unless a corporate officer signed off on it with the original
registrar. But good luck getting your money back if the check has gone
through the mail...

Paul


From: Mike on 23 Sep 2009 21:26
On Sep 23, 7:58 pm, "Paul E. Schoen" <p...(a)peschoen.com> wrote:
> "mpm" <mpmill...(a)aol.com> wrote in message
>
> news:28933fc5-d014-4ac1-9b0c-a410205e6dcf(a)p15g2000vbl.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> > Got a URL renewal notice in the mail today from Domain Registry of
> > America.
> > They've graciously sent me a courtesy renewal form which looks an
> > awful lot like an invoice.
>
> > Only problem:  I don't have anything registered with them.
> > And my provider for the about-to-be-expired URL is 1and1.com who
> > renews it automatically for free.
> > So, why would I pay $95 to Domain Registry of America?
>
> > I don't know exactly why, but this sort of pisses me off.
> > How many folks pony up the dollars not knowing they're getting
> > screwed?
> > There's no need to change registrars.   DRA is just on a fishing
> > expedition looking for expiring URL.
> > Note by the way, mine won't expire for 6 more months!!!
>
> > Anyway:  SHOULD I REPORT THEM TO OUR STATE FOR DECEPTIVE TRADE
> > PRACTICES?
>
> > Here's what the letter says, and then you decide (but tell me too...)
>
> > QUOTE:
>
> > You must renew your domain name to retain exclusive rights to it on
> > the Web, and now is the time to transfer and renew your name from your
> > current Registrar to the Domain Registry of America.  Failure to renew
> > your domain name by the expiration date may result in a loss of your
> > online identiy making it difficult for your customers and friends to
> > locate you on the Web.
>
> > END QUOTE
>
> > Scum bags!
> > I think I'm going to report them anyway....
>
> I get those all the time. The wording is absolutely correct, and anyone who
> is savvy enough to have already registered a domain with another registrar
> must have had a major brain fart to send any money to these guys. It
> clearly states that they are asking you to transfer your domain to them.
>
> Some registrars make it very difficult to transfer domains, as I found when
> I switched from ItsYourDomain to MyDomain.com. I had to fax them a copy of
> my drivers license and send them a signed affidavit that I wanted them to
> transfer it.
>
> The sad thing is that these notices are sent to businesses where such mail
> is probably opened and handled by a secretary who might just think it's an
> invoice and would cut and send a check. The domain probably would not be
> transferred unless a corporate officer signed off on it with the original
> registrar. But good luck getting your money back if the check has gone
> through the mail...
>
> Paul- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

So... it's deceptive and predatory.
They feed on people's inability to fully understand the URL
registation process, and further load the issue in their favor by
using shock words like expiration, failure, and loss.

I guess the one saving grace is that when I retire, I have the option
to totally remove computers from my home.
Well, except for the one in the microwave. And the fridge. Oh, and
the remote control....

Face it, we're screwed. :)

..
From: David L. Jones on 24 Sep 2009 00:45
mpm wrote:
> Got a URL renewal notice in the mail today from Domain Registry of
> America.

I get the same letter every year from them for all my domain names. And I'm
in Australia.

> They've graciously sent me a courtesy renewal form which looks an
> awful lot like an invoice.

It does indeed. But they have been careful to put a highlighted "this is not
an invoice" in the text.

> Only problem: I don't have anything registered with them.
> And my provider for the about-to-be-expired URL is 1and1.com who
> renews it automatically for free.
> So, why would I pay $95 to Domain Registry of America?

Only a fool would. But they figure they'll get x% of fools for every number
of letters they send out.

Similar to the Credit Card companies that send your bill every month with
the big print "you only have to pay THIS (tiny) amount". You have to search
around to find the actual figure you owe for that month if you want to avoid
the interest.

> I don't know exactly why, but this sort of pisses me off.
> How many folks pony up the dollars not knowing they're getting
> screwed?

Enough to cover their costs and make a profit, I'm sure. They have been
going at quite some time, so the scam (err, "courtesy service") obviously
works.

> There's no need to change registrars. DRA is just on a fishing
> expedition looking for expiring URL.
> Note by the way, mine won't expire for 6 more months!!!
>
> Anyway: SHOULD I REPORT THEM TO OUR STATE FOR DECEPTIVE TRADE
> PRACTICES?

Why not!

> Here's what the letter says, and then you decide (but tell me too...)
>
> QUOTE:
>
> You must renew your domain name to retain exclusive rights to it on
> the Web, and now is the time to transfer and renew your name from your
> current Registrar to the Domain Registry of America. Failure to renew
> your domain name by the expiration date may result in a loss of your
> online identiy making it difficult for your customers and friends to
> locate you on the Web.
>
> END QUOTE
>
> Scum bags!
> I think I'm going to report them anyway....

Please do!

Dave.

--
================================================
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