This is a quick reminder to customers to check carefully any domain renewal notifications they receive, especially when not from Pipe Ten and even more especially when the renewal request comes via post.
Domain renewal scams have been around as long as we can remember, most notorious was the ‘Domain Registry of America’ in their various guises and recently we’ve been seeing a resurgence recently of similar schemes from the ‘Domain Renewal Group’.
A sample of a recent letter received via post:
As the letter itself, states “domain name holders are not obliged to renew their domain name”, “you are under no obligation to pay the amounts stated” and “this notice is not a bill”.
So why is Domain Renewal Group a scam?
There is no single stand-out reason that makes this a bona fide ‘scam’, however the below reasons combined makes for a good case to recommend against the use of such services:
- You do not know the company.
- You did not request contact from the company.
- The company does not name your existing registrar.
- The company sends a renewal reminder WELL before renewal date.
- The company uses a UK return address but does not reside in the UK.
- The current renewal pricing is at least twice the current market rates.
- The change of agreement clause grants only 15 days for you to transfer or cancel your domain should you not consent to the new agreement (largely making future price increases compulsary, especially for a company who conducts business using postal services).
- The company uses data gathered from an unreliable source with the knowledge that using a postal service rather than a digital one will increase the likelihood of a non-technical person making a rash decision to secure/protect/renew the domain / online identity.
- We’ve seen larger terms and conditions text on software EULAs, if the intention of the small print was to save paper then they wouldn’t use post/paper in the first place.
- Anyone who feels the need to highlight “(we are) NOT AFFILIATED WITH OR ENDORSED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES” is either unfortunate or trying to avoid making their activities a federal offence…
Everyone is encouraged to get the best deal on domain registrations and renewals and customers doing so with Pipe Ten can transfer away at any time without any administrative fees.