Protect Your Domain

Every year around this time, I start receiving invoices in my mailbox from a domain registration company informing me that I need to renew my domain names. The problem is, I never registered my domains with that company in the first place. I have about ten domain names all registered with another company for a lot less than the $40 being requested for renewal by this mystery company.

If the above scenario sounds familiar to you, then you have undoubtedly been targeted for domain slamming. Much like the phone slamming popular at the turn of the century, when small phone companies tried to unknowingly switch customers over to their services, domain slamming works in basically the same sinister manner.

They send you a letter through conventional mail that looks like an invoice, informing you that your domain will soon expire. They will have the domain name and often the correct expiration date. For an unsuspecting user who might not have paid close attention to their registrar’s name and information, they might be barled.

Unfortunately, the practice is not illegal. If you read the fine print on most of these “invoices”, they usually state that you are not only renewing your domain but also transferring it to their services. Once you have paid them their often inflated registration fee, you might have a difficult time getting it transfered back to your real registrar and will most likely not get your money back.

The solution to protecting yourself is quite simple:

1. Keep records of your initial domain registration.

2. Have a standard method for paying your yearly domain fees.

3. Always keep in mind that if it looks suspicious, you should probably be weary of it.

Photo Source: SXC