WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

I'm currently going through all my domains removing the registered addresses because I'm sick and tired of this group DOMAIN RENEWAL GROUP trying to rip me off.

For those not familiar with the name it's a hosting company that trawls the domain registrations for addresses and then send what looks like official domain expiry/renewal forms to the registered owners charging extortionate prices (starting at £20 a year) to renew thier domain. The company logo is designed to look like it's from states goverment as they mainly target .COM/.NET/.ORG owners.

The letters are worded such that someone who doesn't know that they're not official will think that they're likely to lose thier domain and the latest letter I got for a .ORG that's up for renewal in December states that if I don't renew by the 21st August I WILL lose the domain :mad: Only if you read the small print does it specify that they are not part of the US domain system and also the letter is not a bill.

So guys please be warned as to this tactic and also please avoid these overpriced people who seem to be so desperate for your business that they'll use tactics that verge on the border of scamming you..

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

Yep, the official term, is domain front running! It's a nightmare! Good job, you are "techie" clued up..

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

Don't forget your domains must have valid contact information at all times - its an ICANN legal requirement. Must either be yours or a proxy.

Speaking of ICANN, it seems that a lot of 'proper' registrars (including GoDaddy and Network Solutions) are behaving like scammers http://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/07...ules?art_pos=1

Your post does remind me of something i've encountered before. Some company complained they had control of mycompany.ltd.uk (which we never bothered registering) and that they had an offer to sell it and wanted to give us first refusal at an extortionate price. Basically it was blackmail as they insinuated that as they'll have no control over what the buyer does with it, it could hurt our business. Whilst on the phone, I checked the whois, saw it was free, and regged it for a couple of years for a few quid. Told them what i'd done and then they hung up on me :rofl:

Worth pointing out the registrars are allowed to register domains free for upto 5 days before either releasing them or paying for them.

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

Had a few of those... Straight in the recycle bin. But as you say, someone not clued up could fall for it and cough up. Borderline fraud if you ask me.

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

My domain registrar and I guess others can mask your details, possibly for a fee, on WhoIS.

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

Which in the end you're just paying someone else to hide details that shouldn't be used.. Which I think is just as bad as the scammers

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

Erm, what?

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

Yep I've had the exact same thing for loonyasylum.com I was emailed by a company asking me $600 or something like that for the domain, and I went and bought it from 1and1 for 8.99 lol

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

The fact that companies are offering to hide peoples details to stop scammers means that they're preying on the fact that the scammers are there. They should instead be complaining to ICANN that these companies are abusing the whois system.

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

Most domain providers allow private individuals to hide their address details for no fee, mine do. I wouldn't pay a company for it.

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

What?

They proxy personal details because there are far too many violent, psychotic people out there who know how to do a WHOIS.

"Stopping scammers" (not entirely sure how it does as all contact through the proxy comes to you anyway) is mucher lower reason down the list i'd have thought.

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

Why charge for the service then? It's not as if it costs them anything??

It's weird though how domain name hosting is one of the very few things that requires you to normally publicly divulge your personal address details on the internet. And it seems the only way round it is to be charged for the privalege :(

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

ALL CF domains that I've registered are proxied.

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

Most of my domains are using Fasthost's Domain Security feature.

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

Just got one of these again for a dot ORG that I own. Still trying to con people and the letters haven't changed apart from now adding a new section for Other Available Domains. In this sections they're offering me for £20 a year the dotCOM and dot NET equivelant of my dot ORG domain. Weird thing is that I know that the dot COM is owned by Yamaha and the dot NET is already owned by myself (bought the same time as the dot ORG.

:mad:

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

I got one the other week Kymmy. Same price, £20 a year for a .com I've got. Very good offer I thought, but then suddenly remembered that I only pay about £6 a year for it! LOL

But, like you say, people who don't know any better will get conned.

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

Depends on the registrar, I know some charge for it and some don't, Like anything it does cost them something to provide the proxy service, depending on if they accept postal mail or not.

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

I used to place the domain name and my initals in the company field for the registered address on any .com/.net/org and any mail I get with that on the address, goes straight into the shredder. ...then I took advantage of my registras whois privacy feature.

I usually go straight to the domain control panel of my registra to renew anything though, regardless of any contact.

Nominet have the right idea where it comes to whois privacy though, masking it if the registrant is an individual

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

Domain Privacy is generally free for Nominet (private individuals only) and CentralNic domains (.uk.com, .uk.net etc) as these registries do not charge for it. For gTLD domains you will find that a majority of UK domain companies charge for this as the domain registrar they use charges for it (Tucows, Melboune IT etc). There aren't many UK companies that are registrars themselves.
The 5 day domain registration grace period is only meant to be used for domains spelt incorrectly or registered with the wrong details and not for domain tasting. Nominet have systems in place to check this but most other registries don't. I wasn't aware of the Domain Group, are they part of the Domain Registry of America who are famous for front running?

Re: WARNING: Domain Renewal Group
 

Netearthone will give free privacy protection on most of the domains they sell, although they're only worth while using if you plan to handle a few domains with them or want to resell domains as their direct consumer facing prices are stupidly high.