Domain Name Registration Rip-Off
A client faxed me a letter last week that looked for all the world like a legitimate Domain name renewal invoice - until you looked a little closer…
Think about the offer:
“Receive a FREE iPod Shuffle with every 2 year registration”
I did a quick Google search on ‘buy ipod shuffle’ and found that I could get a 1G Shuffle at OfficeWorks for $65.00.
Interesting, so how do they make money when to register an Australian domain costs less than $65? Then I read the financial aspects of the offer:
They were asking my client to register a .com domain for $249.00. They’re worth $20 or thereabouts! So if they’re buying them direct from the USA for about $12, even with the free iPod Shuffle, there’s a huge margin.
So I called their promoted number only to get a voicemail saying that all their sales team were busy and would I leave a message?
Nice one guys…
No names, no pack drill here; the message is simple - check with us before you pay any unsolicited domain name registration invoice. And to my little furry friends who initiated this masterpiece of deception, I hope you send me one of your letters for one of my / our domains. I’d love to write you a response letter…
