Domain Listings Scam or Real Invoice?

Domain Listings - Scam or Real?

Have you ever received a domain listings notice in the mail that your domain name needs to be renewed or listed for what appears to be a really high dollar amount? Chances are this notice you received is not from your domain provider and could just be a domain listings advertisement.

Read below to find out how to tell if this is a real invoice or just a clever advertisement designed to look like an invoice.

What should you do when receiving this notice?

First thing fully read the notice and look for anything that states this is just a solicitation or advertisement and not an invoice. If you are unable to find anything that shows its just advertisement then go to the next step. Next steps is to contact your domain provider and review the notice with them. Service providers see these types of things all the time so they should be able to quickly let you know if its a real invoice or just and advertisement.

Is this practice legal?

There are different laws regarding what you would consider shady or deceptive business practices. Companies attempting to solicit your services must state on their letters that they are indeed soliciting. Many times this solicitation notice is written in fine print, hidden within other text, or placed in a not so obvious area, such as the backside of the notice.

Are there different types of these solicitations?

Yes - There are different companies that will send out solicitation notices for "listing your domain name" and others that will send out solicitation notices for registering or renewing your domain name. To a lot of people these "notices" can look like real invoices, and even include different payment methods. The key is to find the text area that states something similar to: "This is a solicitation, not an invoice for services."

Why did I receive this domain listings solicitation?

Just like anything else today, a lot of personal and business information is out on the web. It's fairly easy for advertisers, legitimate and not, to find out who has a domain and where to send the advertisement.

Can I do anything to stop these solicitations?

Unfortunately stopping these type of ads is very hard to do. However, adding privacy protection to your domain name can sometimes help to hide your personal information. It's always a good idea to be conscious of what information you have out on the web.

What if I want my business listed online?

If you are looking to have your business listed in all the right places, Verity Hosting is here to help. Give us a call at 1-800-711-1443 or visit us on the web at www.verityhosting.com

What if the notice was paid?

We have seen companies in the past inadvertently pay for these "services". If you paid by credit card, you can open a payment dispute just by contacting your credit card company. If you paid by check, and the check has not cleared your account as yet, you can issue a stop payment. Your banker may even be able to setup a dispute as well.

Can my domain name be recovered?

Yes most of the time however trying to recover your domain that has been moved can be time consuming and difficult to achieve. Its best to avoid this issue all together and spend a few minutes verifying the notice is real before making any payments. A little due diligence goes a long way.

In Conclusion:

Be sure to fully read the notice in it's entirety for any verbiage that reads similar to: "this is not a bill, this is a solicitation". Call your domain provider as they should be able to verify if the notice is just an ad or a real invoice.

Verity Hosting takes business domain name registration and renewals seriously. We never want to see a business customer or potential customer encounter an issue that could potentially remove or reduce their online business website presence. If you are one of our customers please give us a call as we would be happy to review the suspect notice that you received.

Image Credits

All photos used have been curated by Verity staff