Have you ever received something in the mail asking you to renew your “Website Listing Service,” “Domain Renewal Subscription,” or other such reasonable-sounding service? It looks real, is targeted to your specific domain name, and it has a logo and a return address area. The mailer probably even includes a phone number and an email address, making it look credible. But if you read the letter closely—it’s not real. This is an example of a cleverly designed solicitation—a scam, really—trying to make you believe that you owe money to a company in order to renew your domain name.
We receive a number of calls every month from our clients whom have asked us to review these types of letters to confirm if they should pay the fee. Whether we’ve helped them with their domain name registration or not, it seems reasonable that the people who worked on their website can and should know about it. We always advise them to toss the letter in the recycle bin, and thank them for asking our advice. Surprisingly, we got one ourselves here at Stride, and realized how real and legitimate these solicitations appear.
Always read the fine print! These letters often state: “This is not a bill. This is a solicitation. You are under no obligation to pay the amount stated above unless you accept this offer.”
