Whirlpool

I hope this is the right thread, sorry mod's if it isn't..

I keep receiving Domain Name Expiration Notice letters to my postal address from the Domain Registry of America which I have no dealings with whatsoever.

The letter appears to be domain renewal notices but on closer inspection are actually offers to transfer your domain name to another registrar.

I googled them and found that this company has already been barred from carrying out this practice in the USA by the Federal Trade Commission.

This is a clear case of Deceptive Conduct in my opinion and given they appear to have an office in Melbourne the question begs..

Is it legal for them to carry out this practice in Australia. And, if not who can I complain to??

--
Thanks,
Adam

I've was getting those letters for years and just ignored them. They seemed to have stopped sending them to me now.

i just received another of their letters today, they shouldnt be allowed to do it as IMO their letters are written to target those ppl that do not know to much about domains and try to trick them into using their services

they are SCUM IMO

i used to get them sent all the damn time ,asking $50 for renewals , haven't recieved one in awhile

Hi Addam

You can complain to your local/state office of fair trading, ACCC or if it's a .au domain name, auda - www.auda.org.au/contact.php

There is also a scamwatch website www.scamwatch.gov.au/con...ml/tag/scamwatch which is owned and maintained by the ACCC that you can report this online too as well.

DNQ

Addam writes...

I keep receiving Domain Name Expiration Notice letters to my postal address from the Domain Registry of America which I have no dealings with whatsoever.

Welcome to the club.

These guys are absolute ripoffs who insist on sending "snail mail" spam :(

Their activities are well known here on WP.

Domain Registry of America

We had a client who thought we had sent the letter. When her domain was showing as due for renewal we sent a reminder notice to be told she paid up for five years renewals with DROA.

She renewed with us for two years and emailed DROA threatening to take them to ACCC and to both our amazements DROA refunded her payment in full.

ACCC must worry the heck out of them :)

Thanks 4 the replies guys - I'm off to the ACCC website..

I actually find their reminder service quite a charitable thing.. I mean they go to the trouble of sending me a letter reminding me that one or more of my domains are up for renewal and I renew with normal registrar for a fraction of the price they are asking ;)

Seriously though, they do do everything they possibly can to make it look like an invoice and they've been in trouble for this before from memory as it's duped many a poor soul into paying them a crazy amount of money to renew their $10 or $20 domain.

Paul Robinson writes...

they go to the trouble of sending me a letter reminding me that one or more of my domains are up for renewal

They are a waste of data and bandwidth if you ask me.

I got one a week ago! If you read the letter carefully, and understand Domain registration you can deal with it. But when one of these hits a noob or business person sans clue... they will be scammed.

Addam writes...

I keep receiving Domain Name Expiration Notice letters to my postal address

There is your solution.

I used to get these but for the last few years every domain I register I only putin a genral postal address and phone number. I may leave off the street number etc and only put down the street, town etc.

It may not be exactly legal or whatever to not attach all your info to your domain name but I havent had one of these letters in years, and neither have any of my clients.

Just jump in and change some info in your domain properties and you wont get any spam, after all, this is where they get your postal address from in the first place.

I just put some other junk mail in the envelope and send it back.

CypherOz writes...

But when one of these hits a noob or business person sans clue... they will be scammed.

Very true. My own wife nearly went ahead with it thinking it was the real deal before I found out and stopped her just in time.

I just pay the extra for WHOIS protection now. None of those domains have had a DROA scam letter yet.

Jones911 writes...

I just put some other junk mail in the envelope and send it back.

I thought about doing this, but I soon realised that you have to add your own stamp to send it back in their envelope - the nerve!!

Addam writes...

I keep receiving Domain Name Expiration Notice letters to my postal address from the Domain Registry of America which I have no dealings with whatsoever

I remember getting letters like that from them.

It's best to ignore and throw letters into the bin.

The letter appears to be domain renewal notices but on closer inspection are actually offers to transfer your domain name to another registrar.

Yep, it appeared like that. Not renewal notices as really an offer to transfer my domains to them.

given they appear to have an office in Melbourne

They did appear to be from Melbourne, their office in Australia.

Is it legal for them to carry out this practice in Australia. And, if not who can I complain to??

I am not sure and best to ignore them.

Jones911 writes...

I just put some other junk mail in the envelope and send it back.

This is what I do, return to sender as junk.

Dudley writes...

I just pay the extra for WHOIS protection now.

Some domain providers don't have that.

It's best to use a PO Box address and use some Gmail or Yahoo email address.

I was lucky enough to get one of these letters today as well. They have improved the wording a bit from their earlier infamous "renewal notices", but it's still pretty misleading. I reported it to SCAMwatch, anyway, so we'll see if they're interested in taking it further.

Lawn Gnome writes...

I was lucky enough to get one of these letters today as well. They have improved the wording a bit from their earlier infamous "renewal notices", but it's still pretty misleading. I reported it to SCAMwatch, anyway, so we'll see if they're interested in taking it further.

I got one also, opened it up and realised that it wasn't for my domain, but some shitty provider trying to get me to transfer to them.

I threw it in the bin :)

Jones911 writes...

I just put some other junk mail in the envelope and send it back.

LOL great idea. does it get sent back to america?

cant you just return to sender it anyway for free?

Does anyone know if they actually have an office in Australia? I've always had the feeling that it was some kind of mail redirection service that they were using -- in which case they would get charged for all the mail they receive.

I get these all the time.

tworak writes...

LOL great idea. does it get sent back to america?cant you just return to sender it anyway for free?

Probably but I liek to put other junk mail in the real envelop give them flase hope and costs them money because I dont affix a stamp so they will foot the bill for the postage.

etc etc writes...

Does anyone know if they actually have an office in Australia? I've always had the feeling that it was some kind of mail redirection service that they were using -- in which case they would get charged for all the mail they receive.

I get these all the time.

According to their very own website the office is as follows:

Domain Registry of America
189 Queen Street #209
Melbourne, 3000
Australia

link: www.droa.com/contact.asp

Yeah I got one of these the other day... Nearly made it from Administration to accounts bit I intercepted it

Addam writes...

I keep receiving Domain Name Expiration Notice letters to my postal address from the Domain Registry of America which I have no dealings with whatsoever.

I received a letter from them about 2 weeks ago, tore it up :)

Got one yesterday... it went in that important round filing cabinet by my feet