Verisign Sending Deceptive Domain Renewal Mail? 374
General_Corto writes: "Declan McCullagh's PoliTech list just forwarded a message detailing how Verisign is sending letters to people who own domains through other registrars, attempting to make them change registrar on renewal. Looking at the letter it is very unclear that you are signing up with a different registrar. Sneaky games are being played."
Sneaky letter (Score:3, Interesting)
This is just an attempt to snare unsuspecting customers aware from other registrars, apparently earning a tidy profit for Verisign (Go Daddy software complains that that Verisign charges $29.95 instead of their $8.95)
At least they've gotta ask... (Score:2, Interesting)
So, this isn't all that bad... not that they wouldn't LIKE to be, but they don't get to.
Farming For Clients (Score:2, Interesting)
"Interland" does this as well (Score:5, Interesting)
I registered several through GoDaddy [godaddy.com], by far the best one I have ever used, and Godaddy sent me a "warning" notice that Verisign is sending out these deceptive messages, and suggesting we write to icann about them...
Interland is doing a similar thing. (Score:3, Interesting)
For the last 2 months I've been receiving similar mail from Interland (a Verisign partner) for a domain that doesn't expire until late May. I have two sites hosted on Interland and they're sending me renewal notices for a Verisign-registered domain that I parked on Interland servers (no live site).
Initially I was keeping all of my registrations with Verisign/Internic because I felt they provided me with the best service. That's still true as long as I don't need them to do anything like send me a registration report or help me change a contact because the record got munged.
I also felt a bit more secure with Verisign because they don't seem to be going anywhere and domain registrations are long-term investments for me.
These new tactics may be the final straw. The trouble is, I don't know how reliable any of the other companies are. Any recommendations?
Good reason for whois server changes (Score:5, Interesting)
They should make the whois servers not give this information so other companies can use it as their own personal sales list.
Same thing but not even my domain (Score:2, Interesting)
Ads? (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm not one to normally be conspiratorial, but I think that it's not Verisign that's sending these letters, it's their competitor, GoDaddy, making it look like Verisign is to blame.
If it weren't for Verisign's bad maneuvers in the past, I would jump on that bandwagon immediately. Just a thought...
I avoid VeriSign... (Score:3, Interesting)
I'd say that VeriSign is the Microsoft of registrars, but that would be an insult to Microsoft. VeriSign has screwed up billing and renewal of various domains of mine four times in the past - after the last fiasco, in which they triple-charged me for a single two-year renewal their web site told me was not processed, and which they had already told me they couldn't do because my domain had (afterwards) been transferred to eNom [enom.com], it took me three months and a letter to my bank disputing the charges to get my money back. I now use eNom for all my registrations. (Yes, I know there are cheaper choices...)
However, I get the last laugh.. When the domain involved in that triple-renewal came up for renewal this year, eNom told me that VeriSign's database had the domain as having been extended for six years - it didn't a year ago when I had the mess with them - so I was all set through 2008! I wrote them to explain what happened - they thanked me for being honest and said that it was more trouble than it was worth to "correct" the situation...
Others do it as well (Score:4, Interesting)
On a slightly related issue, I got a phone call a month or so ago from "The Domain Support Group". They tried telling me that since I owned a
Paraphrasing a bit...
Who would be the registrar for the domain?
"We would be"
And who are you?
"We're your friendly Domain Support Group"
So you're not my current registrar?
"We're the domain support group".
Are you the same company as my existing registrar?
"Uh, no."
Yeah... so, I filed a complaint with the FTC.
Re:Good reason for whois server changes (Score:2, Interesting)
I wrote a Perl script that goes through the entire
Having a nicely formatted list of all the expiration dates is much nicer than wading through individual (and possibly duplicate) peices of mail.
Also, I have used the contact (email and phone) information to get ahold of current Technical and Administrative contacts to request domain transfers by request of the domain owner/holder (most customers don't want to deal with stuff themselves... they want the world handled by everybody else)
So, in conclusion, the WHOIS information is invaluable. It is unfortunate that it's misused and abused, though.
Re:At least they've gotta ask... (Score:3, Interesting)
That's a very apt comparison. Verisign has gone from being a monopoly (as Network Solutions) to having a lot of cheaper competition, just like Ma Bell. And similarly, it finds that it can't hack it in the real world, and is resorting to underhanded techniques like this.
very very common, and very very illegal (Score:2, Interesting)
By submitting a WHOIS query, you agree to use this Data only for lawful purposes and that under no circumstances will you use this Data to: (1) allow, enable, or otherwise support the transmission of mass unsolicited, commercial advertising or solicitations via e-mail, telephone, or facsimile;
i know people who work for <a href=alldomains.com>alldomains</a> and they say they use the same technique, knowledgably and with complete disregard for the law. i get a courtesy calls often concerning my domains from other registrars. can we crack down on these guys? or should we just find them and physically hurt them?
by the way, why is crsnic's whois server still screwed up? do a lookup on any major site with it, like microsoft.com, and you get all these BS listings obviously made by someone who hacked them. i don't get it. it's been like that for months!
Re:Farming For Clients (Score:3, Interesting)
Could It Now Do This? (Score:3, Interesting)
Not quite the same with Interland (Score:2, Interesting)
Of course, they're about as incompetent as NSI. I have my domain's registered mail address set to my father's PO Box, and my father paid the Interland renewal notice before asking me. He paid for two years, but my domain was renewed for four. And he paid by check, so they couldn't double-bill us.
Of course, even at half the price it still was more expensive than some alternate registrars...
Avi
Re:Nothing new (Score:4, Interesting)
However, without fail we get invoice after invoice from Network Solutions with letters saying if we don't pay we will lose our domain. Duh...
They might not be the only one, but it is very deceptive. I think they send it so comapnies who have an A/P department see the low-dollar bill ($35/$70, whatever) and are allowed to pay it without authorization. Little do they know that they, by paying it, authorize NetSol to transfer the domains of their organization back to NetSol.
Bad, very bad. Kind of like an invoice I once received from somewhere in Europe for something like $1395. It was for being placed in some business directory. What? Obviously they were just fishing. It doesn't cost anything to send invoices and, who knows, someone might actually pay. All you have to lose is postage.
Got this email from Go Daddy. (Score:1, Interesting)
The purpose behind these notices is to get the unsuspecting customer to transfer to and renew their domain name(s) with Verisign Inc. at significantly higher prices.
The domain expiration notices are designed so that it is not obvious that the notices are from Verisign, Inc. as opposed to Go Daddy Software. To see a copy of one of these deceptive expiration notices, please go to the following URL: http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/private_vsrn.asp?di
Those customers who fall prey to the Verisign, Inc. scheme will have their domain name(s) renewed at a price more than 3 times higher than would be the case if they renewed with Go Daddy Software.
For a
Those customers who fall prey to this scheme, will not receive any better service or value. They will however be tricked out of $20.05 per domain name.
Renewal notices from Go Daddy Software are sent via email, and always mention the Go Daddy name. You can be sure that any communications you receive concerning your domain name that do not explicitly and obviously display the Go Daddy name are not from Go Daddy Software.
If you believe, as we do, that this practice of Verisign Inc. is misleading, predatory and improper, we invite you to make your feelings known by writing to ICANN (who is the governing body for all Registrar's and Registries) and to Verisign Registry. Email links for both are provided below.
Sincerely,
Bob Parsons, President
Go Daddy Software, Inc.
ICANN Registrar Complaint Form (hosted at InterNIC)
http://www.internic.net/cgi/registrars
VeriSign Registry Customer Service
info@verisign-grs.com
Phone: 703-948-3200
How about registrars masquerading as Government? (Score:1, Interesting)
Being a government employee, I recognized this as a load of dung, piped it to
Switch away (Score:3, Interesting)
I guess I didn't consider the letter deceptive because it referred to transfering and the poor uncle just thought it was from his regular host to begin with. He had no idea what their name was.
it gets worse - hosting companies getting burned (Score:4, Interesting)
doesn't internic have a policy of conduct for domain name registrars? i seem to remember there being a lot of concern when they broke the netsol monopoly that the 'alternatives' would provide poor customer service and business ethics. who's the pot, and who's the kettle NOW?
smells fishy (Score:2, Interesting)
Last year, when I was eyeing on [thedomainname].com that was registerred at verisign and already expired for like 4 and half months, i noticed something odd.
I emailed verisign asking why they are not releasing the domain since it has been expired for almost 5 months. They replied saying that there's some disputes with the domain. But by the next day, the domain is handed to some person, and it's up for sale. And guess who got a first solicitation for that?
Also I noticed that if we do a lot of whois to a domain name, netsol will not release the domain even if it expired for a long while (more than 5 months).....
The letter is quite clear (Score:3, Interesting)
Okay, Verisign is a lousy registrar and their service sucks. But their letter is reasonably clear, I think. Click on the link to that letter and you'll quickly see:
1. A nice clear Verisign logo. (duh)
2. The words "Transfer Authorization" just above where you sign.
Anyone who can't see those two things in black & white simply isn't up to the responsibility of being the administrative contact for a domain. I still dislike and distrust Verisign, but if the person in charge of my domains didn't clearly see that as a TRANSFER to VERISIGN, then they'd be out of a job.
Interland won't remove me from their mailing list (Score:2, Interesting)
One day I opened my PO box to find it stuffed with almost 30 identical spam letters.
I have called them on several occasions politely asking them to remove my address from their mailing list. The first couple of times they said "Yeah OK, sure, you're off the list." Months would go by and I'd still get more piles of junk mail. The last time I called them (again, politely asking to be removed), the "customer service" rep told me to just throw away the mail if I didn't want it and hung up.
I would urge everyone to avoid doing business with Interland. They're either incompetent or irresponsible.
It's actually been a couple months since I got any spam from them. I'm not sure if they just hit all of my domains (and are gearing up for round 2), or if somehow I really was removed from their list.
Buncha punks.
Re:A lesson in POSTNET barcodes (Score:3, Interesting)
Having said that, I want to take nothing away from the the wonderfully instructive example that you gave on how to use/abuse this information! :-) I along with many other slashdotters stand in awe :-)
Re:Um (Score:2, Interesting)
Accept my congratulations.
Re:Absolutely (Score:2, Interesting)
In other words, it took me quite a while to figure out who this letter was actually from. In fact, I wasn't 100% certain when I tossed it.
This is by far the most deceptive piece of junkmail I've received. And you are right, thank the stupid people for that.
That being said, I'll never do business with Verisign,- first they charge me an arm and a leg, so I get to put their logo on my website. Next thing they are going after my customers by getting them confused with the logo seen on my website.