iDNS domain name registration scam hits again
April 2, 2019
This is about an ongoing domain registration scam that happened to be in my mailbox this morning. This is also not the first time I have received such a letter, which closely resembles an invoice, from iDNS, which, according to their letterhead, stands for Internet Domain Name Services.
The subject of the letter, composed in large bold type, is: Domain Name Expiration Notice. The text below it claims that "As a courtesy to domain name holders, we are sending you this notification of the domain name registration that is due to expire in the next few months. When you switch today to Internet Domain Name Services, you can take advantage of our best savings." It goes on to list one of my various domain names that comes up for renewal four months from now.
After that paragraph is a panic call to action, warning me that "now is the time to transfer and renew your name from your current Registrar to Internet Domain Name Services." Then, I am warned that "Failure to renew your domain name by the expiration date may result in a loss of your online identity making it difficult for your customers and friends to locate you on the Web.".
A little further down the page is a rate chart that lists my .com domain and offers to renew it for - wait for it - $50 for one year!
Now, let's look at some facts that will take the hot air out of this scam.
The first problem this company has is that they have picked out the one domain name which came free with my hosting agreement with my current web host, Bluehost. At the time I signed up for my current hosting package, the domain name was free for life as long as I stay paid up with Bluehost! There is no need to transfer the name elsewhere and pay somebody $50 to register it for a year! If it wasn't renewed for free, the annual cost to renew it would be between $10 to $15 a year, depending on the market value of .com domains (which is currently $11.99/year). Unfortunately, they do not offer free domain renewals anymore.
So, if my domain renewal wasn't free, there would be a $38 a year difference in the price between my web host's $12 domain renewal and iDNS at $50. That's an easy choice if your web host also holds your domain name. But, what about folks whose domains are not registered with their web host? Boy, have I got news for you! Read on!
If your domain name is hosted by a Registrar that charges more than between $12 to $16 a year for renewals, look into Domain.com and their transfer and new domain rates.
Almost any ICANN accredited Registrar will give you much better rates than the company sending out these solicitation letters. The company's mailing address is a post office box in a UPS Store in Jersey City, New Jersey. There are over 100 complaints about iDNS with the BBB, where they have a rating of F.
My best advice to those reading this article is to get to know about any domain names you or your company has registered and with whom they are registered and when they are due for renewal. Visit the Registrars' websites, login with the credentials you were given and make sure that all contact details are up to date and valid. I have friends with domains who failed to update their contact phone number and email account changes and temporarily or permanently lost their domains when they expired. If you know that your domains are registered with say Domain.com, you won't be fooled by scam letters in the mail prodding you to transfer them to iDNS, or some other expensive domain registration middleman or scammer.
