People who prey on the uncertainty of others make me sick. This is the reason direct mail and email marketing efforts are dying in vein. It is because of places like the Domain Registry of Canada scam.
The Domain Registry Of Canada scam get their filthy paws on people who register a .CA web domain. The Domain Registry Of Canada scam then sends direct mail pieces warning you that you must "protect your domain" and other jargon that insinuates the Domain Registry Of Canada scam is an official or safe place (it is - but so is every other one). It's done to lure you and the Domain Registry of Canada site and materials even look like a Government affiliated agency.
Here's what the direct mail letter piece looks like:
http://www.twistimage.com/pdf/Domain_Registry_of_canada_scam.pdf
It happened to one of our clients today. The Domain Registry of Canada scam will even talk to you through customer service (all nice). Pathetic. We got our clients their money back. Obviously many people fall prey to this. Very sad.
I'm angry as hell. You can also check out this link from www.internetbasedmoms.com titled, "Do I Have Register My Domain with the Domain Registry of Canada?", it's a more detailed version of how the Domain Registry of Canada scam markets itself.
Does it work? Yes. The truth is the Domain Registry of Canada scam is a legitimate registrar (albeit expensive) and they even include a return envelope and a tear-away stub for payment renewal (how convenient). They prey more on uncertainty than anything else. Sickening, I know.<
P.S. - I wrote the words "Domain Registry Of Canada scam" many times in this post in hopes that it gets high search engine rankings.
I would appreciate any links to this Blog entry or the link I offered above, Do I Have Register My Domain with the Domain Registry of Canada?, in hopes that the word spreads and this company learns that in order to do business a little value, credibility and honesty will go much further than shady direct mail pieces and playing off of fear.
...Glad I got that off of my chest. If this angers you, call the Domain Registry of Canada scam at 1-866-434-0212 - tell them what you think.
Comments
Posted by Elizabeth
I just fell for the domain registry of canada scam. I have tried calling them repeatedly to switch it all back to my previous registrar but they keep telling me I have to wait 60 days before I can unlock my domain. I seem to be stuck. God only knows what happens in 60 days. They won't cancel it and give my money back even though its only been a couple of days...
Posted by Drew
I sent them a great letter, pretty much saying they were dirt. I get these in the mail every year for about 25 of my domains. It makes me sick.
Good job on getting the word out.
Drew
Posted by Vlad
You can try complaining directly to the owner of this scam operation or pay him a visit.
Kuryliw, Peter
24 Creekside Rd
North York, ON M2M 4E1
(416) 225-8436
Posted by Bill
I've received plenty of these letters. I'm mystified by the apparent success of the business model, which counts on people being willing to pay outrageous prices for domain registration. Obviously, enough are doing so to make this racket profitable. Sad.
Posted by Fran
Thanks for the info. I almost put a stamp on the envelope!
Posted by Damon Schreiber
Just a note that they send this not only to people who own .CA domains, but also people who own .COM domains. They helpfully show on my letter that as well as renewing, I can also order a .CA and .NET version of my domain for a mere $40/year.
Such creeps.
Posted by Some guy in Edmonton
I have a .net site
Not sure their source, how my mailing
addy are connected to the site, but
have it they do. My full name.
I haven't decided yet what I'm going
to do about it. Luckily, they've given
me till January before they're unable
to (stop themselves) protect me from
registering .org .com .ca &c.
So thoughtful.
Posted by Some guy in Edmonton
Hmm. How about wrapping a brick
in brown paper? To which one might
in turn tape the original post, or at
least a quality facsimile. Then just
mark it Return to Sender as .. you
know.. Deceased, moved, wrong
address -- whatever. Get creative!
Leave it for pick-up or just drop it
in some local mailbox on your way
to work.
Who says vindictive is bad? :)
Posted by Diana
Received one in the mail today. Checked it out with my IT department. They looked it up and informed me of the scam. Thank goodness for this informative web site.
Posted by Jenna
Thank god for this website because I just got their letter in the mail and was about to go along with it and renew and transfer my domain, but then I googled them and found this... can't believe it.
Posted by Franklin Tailor
I would suggest taking your "so called" invoice, smearing it in excrement, and sending it back in their envelope.
I hate these assholes!
Posted by Colin
f'n gangstas a-holes I almost filled this one out as well, the best Internet phisher I've seen...sent via snail mail. This was a reminder to always double check the current scams ...I would love to know how many people they rolled.
Posted by Miroslav Glavic
Vlad posted a number of a Peter guy who runs this scam........that number is not valid...hmm
Posted by Miroslav Glavic
I just saw, they include FREE webhosting with their $40 domain:
Effective March 1, 2007 all domain names registered, renewed, or transferred to Domain Registry of Canada include:
FREE WEB HOSTING for the lifetime of your domain name term.
Web Hosting Includes:
* 5 GB Disk Storage
* 250 GB Data Transfer
* 100 Web Based Email Accounts
* Easy-to-use Control Panel
* FTP Access
* Web-based File Manager
* Basic WYSIWYG editor
* NO BANNER ADS
Maybe they are doing the reverse of what so many hosting companies are doing (providing free domain and you pay for hosting).
Posted by denrus
The Domain Registry of Canada, on its bill, has the smallest, most illegible fine print "conditions" of any that I have ever seen.
Posted by Florentine
I have received a couple of these. At first I thought it was a legitimate service until I realized the official looking forms didn't actually come from any government department. It was also fishy that the conditions on the back were in type so small I needed a magnifying glass to read them.
Let the buyer beware indeed.
Posted by Tali
HA! Where do I START?
I urge the Better Business Bureau, Consumer Protection as well as ANY Domain Registrar that values customer loyalty to get cracking on these guys since they DO IMPLY that they have registered this domain with them in the openning lines of their letters (of which I get about a dozen a year) without saying it directly and is THEREFORE misleading.
I Actually called them and asked them to remove my mailing address from their list and in my frustration the “Daemon Jacob� who answered the phone told me not to feed him my sob stories. Pretty much the level of customer service quality I’d expect from a company with no integity or shame. If they were hijacking mortgages and what have you there would be a federal case against this by now.
But THATS NOT ENOUGH. THESE GUYS ARE DOMAIN HIJACKERS AND SCAMMERS.
This is a next generation high tech version of the business directory scam which was finally busted after years of being in business and after making millions if not bllions in fraud related profits.
I understand it’s a recession and my heart bleeds for them with sympathy but this is total B.S. and No way to make an honest living. If the RCMP doesn’t do something about it then web developpers and anyone else in the industry should get interpol or the international agencies on their asses. Not all domains were canadian companies therefore I don’t believe there would be too many jurisdictional issues.
I hope these guys like really warm weather because these guys and anyone working for them or with them that still have a conscious are going straight to hell, Atheist or otherwise.
Posted by harvey
i received a letter in mail from this company late last year. after reading it i called their toll free number and they actually answered the phone immediately, not like when i had to call network solutions and hold over 5 minutes at a time. i asked them about the website hosting they said was included in every domain and they confirmed it was free with any domain with them and was included in the $40 annual registration fee. i used to pay us$12 per month with network solutions plus us$39 for my domain which worked out to almost can$200 a year and now i pay can$40 per year for the identical product and better service. i have no complaints with them, i just saved a lot of money and i'm happy to deal with a canadian company
Posted by Kevin
I have had to deal with these guys for over two years now. The amount of mail that I receive from them increases as my client base increases. I have to agree with all that have said this...the small print - is really small print. It is so small I need a large magnifying glass to read it.
For anyone that doesn't know. If a domain name is registered by mistake you usually have about 5 days to correct it. That is the time line they are given by the powers that be. After that 5 day period you are probably stuck with them for the 60 day period - good luck getting your money back by that point. :(
DO NOT FALL FOR THIS MAIL SCAM. Ironically, most domain registrars frown on this type of action - too bad they are not reselling for another company - that would put a stop to it.
Posted by S. King
Thanks for the heads up.... I almost got sucked into this scam too!! Thank you for saving us $ and a headache!
Posted by Krista
I just got one of these letters and it sounded fishy. I'm glad I took the time to look up this article. Thanks!
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