Beware Domain Registry of America

Yesterday, I received an email from a client and friend asking a simple question about a bill he received in the mail from Domain Registry of America (DRA). His question was should he pay for one year for $30 or for five years for $95.

The problem is, He didn't buy his domain from them, and as his service provider, I had already paid his renewal with his real registrar - for $10 per year.

DRA sends very official looking correspondence with patriotic colors and an actual invoice duping many into paying for domain renewals. Because the domain registration and renewal process is unfamiliar to most this tactic works.

Technically, this isn't a scam. If you pay the invoice, you are also authorizing DRA to transfer the domain registration from whomever you were buying it from before to DRA and extending it for how ever many years you pay. For instance, if you currently pay GoDaddy $10 per year for your registration and have 3 years before expiration, and send DRA $95 for 5 years, your domain registration will be transferred from GoDaddy to DRA and your domain now won't expire for 8 years. You've paid twice as much, but at least you still own the domain.

But even though it's technically not illegal, in my opinion, it isn't right either. They don't send a sales letter - they send a bill.

My recommendation: if you get a letter from Domain Registry of America, don't even open it. It's just junk mail - shred it.