Domain Name Services Letter – Scam or Legit?
Did you receive a letter in the mail from “Domain Name Services” stating that your domain name would expire on a date that’s rapidly approaching? We certainly did, and we’ve had many clients report that they’ve received the same letter as well.
But is the Domain Name Services letter a scam or is it legitimate?
In this article, we dissect the letter received and point out what elements are legitimate and what elements constitute scare tactics, perhaps even worthy of the scam label.
Keep in mind, we are both a web development and marketing company, so we have extensive experience managing hundreds of domain name registrations and renewals since 2012. In other words, we know what to look for!
Table of Contents
Why Did I Get a Letter from Domain Name Services?
You received a letter from Domain Name Services because your domain name and who it is registered to is typically public knowledge. As such, the for-profit company, Domain Name Services, LLC, can look up your domain name, view the owner’s contact information, and check the domain name expiration date.
Domain Name Services then extracts domains with upcoming expiration dates and mass mails them the following letter:
Technically, your domain name is likely coming up for renewal, which is what triggered this letter. However, your domain name is not registered at Domain Name Services. Additionally, this letter is not an invoice or a bill.
This letter is a solicitation, perhaps disguised as a bill if you don’t fully read and interpret the details carefully.
Your domain name is already registered at an online registrar either in an account that you own and for which you have direct access. Or in an account that is managed by your website builder, web designer, or web hosting company if they include a domain name registration for free as part of their package. Keep in mind, some web hosting accounts include domain name registration for free.
If you are not sure where your domain name is registered, you should contact your web developer. Alternatively, you can also use a tool like the Whois Domain Lookup to look up where your domain name is registered. Towards the top of the assessment, the “registrar” field will list where the domain name is registered. However, using this tool may be a bit confusing though as some companies white label their domain registration services.
Is The Domain Name Services Letter Technically a Scam/Fraud?
Honestly, that is an answer for the FTC, and one that we cannot answer.
If you read every single word in the letter, Domain Name Services does disclose, “this notice is not a bill.” Additionally, they also use wording like “when you switch…” which is technically “accurate.”
However, they use alarming language regarding “you must renew your domain name to retain exclusive rights to it on the Web…” and “failing 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.”
To the layperson, especially small business owners with little website experience, this has the potential to be misinterpreted as a bill that the business owner must simply pay to keep their web presence running.
What Should I Do with the Domain Name Services Letter?
- Double check that you know where your domain name is registered (identify your registrar) and document this information.
- Confirm your payment details are up-to-date and that automatic renewal of the domain name is enabled.
- Alert your billing department and/or administrative staff to look out for potentially fraudulent or misleading correspondence like this in the future.
- Throw away, shred, incinerate with the power of a thousand suns, or defenestrate the letter as desired.
What Company Should I Use to Renew My Domain Name?
The simplest answer is to keep using the current domain name registrar you are already using. Switching registrars can cause issues if you are not careful, as the domain’s DNS settings control the flow of your email, your website, and other services utilizing your domain name.
Be sure you have your domain name set to automatically renew and keep your billing information up-to-date. You can also renew your domain name for multiple years in advance to save on costs and avoid annual renewals.
If you must switch domain name registrars due to reliability issues or high costs, we recommend using a company like Namecheap which is what we switched to personally after facing issues with several other registrars (including big names like GoDaddy, Network Solutions, and Ionos).
Should I Use Domain Name Services or Util.com to Renew My Domain?
In our opinion, no.
This company’s direct mail marketing tactics are suspicious at best. Also, the price they charge to renew a .com domain name, as of 2024, is $265 to renew a domain name for 5 years, which is overpriced. For example, you can renew a domain name for 5 years at Namecheap for roughly $85.
Stay Up-To-Date on Web Trends and Tips
If you are interested in receiving more time-saving tips like these, sign up for our free monthly newsletter. We share various web design, marketing, and SEO tips, designed to help small business owners succeed!
At no additional cost to you, we may receive a commission if you click on some of the links on this website and make a purchase.
