Irish domain name registration firm Register.ie has warned members of the public that own website domain names to treat with caution letters or emails from third parties about renewing their domain names.
The company said that over the past week it has been notified of a number of questionable marketing techniques focusing on domain name renewal.
The warning comes in the wake of hundreds of domain name holders receiving what purport to be domain name expiration notices from the Domain Registry of America.
“What typically happens is that a letter that looks like an invoice is sent to the owner of the domain warning of dire consequences if the owner fails to renew the domain and inviting the owner to renew their domain with the new provider,” said Register.ie chief executive Eoin Costello.
“Register.ie is advising domain owners that if they receive emails or letters from companies offering to renew domains on the owner’s behalf or asking the owner to confirm details in relation to their domain name, the owner should refer such correspondence to their current registration provider immediately,” Costello said.
He stated that while he could not comment on the specific nature of Domain Registry of America’s tactics, he was taken aback by the sheer number of concerned customers of his company that had contacted Register.ie on foot of receiving a letter from Domain Registry of America.
Costello concluded that any domain holder unclear about what to do should contact their current domain name registration provider.
By John Kennedy
