Domain Registry of America

A large number of customers are reporting receiving letters from either The Domain Registry of America, Domain Renewal Group, Domain Registry of Europe or EU Registry Services.

These companies are not in any way connected with us (Eqwebs Ltd., Equestrian Websites, BD-Sites, Designer Websites or Websites UK.net) and unless you take up the offer in the letter they have no control of or connection with your domain name registered with us.

These letters appear to be domain renewal notices but on closer inspection are actually offers to transfer your domain name to another registrar. If you take up the offer you will lose some of the services that we currently provide with your domain name. You will also have to manage the domain name yourself to ensure it links correctly to your website.

The UK Advertising Watchdog Authority (ASA) has previously slammed Domain Registry of Europe over similar mail shots. DRoE, however, maintained that the notices were “not a bill, rather an easy means of payment should you decide to register or renew your domain(s) with us”. Whilst these letters may not be illegal they are definitely a scam to induce you transfer your domain name registration to their system.

If your domain name is registered through us , provided your account is not seriously in arrears or we have previously informed you that we are not renewing your domain name registration, we always renew domain names prior to the renewal date to ensure that they are not “lost”.

We strongly urge you not to take up the offer in the “Domain Name Expiration Notice” sent out by Domain Registry of America or their associate companies.

Here are some details on the companies involved:

Domain Registry of America

This company has already, in 2003, been barred from carrying out this practice in the USA by the Federal Trade Commission. Click Here to read the FTC press release. Please also click Here to see an article in The Register published 6th January 2004.

They also operate in the UK and Europe under the name Domain Registry of Europe.

Domain Renewal Group

This company sends out notices in exactly the same format as the ones sent by Domain Registry of America. They also operate from the same office premises in both the UK and USA as does Domain Registry of America.

EU Registry Services

This company operates out of St Neots, Cambridgeshire, UK and seems to only send letters to registrants in the UK. You can read more about this company’s other activities by clicking here.

This company now operates as Domain Registry Services.

Domain Registry Services

The letters come from: Domain Registry Services, Compass House, Vision Park, Cambridge. CB4 9AD and state that the domain name will stop working if you do not pay them. This is not true. Only your current registrar can process a renewal so if you do not renew through us your domain name will stop working.

If you receive a letter from them you should report it to Cambridgeshire Trading Standards as they are investigating it – Click Here for contact details.