23

Feb

2010

Domain Slamming

The Whois record

When you register a domain, the domain registrar will submit your personal and domain information to the Whois record. Currently web robots search the Whois record for expired domains and register them within seconds of the expiry date. Once a domain is slammed a lot of work is needed to obtain it back. A hijacked domain (see below) it is often impossible to recover.

Domain Slamming

Domain slamming is the practice of soliciting unsuspecting domain owners that their domain is going to expire, and sending them a renewal notice by regular mail or email. In fact the renewal notice is actually a domain transfer request for the domain owner to transfer their domain to the new company. Domain prices are often more than double or triple the market rate.

Some of these domain slamming companies will also register an expired domain and point the domain to a portal site, causing the unsuspecting domain owner to panic and promptly renew (transfer) their domain at a more expensive rate.

Some domain slammers do not resell the domain under pretence of a domain company. Instead they wait for the prospective domain owner to make an offer on the domain (far beyond market value) or point it to a portal site to generate click-through revenue.

A Canadian company under the guise of Brandon Gray Internet (NAMEJUICE.COM) located in Markham Ontario, has several affiliate companies known to slam domains: Domain Registry of America (DROA), Domain Registry of Canada (DROC), and the Internet Registry of Canada (IROC). You can do a google search on any of these companies to see the havoc they have caused in the domain industry. Be wary of these companies as they have hidden fees in their disclaimers.

Regardless of the frustration caused, domain slamming is not illegal since the domain has either expired and is available to anyone to register, or the client has willingly transferred their domain to them (though by deceptive means).

For more info view the Wikipedia page on Domain Slamming.

Domain Hijacking

Domain theft is an aggressive form of domain hijacking that usually involves an illegal act. In most cases, identity theft is used to trick the domain registrar into allowing the hijacker to change the registration information to steal control of a domain from the legitimate owner.

For more info view the Wikipedia page on Domain Hijacking.

Notice to Domain Owners (DROC, DROA and IROC)

Re: Domain Registry of Canada (DROC), Domain Registry of America (DROA), and Internet Registry of Canada (IROC) solicitation by mail (Domain slamming scheme).

VirgoDesign would like to inform all web site and domain owners, that a company called Domain Registry of Canada, and a company called the Internet Registry of Canada, continue to solicit unwarranted and illegal mail-out renewal notices to domain owners. The notices are misleading, in that they appear to be from the government of Canada, but in fact they are not. As a result, VirgoDesign has received inquiries from concerned clients about the status and expiry dates of their domains.

Please note that these companies do not have control, rights, or any obligation of renewal over your domain (unless you transfer your domain to them). In addition, the renewal rates are almost twice to triple the market value, of most domain registration companies.

The owner of one of these companies has been under previous investigation for false and misleading advertising, and was charged by the The Competition Bureau (Govt. of Canada). It is also illegal to use the whois database in order to obtain personal information of domain owners, and especially to obtain mailing addresses for unwarranted solicitations.

VirgoDesign is encouraging all domain owners who receive such a notice, not to renew your domain with either company, and treat such notices as fraudulent behaviour. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please feel free to contact VirgoDesign, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), or your domain registrar.

Calgary Herald Article - July 15th, 2004 (pdf file, 50kb)

Government of Canada Warning - June 30th, 2004

How can I protect my personal information and domain ?

The most important method to protect your domain is to know your domain information and keep it renewed! All domain registrars provide a Whois blocking or protection service.

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