Ashley Bailey Designs, LLC

Have you gotten a notice sometimes looking very similar to a bill from the "Domain Registry of America"? If so, read carefully through what I am about to disclose. You registered your domain with Godaddy, Name.com or some other domain registrar. About 9 months or less later, you get a letter in the mail saying your domain is about to expire. To renew all you have to do is mail in the enclosed form with your credit card information and they will renew your domain automatically. But wait, you thought you registered it with Godaddy? Why are you getting a bill?

It's a scam!  Please beware of it. The Domain Registry of America is just Godaddy and other domain registrars' competitor and they have found, in my opinion, a sleazy way to residual income and profits. They trick people into sending in this form back to them and CHANGING their domain registrar for a much larger fee than if they had let it stay with their existing registrar.

How to NOT fall for the trick?

1. Just know to always follow up on emails from your actual domain registrar, whomever that may be. Do not click on links within an email to go login. Open your own internet browser window and type in the address manually.
2. Set your domain up for auto-renew.  If you need help doing this, contact us and we are happy to help.
3. Lock your domain so that no one can transfer it without your consent.
4. Make sure that your domain is registered with a CURRENT email address for yourself.  If you have an old AOL email address that you don't know how to access anymore, make sure you change your email address with your registrar.  Otherwise the notices are going to an email address you can't check.
5. If your site ever goes down and you don't know why, check your billing information first.  Chances are you got a new credit card in the mail with a new expiration date and the new date just needs to be changed in your billing profile with your web host.
6. Last but not least, never mail in this form.  I have a special filing area for it.  It's called the TRASH!

Have you had any experiences with the DOA?  If so, feel free to share it below.