Beware of The Domain Registry of Canada

I thought I should give everyone a heads up about these sneaky dudes. If you haven't already gotten a renewal notice from them for your domain, you probably will at some point.

I had thought in this age of blogging, twitter, and social transparency, this kind of sneaky, down right deceptive marketing was done. I mean, why would a business resort to this type of thing when they're more likely than ever to get exposed for it.

Here's the renewal I got. Click on the image to see a larger one if you can't make out the type.



First off, let me start by saying that I have never registered a domain with these jokers. I have never done business with them at all. And yet, to the unsuspecting reader, it appears from this renewal they've sent me that my domain is registered with them and is up for renewal.

Of course, if you read really carefully and are good at reading between the lines, you kinda get that they are trying to get me to switch to them as a registrar. This certainly isn't obvious though, nor was it to one of my clients when they received this letter and sent these wonderful folks a cheque fearing that their domain was about to expire.

Now, like myself, you may clue in immediately that this is a bogus piece of entrapment advertising designed to trick you into switching your domain to The Domain Registry of Canada without even knowing you've done it. But I'm sure there are many, like my client I mentioned, who will get burned by them. As I'm sure you're well aware, not all our friends and family who have websites are as internet savy as we might like them to be.

In fact, some people choose not to bother themselves with the workings of the internet and pay someone else to do it for them. This is where my client got caught. Granted, he probably should've called me first, but reading this deceptive letter the Domain Registry of Canada sent me, you can see how one might just pay them.

Even their name is meant to deceive. The Domain Registry of Canada sounds like it's an official entity doesn't it. One might even assume it's a branch of the government. That's all part of the deception. Even if you're not Canadian, I bet there is a similar scam going on in your country using a similar naming that makes it appear official.

And look at the pricing. My God! Who charges $40 a year for a domain? I use www.domainsatcost.ca where Canadian .ca domains are only $12.95 per year. Even .com names are only $14.95 per year. You can see why The Domain Registry of Canada has to trick and deceive you, their prices are outrageous!

Anyway, I keep getting these renewal letters from these jokers every year, and I it occurred to me I should warn my fellow photographers to be wary of these guys. And even if you wouldn't have been fooled, what about friends and family? Pass the word around so your friends and family don't get burned like my client did.