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Domain Name Group Scam
- Categorized in: Domain Names
We have received a number of enquiries from our customers about domain name “Invoices” that are being received in the mail, and so we are sending out an alert regarding this scam.
This scam has been doing the rounds for a number of years under the company name of Domain Register Pty Ltd (see our support article here) but these latest ones are under the name Domain Group Pty Ltd. However, the “Invoices” look identical, and make the same offer, so we believe this new company may just be the same people under a new name.
The way the scam works is that the company sends you a document in the mail that looks like an Invoice for your domain name. However, on closer inspection, it is asking you to register a slight variation of your domain name (at inflated prices). So, for example, if your domain name is www.yourbusiness.com.au, it may be asking you to register www.yourbusiness.net.au. But because it is made out to look like an Invoice, many people are simply paying it without checking (especially when it offers you a free iPod shuffle for registration).
The worst part is that the prices they are charging are around 5 times the market rate for domain names. For example, they are charging $250 for a .net.au domain name, which should cost around $50.
Because the words “This is an invitiation to register” is written in small writing on the document, aparently this means they are technically not breaking the law. However, from the phone calls and emails we have received, the documents are deceiving quite a few people, hence this alert.
If you receive any domain name renewal/registration notices, please check carefully as to what they are offering.
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"Domain name scam" is still around.
AMRIA is a not for profit organisation so all expenses have to be monitored.
When this apparent invoice arrived it looked legit, but the domain name was .net not .com so I decided to check.
Thanks guys for providing info which makes detection of this type of fraud much easier
Thank goodness I spotted this comment - was just about to pay. Received the "invoice" on Friday 8 November 2010, so this scam is alive and well!
Thanks for clearing things up!
regards
sally
yep, got scammed as well, thought i was paying renewall not rego. feel like an idiot, just out of interest, is anyone getting their iPods or is that just part of this hideous hoax.
can i cancel the registration somehow or do i now have that domain name as well as my .com.au address. cheers, look forward to any responses
from scammed harry (not happy)
It wouldn't really be possible to cancel the registration, so you basically now own that new domain as well as your .com.au one.
Just check that they haven't got you on any kind of automated renewal system or anything. When the domain comes up for renewal again, you can either just let it lapse, or renew it with someone else at a proper price.
Cheers
Graeme
Just received this morning an account from Domain Name Group P/L Level 1, 530 Little Collins St Melboourne Vic 3000, 12.4.2010 $245.00 2 years registration with email forwarding - looks official enought- turn over to the back and the website if different! Also *Free iPod shuffle promotion!
I feel ashamed to admit it, but I have fallen for their scam. When I did a search on their company the first thing I saw was Domain Name Group Scam..
I received the "invoice" from Domain Name Group, but as well as that I also received multiple emails with the subject title stating "Your Account Will Expire on March 6th". I was confused, and tried to ring for clarification, and of course I was on hold and couldn't hold any longer, so I just paid the invoice as I was concerned about losing our domain name.
I also sent them an email, but I didn't receive a response until after I had paid the invoice informing me that this was not a renewal. When I realised this, I emailed a response explaining that I believed I was paying for a renewal and no I did not require another domain name. They refunded all of the money except for $50, saying it was a processing/admin fee.
I have sent them many emails explaing that this because of their emails with the subject title "Your Account Will Expire on March 6th", I was lead to believe that this was NOT an offer for a new product, but a RENEWAL. I explained that it was dubious and misrepresented their “offer”.
They sent an email saying "We sent you an offer... You took up the offer... A $50 admin fee is reasonable". I said that a $50 admin fee is excessive and unreasonable and haven't heard from them since.
So, do I have any recourse to retrieve my $50?
How can this company continue to be allowed to operate in this unethical manner?
We are in the process at present of changing our website. I received what I thought was an invoice for our domain name which had been organised by the people updating our website. Like a fool, I paid it. A couple of weeks later, I received the annual bill from from the company which has always hosted our website and it was not till this happened that my antennae went up. I am now going to try for the refund mentioned above and if I lose $50 at least it will be beter than $245.00. Wish me luck.
They're still at it. Got an "invitiation" today but it looks like an Invoice.
We received one yesterday too. It's obviously working for them if they're still doing it.
Dam it i just paid this "invoice"
Son of a ..... **&&^&&^%%$$%%^***
I called my bank thinking well the transaction was only done 10mins ago on my card so those transactions do not get processed instantly they can then cancel the transaction
Nope, not possible now how is that right?? i can cancel a cheque, an account transaction, but not a pending credit card transaction.
Hi all, I wanted to share with you the following responses to my discussion with Domain Name Group via their support ticket system.
JasonD
This invoice you have sent me is not my domain name, i want the transaction canceled today, my bank has already been informed and the card canceled.
DNG
Jason
It looks like the payment already went through.
Ryan
JasonD
Ryan you obviously did not read the request i sent. Which funny enough i don't find surprising at all.
As a result i have issued a disputed transaction request with my bank, lodged a complaint with your industries governing body as your company has breached several sections of your industries own code of conduct, cc'ed the complaint to the ACCC and my state fair trading office.
My next step will be to send the details to ACA and see if they want to do a story on your company.
On top of all this you can also NOT provide the service you claimed to be providing, so all up the entire practice is very deceptive and misleading.
DNG
Jason
We sent you an offer to register as a .net.au domain name. You took up the offer.
All you stated is that you want your transaction canceled. That is fine. We can refund you $195 as there is a $50 admin fee.
We don't appreciate you comments about our business being deceptive and misleading as we are nothing of the sort.
JasonD
Well I don't really care if you appreciate the comments or not, they are my comments on what i think about your company and its practices, your own industries code of conduct specifically includes the issue of sending these types of documents that resemble invoices. And why i am on the topic I am not the only one who thinks the same I have subsequently found many blogs and websites that have included your company in there discussions. I will get my full refund as on top of your practices you are also unable to provide the service you claimed in the invoice anyway.
Just another note for all concerned don't expect anything from auDA the industries self regulating governing body, they continually palmed me off to the ACCC, even their own code of conduct specifically includes action like that of Domain Name Group as a no no.
I got annoyed at the emails i got back from them so i ended up calling them, while they did not come out and deny out right that they where members they still would not deal with the complaint and again referenced ACCC and the small claims court.
The implication was that Domain Name Group was not under the auDA, which is interesting considering that their terms of service specifically reference their connection to auDA 22 times.
Hi all again... another update, with out really address my complaint or obtaining an agreement they have just gone ahead and refund the money (less the $50) so my comment left was this
I see that with out really address my complaint you have just gone and refunded the amount less the $50, good to see you follow the auDA policy again another breach by your company, so Ryan i go back to my original comments which you have proven again to be correct. I will now increase my activity and notify ACA, Today Tonight , both federal and local members of parliament, and every blog i can find will have details of your activities. I will not rest until i have covered as many areas as i humanly can, for your practices are deceptive and morally bankrupt.
Also interesting is that the refund email i received was via a company called Eway and had a gmail address for Domain Name Group, now the following is for reference only
domainnamegroup@gmail.com
Now why would they use a gmail address???
I got this today from "DomainRegister", I have tried calling them multiple times but get a message about all their reps being busy.
I have submitted a complaint to auDA and also emailed them about doing as such, we get this type of thing every now and then with scams like this but all invoices are authorized by me and I don't take kindly to this kind of abuse.
We have just fallen foul of these scammers, it looked exactly the same, official etc. However it was sent to 'admin' / accounts' and they just paid it!
As a villa owner, we get constantly harrassed by companies offering travel realted domains. Such a pain. John @ Corfu villas.
Today I received an invoice for $245 from Domain Name Group. It does say 'Domain Name Available' - but other than that you would not know it's a fake...
New financial year, and they're still at it. Just got a .net.au invoice (we only use .com.au) and our invoicing department would have signed off on it if it hadn't passed by me. Might actually pass that on to consumer affairs, as they are pretty good about notifying people about such scams.
Domain name Group are at it again with their scam Invoicing. I will pat my own back for being alert this time. Lets hope I am awake in 2013!
After receiving this scam today (22Aug11) I did a bit of research.
Scammer operates out of $2/day virtual office hosted by Asian Pacific Business Centres in Melbourne (the address on the letters). However, the bank account is at the Commonwealth Bank, 150 St Georges Terrace, Perth.
They are a reseller for DistributeIT.com.au a.k.a TPP Wholesale, an auDA authorised registrar. However, in my opinion Domain Name Group is actually in breach of their reseller terms and conditons with TPP Wholesale:
4. As a reseller of our Services, you are responsible for ensuring that any promotional, advertising or other material you distribute to your customers (whether in paper form or electronically):
i. does not contain any misrepresentation relating to TPP Wholesale or the nature of your relationship with TPP Wholesale;
ii. is in accordance with all applicable advertising standards;
iii. does not contravene any law of the relevant jurisdiction;
iv. is appropriate in all the circumstances;
and that you otherwise comply with all laws and regulations governing the exercise of your right as reseller under this agreement.
v. retain the right to require you to cease distribution of any advertising, promotional and/or other material which in our view is unacceptable by reference to the criteria referred to at paragraph 4 above.
4. As a reseller of our Services, you are responsible for ensuring that any promotional, advertising or other material you distribute to your customers (whether in paper form or electronically):i. does not contain any misrepresentation relating to TPP Wholesale or the nature of your relationship with TPP Wholesale;ii. is in accordance with all applicable advertising standards;iii. does not contravene any law of the relevant jurisdiction;iv. is appropriate in all the circumstances;and that you otherwise comply with all laws and regulations governing the exercise of your right as reseller under this agreement.v. retain the right to require you to cease distribution of any advertising, promotional and/or other material which in our view is unacceptable by reference to the criteria referred to at paragraph 4 above.
I will contact TPP Wholesale suggesting that this is the case and TPP's reputation is suffering at the hands of their reseller. I suggest that other aggrieved parties could do the same.
At the very least TPP Wholesale could be boycotted until they take action.
Perhaps the writer of the original article could put some of these details in an update to that article.
Yup, I just saved my good friend alot of money. Do let me know if you need some evidence I can get the "invoice" of them and forward it on to you. I hope to see these people wiped off the face of the Internet.