Is someone trying to steal your domain name?

Here’s a note to us from one of our BeeLine customers. She writes:

Hi,

I received notification and an invoice from the Domain Registry of America for a reply to register my website. I don't recall if this is something your company has done for my website or not. Please let me know how I should respond.

Thanks,

Mary

Grrrrrr. This makes me so mad. Domain Registry of America sends you an “invoice” indicating that your domain name is expiring. They ask you to pay immediately to avoid interruption in your Web site availability. Wow. The nerve of some people.

Trouble is, Domain Registry of America has NOTHING TO DO with your domain name. If they snag you into paying the fake invoice, THEN, they have succeeded in taking control of your domain name. In essence, control of the domain name results in control of your Web site.

You’ve worked hard to promote your business through your Web site by including your Web site address on all your printed materials, billboards, and other advertising. If someone nabs your domain name, you may need to start over with a new name. Just like changing your phone number, would require you to reprint business cards, print ads, re-letter your vehicle, etc. etc. What a pain.

If you’re a BeeLine customer, in most cases we manage your domain name for you. Or, if you’ve opted to manage it yourself, we’ve given you detailed instructions on how to keep your domain name safe. When we manage names (recommended), we always notify you a couple of months in advance of the expiration. This leaves plenty of time for renewal before there’s any danger of the name expiring. That notification always comes from BeeLine, not from any other company or registrar.

	Registrar: the company where your domain name is registered. Registration is always done online. You should have a user name and password for accessing your account on your registrar's site.

And, if you ever receive notification from any company claiming to be “renewing” your domain name, be absolutely sure you’re dealing with a legitimate company and that they are really your domain registrar.

If you’re not a BeeLine customer or don’t know who is managing your domain name, give us a buzz. We’ll be glad to tell you the status of your domain name and help you manage it. We’ve helped dozens of companies straighten out domain name problems.