Slamming Your Domain Name

This issue discusses a recent trend that I've been getting frequent calls from clients about-- the use of deceptive practices to induce you to move your domain name (acme.com) to another registrar.

This new twist is a variation of the "slamming" conducted by some phone companies, when they'd switch your long distance to them using a false pretense or sometimes even just taking it.

The modern variation sends you an official-looking document reminding you to renew your domain name now - don't want to loose that precious dot-com, do you?? If you'll just complete the form and send it in with your credit card number, they'll take good care of you.

The problem is that you've probably never done business with these people before. They've simply gleaned your contact info from the publicly available DNS (Domain Name Server) database, and now they'd really appreciate it if you'd give them $75. Alternatively, sometimes the letter reads like an invoice for search engine registration.

You need to know what firm you've used to register your dot-com name. You need to look up your registration in the public database and make sure that:

• the info's current
• there's both a tech and a business contact identified
• the contact emails don't use the same dot-com address
• the info listed is something you're willing to make public.

You should have a website folder containing your dot-com registration info, your server account info and access codes, and a record of your email account setup.

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