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Domain Name Renewals

Every scheme involving an exchange of services for money is likely to have a corresponding scam. Domain name renewals are no exception.

Recently, unsuspecting domain name owners have been receiving domain name renewal notices by mail. Like magazine subscription offers, these renewal notices warn you that your subscription is about to expire and urge you to renew while a special price is in effect.

Keeping track of your expiration date is important. If you accidentally let your domain name expire, it becomes available for anyone to purchase. Another crucial aspect to remember is that the mailed renewal notices tend to be bogus. Search out legitimate renewal services as soon as you start getting mailed notices.

Preventing Domain Name Renewal Scams
To protect yourself against the domain name renewal scam:

• Register your domain name for five or ten years at a time.
• Record all the information you provided to the registrar, your registrar's name and website (for online renewal), as well as the date of expiration. Keep it in a safe place, such as a safe or safety deposit box, in case you're incapacitated and others have to run your business.
• Renew your registrations online to be sure you're doing business with your original registrar.
• Report any suspicious renewal mail to the U.S. Post Office and let them investigate the legitimacy of the content.
• Check your registration or proxy registration at WHOIS directories to locate the name of your registrar if you've already forgotten it.

Domain Name Expirations
If you've mistakenly allowed a domain name to expire, you won't get it back unless you're willing to buy it back from its new owner. When you register your domain names, flag the date so that you're sure you'll renew them in plenty of time, particularly if the renewal date is several years down the road.

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