Newsletter ArchiveSUBJECTs:Domain Registrars - Top Ten Dot Cons The Internet 800 Directory - http://www.inter800.com The Internet 800 Directory Newsletter This issue is for Friday, March 29, 2002 Table of Contents 01. Domain Registrars 02. Top Ten Dot Cons *01 Domain Registrars Welcome to The Internet 800 Directory Newsletter. Just a few years ago, if you wanted a domain name, you had to deal with Network Solutions. They were the only game in town and their service and pricing reflected that fact. There were many occasions where I would call Network Solutions’ customer service and have to literally wait hours before speaking to someone that could perhaps solve my problem. When ICANN set up a system to accredit registrars, (registrars are companies that take your registration information and manage your domain in the main registry) opening up domain name registration to competition, everything changed. The prices dropped and the quality of service increased because people now had a choice. However, competition also brought with it some potential problems and pitfalls. Here are a few of the deceptive marketing ploys that are being used on unsuspecting companies every day. -Marketing material that appears to be an invoice, requesting payment on your domain name. -Notices send out reminding you that your domain is about to expire “soon”, even though that “soon” might be years away. -The notice of termination, generally sent to the president of the company instead of the billing contact. This notice is designed to cause fear, confusion and quick payment. Even Network Solutions continually sent out renewal invoices and Termination notices to people that had renewed their domain name via an alternate registrar. -The Domain Name Monitoring Company sends you a notice that other domain names similar to yours are being requested and they want to make sure you have the opportunity to stop them. For instance, if you owned gotollfree.com, they would inform you that gotollfree.net & gotollfree.org were being sought after and you could prevent this by buying them first. These notices come by mail, e-mail, and fax and in many different languages. They are exactly the same type of notices that we used to see for long distance services when the term "slamming" was coined. Don’t let these people profit from this type of deceptive marketing. Review any notice about your domain name and if it doesn’t come from your registrar, take notice. If you find the material deceptive, report the offending company to the Better Business Bureau; send copies of their marketing material to your state's District Attorney. Please be careful and make sure you or your company doesn’t reward them for their deception. If you have any thought or ideas you would like to share with me, please send them to Chuck Arning at chuck@inter800.com We’re Talkin’ Serious” Bone Suckin’ Sauce ! Winner: “Battle Of The Sauces.” Created in true western North Carolina style. Tomato based all-natural, sweetened with honey and molasses. Order your Box of six today for $39.99 +s/h. Toll-Free 1-800-446-0947 or online http://www.BoneSuckin.com *02 Top Ten Dot Cons I am going to share with you the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) "Top Ten Dot Cons". The top 10 scams were culled from Consumer Sentinel, a database of more than 285,000 consumer complaints established and maintained by the Federal Trade Commission and accessible to more than 240 consumer protection agencies in the U.S. - including every state attorney general - and Canadian and Australian law enforcers. Internet Auction Fraud: Four FTC cases filed in U. S. District Court charge defendants with operating Internet auction scams. The complaints allege that the defendants advertised computer software and electronic consumer goods at various e-auction sites, took cashier's checks or money orders in payment but never delivered the goods. Internet Service Provider Scams: In a unique FTC Internet cramming case, defendants mailed $3.50 "rebate" checks to consumers. When consumers cashed the check, they were unwittingly agreeing to allow the defendants to be their Internet Service Provider, and the defendants started placing monthly charges on their telephone bills. The defendants made it nearly impossible to cancel future monthly charges and receive refunds. Internet Web Site Design/Promotions Web Cramming: A variation on cramming involves "Web cramming" - billing consumers for a Website page they didn't even know they had. Targeting small businesses and not-for-profit organizations, the scammers call and offer a "free" Web page, then start billing phone bills without authorization. Internet Information and Adult Services Credit Card Cramming: In three other matters, complaints were filed in U.S. District Court charging the operators of adult-oriented Web sites and their principals with cramming - billing consumers credit cards or phone bills for services they did not order or authorize. One telltale sign of dubious billing practices is being asked for your credit card number SOLELY to be used to verify your age. Multi-level Marketing/Pyramid Scams: The offer often starts with the opportunity to join a program in which you will make money based not only on your own sales, but also on those of the people you recruit into the program. After delving deeper, you find that the program has no actual product to offer and its participants make money by solely recruiting distributors - not by selling goods or services to consumers. Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home Scams: The FTC announced the filing of one complaint targeting a work-at-home medical billing scam that allegedly made deceptive earnings claims on the Internet and in print ads to promote its $369 package of "training, software and clients." What the offer doesn’t say is that the package is part of a high-pressure sales pitch that promises big bucks for a small investment. The chances of making the money claimed processing medical claims are slim to none, especially for a person with little or no medical experience and no connection to any doctors. Investment Schemes and Get-Rich-Quick Scams: Two other FTC cases announced today involve Web site operators who illegally promised quick riches with little risk to consumers who would sign up for their day trading programs and products. Travel/Vacation Fraud: In a recent action dubbed "Operation Travel Unravel," the FTC sued three travel companies for bilking consumers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and Attorneys General in some 40 states announced cases and settlements involving fraudulent travel operators. Some bogus promoters take consumers' money and don't provide a trip. Other promoters advertise rock-bottom prices, but hide certain fees until the deal is sealed. Some promise luxurious accommodations and services, but deliver far less. Still others don't reveal that the deal includes an obligation to sit through a timeshare pitch at the destination. Telephone/Pay-Per-Call Solicitation Frauds (including modem dialers and videotext): The Bait: Get free access to adult material and pornography by downloading a "viewer" or "dialer" computer program. The Catch? Consumers find exorbitant long-distance charges on their phone bill. Through the program, their modem is disconnected, then reconnected to the Internet through an international long-distance number. Health Care Frauds: The Internet offers health product hucksters low-cost access to a huge market. A recent study found that more than 90 million Americans use the Internet to find health-related information. Whether made on- or offline, fraudulent health claims typically deal with serious diseases, such as AIDS, cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and arthritis, as well as chronic medical conditions like headaches and back pain. If you think you may have been a victim of one of these scams, feel free to call the FTC Helpline, toll free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). For additional information available on the web, or for the online complaint form visit: http://www.ftc.gov/ George Paul (http://gotollfree.com) The Internet 800 Directory 800-299-1879, george@gotollfree.com Vegas Vacation has the best rates on Las Vegas Hotel Rooms. Don't make a reservation without calling us first! Call 800-637-6442 or visit our ad in the Internet 800 Directory: http://inter800.com/02281174.htm Banners? Pay-per-click? Why not target your market with links or information placed in relevant content? The Internet 800 Directory Newsletter offers direct access to business people who are interested buyers. Advertising: Information on how to sponsor this publication: Call 800-299-1879 Thanks for taking to time to review our newsletter for this week. If you know of anyone that might benefit from receiving this newsletter, send them to (http://www.inter800.com/news800/ ) where they can subscribe. All Contents Copyright ©1995-2002 The Internet 800 Directory Subscribe To The Newsletter: |