Interesting new way to sell domains...

[deu12000]

I just got this in my email, at first I thought it was some kind of trademark issue or something with one of my domains, but what they're really trying to do is sell me the domain I have in a different extension (I own the .com they are trying to sell me the .us). It says final notice, but this is the first email I've ever received from them. It has exactly what is in my whois information, so it looks like they are going through whois's and trying to make sales. They are actually very expensive, from their FAQ page:

Did it always cost $70 to register a domain name?
Until mid-1995 it was free to register a domain name. Although many domains were already taken, there were still a slew of valuable domains available back then. After 1995 the cost was $100 per 2-year registration period, and eventually the price dropped to the current $70 per 2-year period.

Anyway this is the email they sent me:

From: DNC
Date: 10/19/05 11:32:39
To: *********
Subject: Attention **********, Please note that this is your Final Notice of Domain Extension

Domain Notification Central

DNC
130 Church Street Suite 280
New York, NY 10007
Web: www.domainnotificationcentral.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1-800-270-5944

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FINAL NOTICE
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ATT: *********

ADMINISTRATIVE CONTACT

************
Address: *****************
***********************
Phone: +1.**************
www.********.us Notice Tracking Number: *******

Please be advised that the above noted domain name has now become available for registration.
Consequently the possibility of a conflicting domain registration may occur.


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IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE UNITED STATES LEGAL CODE
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TITLE 15, Sec 1125. False descriptions, and dilution of Trademarks and the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP)
Be advised: Protecting a domain name registrant or trademark owner from confusing and/or conflicting domain name registrations is not the responsibility of the domain and trademark registration processes. In the event of a registration of the above noted domain by a third party, the UDRP may be applied under the following conditions.

Evidence of Registration and Use in Bad Faith. - For the purposes of Paragraph 4(a)(iii), the following circumstances, in particular but without limitation, if found by the Panel to be present, shall be evidence of the registration and use of a domain name in bad faith:

(i) circumstances indicating that the domain name registered or acquired the domain name primarily for the purpose of selling, renting, or otherwise transferring the domain name registration to the complainant who is the owner of the trademark or service mark or a competitor of that complainant, for valuable consideration in excess of your documented out-of-pocket costs directly related to the domain name; or
(ii) the domain name has been registered in order to prevent the owner of the trademark or service mark from reflecting the mark in a corresponding domain name, provided that you have engaged in a pattern of such conduct; or
(iii) the domain name has been registered primarily for the purpose of disrupting the business of a competitor; or (iv) by using the domain name, registrant has intentionally attempted to attract, for commercial gain, Internet users to their web site or other on-line location, by creating a likelihood of confusion with the complainant's mark as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement or your web site or location or of a product or service of a web site or location.

In addition to remedies provided for by the URDP, section 4a (1)(2)(3) & b (1)(2)(3)(4) existing registrants, trademark and service mark owners are provided by DNC on domain names that are identical with new ccTLD, TLD extentions, or domain names that are confusingly similar to their own.


You are required to advise the Domain Notification Central of your intent to license this name on or before the expiration of this notice.

Note: you may disregard this notice. If you disregard this notice or fail to reply:
(a) The licensing rights of this domain name may be assigned to any other applicant,
(b) DNC and or any ICANN accredited registrar will not be liable for loss of domain name license, identical or confusingly similar use of your company's domain name; or interruption of business activity or business losses.




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PLEASE READ CAREFULLY
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If you fail to reply to DNC this domain may be registered by any third party without further notice.
You must advise us of your intent to (a) secure this domain name or (b) to leave this domain name available for Public Registration.


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Call 1-800-270-5944
Notice Tracking Number: *******
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The information in this letter contains confidential and/or legally privileged information from the notification processing department of the DNC . This information is intended only for the use of the individual(s) named above. Email [email protected] if you do not want to receive further updates from DNC . If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that disclosure, copying, distribution or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents for this letter is strictly prohibited.

 

[simpsons]

How odd?

 

[111111z]

i have gotten that also, they send a real official looking letter...Its Like you owe them some money and must pay ASAP...They must be making money at it there still sending it out......

 

[SimpleDomaining]

very smart people they want you will think that you must buy it. and they do nice job for you to believe )))))). If you would not be a professional domainer, you would think that you must buy it and you would.
Whosever idea is this, its really smart idea to make sales.
IMHO.

 

[Virgil]

Looks like the same old shady company, doing some phishing .

 

[Masahiro]

Ring them and see if the number actally works

 

[deu12000]

I bet you they are real. They just found a different approach to getting people to buy domains. They probably have some script that goes through the whois databases and then checks the other possible domains available and try to sell you the available domain.

 

[mallikrao79]

Whosever idea is this, its really smart idea to make sales.

Must have been an idiot's idea to cheat innocent people.

 

[edmarriner]

Must have been an idiot's idea to cheat innocent people.

i can see what your saying but they cant be an idiot or they wouldnt of thought of the idea

 

[thomaslgates]

Well... Is it not odd/???

 

[jehnidiah]

It is indeed odd. I actually get snail mail about once per month from company's doing the same thing in very official-looking pieces of mail. In small print it always says, though, "This is not an invoice. You do not currently owe [company] any money." hehe

 

[floatingworld]

more spamalot....

 

[SimpleDomaining]

i am may be sick already, but whatever unusual letter i get, first of all i think it is spam, and after it look more detailed to proove that it is spam

 

[combs84]

As somebody said, to me its just good marketing. No different then disguising your google ads to look like your navigational panel, its just part of the game. Its not like you aren't getting a product from this place. You are actually purchasing something.

 

[scrsteven]

Spam.. I get snail mail spam of a similar sort from.. I forget what company. about "renewing my domain name"

 

[Kenny]

This is old I know, but as an example of how "smart" these lamerz are....

"Domain Notification Central

DUC is a Notification Processor established........."

A typo of their DNC in the very first text of their HP....
now thats good work.
DNC HP

 

[VisualArtistFrankBonilla]

Domain Registry Support

I have received almost the same identical notice, but by fax. This one is from "Domain Registry Support" , 511 Avenue of the Americas, #60 New York, NY 11001-8436 Toll Free 1-800-591-7398.

I just wad them up, and throw away.

Frank

 

[omnia]

more spamalot....

not to mention scamalot

 

[slaydragon]

that really bad...cheating people with no knowledge..or are ignorant..

 

[TLDnetworks]

I have received almost the same identical notice, but by fax. This one is from "Domain Registry Support" , 511 Avenue of the Americas, #60 New York, NY 11001-8436 Toll Free 1-800-591-7398.

I just wad them up, and throw away.

Frank

I just got a Phone Call from them! If you look at their site, it tells you NOTHING about them... They do link to ICANN alot though