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Domain name registrations – don’t get caught
Domain name holders, in particular small business
operators, are still being caught out by unsolicited letters
offering domain name registrations.
These letters range from completely bogus
invoice-like letters attempting to fool the account payer, to
letters that are offering a new domain name very similar to the
existing one. The letters can result in the business being either
the victim of a scam or the unwitting owner of an unwanted new
domain name.
Some of the letters may also be offering other
services such as website hosting or redirecting or email services.
How to avoid problems
Domain name holders and business operators can
avoid problems associated with such unsolicited letters by becoming
familiar with the domain name renewal process, and setting in place
some simple administrative practices.
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Do not assume that any renewal notice is from
your original supplier. You may receive many such offers from
scammers or operators competing for your business.
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Keep a good record of domain name
registration details – including the name of the registrar and
the renewal date. Domain name registrations for .au domains such
as
www.yourbusiness.com.au are renewed every two years, while
.com domains are registered in yearly increments.
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Check all details on any invoice or letter.
Is it the proper name of your website address? Is it .com or a
net.au? The letter might be trying to sell you a new domain name
or another type of service.
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To check that your domain name is registered
or who your registrar is use a “Whois” search to check the
details of a domain name. For .au domains go to
www.ausregistry.com.au. For .com domains there are a number
of searches eg
www.betterwhois.com. Others can be found via a search
engine.
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Carefully check the rates and terms and
conditions of the renewal notice and compare this with the
current provider of your domain name licence.
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Lists of accredited registrars are available
at
www.auda.org.au (Australia) or
www.icann.org for .com domain names.
***Prices for
domain names vary - shop around for the best deal.
To ensure
against domain name scams complete the following and keep handy
for everyone involved in the bill paying.
If the
letter is not from your registrar you do not have to send money.
If in doubt contact your registrar first.
My correct
domain name/s is:
My domain name
registrar or re-seller is:
My domain name
renewal date is:
What’s in a domain name?
The business domain name usually includes the
business or product name in order to make it easily identifiable to
potential customers. However, domain names are more than just a
name.
A domain name includes a core name plus a domain
name level that often indicates where the domain name is
registered.
www.yourbusiness.com says that the files are located in the
World Wide Web (www), it has the core name ‘your business’ and is
registered at the .com level while
www.yourbusiness.com.au, though similar it includes the .au.
This indicates that the domain name is registered on the registry
for Australian domain names.
A domain name does not necessarily indicate where
the website associated with that domain name is hosted.
Same core name,
but different domain names
Domain names can include the same core name but
not be the same domain name or even belong to the same business
Example
Business A
sells coffee wholesale and is called Coffee Express.
Business B
specialises in fast delivery coffee and is called
Coffee-Express.
Business A has
the domain name
www.coffee-express.com.au registered while Business B has
www.coffee-express.net.au registered.
Even though the
core name in the domain name is the same ‘coffee-express’ the
two are not interchangeable - one is.net.au while the other is
.com.au.
Many businesses choose to register many different
levels of their name in order to ensure that all versions lead to
their website.
It is this aspect of the domain name system that
is exploited in some of the letters being sent out soliciting domain
name registrations.
***It is important to note that a registered
business name does not guarantee that the business name can be used
for a domain name.
The main players in the domain name arena
Australian .au domain name - key groups
auDA has been
delegated authority by the Australian government to manage the .au
domain. auDA accredits and licenses Registrars. For more information
go to
http://www.auda.org.au.
Registry operators
are licensed by auDA to manage and maintain the database that
contains the domain names registered by registrars on behalf of
registrants. Currently Ausregistry is the only licensed registry for
.au domain names. For details go to
http://www.ausregistry.com.au.
Registrars for .au
domain names are accredited by auDA. They sell domain name licences
to registrants. The registrar is responsible for checking that the
registrant is eligible for the domain name and for updating
information on the Registry database on behalf of the registrant.
Registrars can use the services of a reseller.
Resellers operate
through an agreement with a Registrar. Resellers are not accredited
but often have a contractual relationship with a registrar. They
offer domain name registration and related services and deal
directly with the registrant but do not have access to the registry.
Registrant is an
individual, company or organisation that is granted a licence for a
domain name.
*** It is important to note domain names are
leased and not owned. If not renewed a domain name can be registered
by another eligible party.
Non .au domain names
The Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is the not for profit corporation
responsible for coordinating the management of the technical
elements of the Domain Name System (DNS) to ensure that all users of
the internet can find all valid addresses. It does this by
overseeing the distribution of unique technical identifiers used in
the internet's operations, and delegation of Top-Level Domain names
(such as .com, .info, etc.).
ICANN also has web links to the major
international domain name registries at
http://www.icann.org (Links page).These usually include a Whois
function for domain names held by that registry.
For more
information on the domain name industry
http://www.auda.org.au.
http://www.ausregistry.com.au
http://www.icann.org
Where to go
if there are problems
If you feel
that you have been misled contact the Office of Fair Trading in
your State or Territory or the ACCC Infocentre on 1300 302 502
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