Scam Automatic Renewals?

[retired_member25]

Hello Everybody.

I'm fairly new to the domain game, although have been dabbling in the market for the last 5 or 6 years.

I don't know if this is a scam or not, so forgive me if it's deemed to be normal practise. In 2001 I registered a number of .co.uk names with a company called cheapernames.com, two year's I let them drop as I had no need for them and they had nominal value. The company cheapernames either went bust or was resold.

The odd part is that they seem to be automatically renewed, I have not been billed for the last 5 years but it's still registered to me on the WHO-IS. The name isn't pointed to any site.

Does anyone know what's going on here? Is the company keeping the domain's in belief they will one day be worth something (they were not that special)?

Confused :???: Thanks.

James.

 

[domaingenius]

Strange you should bring this up because the very same thing has happened to myself, but not with the registrar you mentioned, mine I believe was "fire..." something or other ??.

DG

 

[netserve]

firevision?

 

[domaingenius]

firevision?

Yes thats the one . Had a few names with them years ago, back in 1999/2000 think and I happened to notice a while ago that they had kept registering one of them at least and still had my name on it as registrant. Havent pursued it as havent had time yet,

DG

 

[retired_member25]

Just dredging my up first post here. I haven't given this issue much thought - the names have still been autorenewed until 2010. Haven't paid or heard from them since the year 2000. The original company cheaper names/com is now part of inter (/) netters I believe.

Any ideas on the best course of action? leave it for another ten years? try and get them cancelled through nom? I assume I wouldn't be liable for ten years worth of renewal fees?!

 

[redbird]

Don't know if it's the same but many years ago there was company I think called something like freenetnames that used to auto renew. If I remember correctly they foot the cost of the renewal, but if you wanted access to the name ie move elsewhere etc they charged you something like £100.

Bit sketchy as it was a while ago, I guess it was based on principle that enough people would pay the fees to make all the registrations worth while.... but then I could be dreaming all that it was awhile ago


Dave