Scam Domain Names
Do you think buying something as simple as a domain name means that
industry is free from scams? If you do think again, since everyday
hundreds of people get milked out of their money thinking they are going
to get a perfect domain name. Granted, fraudulent domain name companies
haven't received as much press as 'work-at-home' companies or other
businesses of that nature, but they are still just as deviant. The two
main ways a domain name company goes about scamming its customers involves
either selling the domain name at a ridiculously high price and/or not
delivering the domain name as promised.
The typical price of a
domain name ranges from being 0 dollars to around $35. However, if a
domain name company is shady they could charge a price that is much
higher. This fee could range from $300 to over $2,000. And, unlike
legitimate web hosting companies that might charge such a fee, domain name
companies of a shady vein do not offer other services such as web hosting
or marketing assistance. Their sole sale is of the domain name.
The
second way fraudulent domain name companies scam people is by not
providing a domain name at all. This happens a lot with so-called 'free'
domain names, but can also happen with paid ones of any price. The normal
turnaround time for domain name forwarding ranges from 1 to 7 days. If
this timeframe has passed and a customer has not received a domain name,
they probably won't receive one.
What does a person do if they
discovered they've been scammed? Well, if they fall for the first scam
where they pay hundreds for a domain name, they may not be able to do
much, if the company does indeed deliver the domain name. At most they
could try to get a refund, but this is a long shot since companies that
shady probably won't allow for such things.
On the other hand, if a
domain name hasn't been delivered at all, a person can first file a
complaint with the Internet Crime Center, (also known as IC3). This
organization has a partnership with the FBI and the National White Collar
Crime Center. So, if they think a domain name company has acted in a
fraudulent manner, they could use these entities to help conduct criminal
investigations against them.
Next, the jilted party needs to
consider filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Although this
organization doesn't have as many legal/governmental ties as the Internet
Crime Center, it still has a lot of power. This is because many people
turn to the BBB before they decide to do business with a company. By
filing a complaint with them, a person that has been scammed could protect
others from undergoing these same difficulties.
Finally, there's
the option of reporting the fraud to the credit card company or payment
processor. If a credit card company determines fraud has occurred,
webmasters will at least get their money back. If payment processors such
as Paypal think fraud has occurred, they will proceed with freezing the
account of the domain name company. When this happens they cannot do
further business until they clear up the discrepancy.
Get expert advice about domain names at http://www.articlefog.com/category-domain-names.htm.
Here you can find all information about choosing right domain name,
cybersquatting, making money selling domain names and many more.
Article Source: www.ArticleFog.com.
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