nominet email, scam or real?

[lostplanet]

*this may only concern UK members*

a while back i registered some domain names for a potential business idea, it didnt work out and i cancelled the domains/subscription, but i recieved a strange email recently concerning the doman names from nominet.

i'd like to know if this is a scam for interest really as i when i signed up for the domains thru a hosting company the cost was only £1.99 per 2 years and as far a i was aware it would only cost that as long as i kept up the subscription.

heres the contents of the email which does look kind of genuine to me:

RENEWAL NOTICE
05 Jun 2006



Dear Registrant,

*************

The domain name above is due for renewal on 04 Aug 2006.

Upon expiry we will send you an invoice by email and post for 80.00 GBP + VAT which must be paid within 30 days to retain the registration. If no payment is received the domain name will be suspended and subsequently cancelled.

If you no longer require this domain name you can surrender it now by confirming in writing to us that you wish us to cancel the domain name.
Alternatively you can ignore this reminder and the pro forma invoice that we will send you and the domain name will be cancelled automatically 90 days after its expiry. For further information on the domain name surrender process please see http://www.nominet.org.uk/go/surrender/.

If you wish to contact Nominet about the renewal of this domain name, please telephone Registrant Services on +44 (0) 1865 332211 or email us at renewals@nominet.org.uk.


Nominet UK

[mairving]

Did you register the domain with them? There are quite a few scam artists in the domain business. There is one called Domain Registry of America. When your domain is getting close to renewal time, the send you what looks like an invoice. Once you sign it and pay their exhorbitant bill they transfer your domain. Someone unsuspecting might panic and renew their domain with them because their letter looks official and you don't want to lose your domain. What a bunch of crooks. There are plenty more out there like them.

[Staren]

Oh ya, when a domain is up for renewal anymore, you always get a pile of "renewal notices" trying to get you into transfering the domain to them. If you have not done buessness with them before, ignore it.

[lostplanet]

thanks mairving, i registered the domains with a hosting companty called 1and1.co.uk and as fair as i knew they were the only ones i had to pay for the domains.

i had a letter from domain registry of america but spotted it as scam right away.
the nominet(a genuine company that controls domains in the uk) one above does look real as the phone numbers and links do take me to the real nominet site.

i cannot see why i would have to pay £80 at all tho (and didnt anyway) when 1and1 quoted me £1.99 per 2 years for life.

[Aaroniza]

Actually this is probably the drop catch period. Basically a drop catch period is the month or so after your domain has been "deleted". They give you a chance to get the domain back for an extremely high price or they will allow it to go to anyone within three months or so.
Atleast I think its like that

[sdkfz]

Originally Posted by mairving There are quite a few scam artists in the domain business. There is one called Domain Registry of America. When your domain is getting close to renewal time, the send you what looks like an invoice. Once you sign it and pay their exhorbitant bill they transfer your domain. Someone unsuspecting might panic and renew their domain with them because their letter looks official and you don't want to lose your domain. What a bunch of crooks. There are plenty more out there like them.

I am so glad I read most posts, I just got one of these letters from them for my wife's domain and the name sounded vaguely familiar....now placing item in cross cut shredder......