March 22, 2002

Verisign: Is it stealing customers

I've registered one of my domain names via the domain name registrar GoDaddy.com (it's only $10 per year). Today I got this notice from GoDaddy:

Please be aware that Verisign, Inc. (formerly Network Solutions) is sendingvia the US Mail, what we believe to be deceptive and predatory domainexpiration notices.

The purpose behind these notices is to get the unsuspecting customerto transfer to and renew their domain name(s) with Verisign Inc. at significantlyhigher prices.

The domain expiration notices are designed so that it is not obviousthat the notices are from Verisign, Inc. as opposed to Go Daddy Software.To see a copy of one of these deceptive expiration notices, please goto the following URL: http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/private_vsrn.asp?display=letter.

Those customers who fall prey to the Verisign, Inc. scheme will havetheir domain name(s) renewed at a price more than 3 times higher thanwould be the case if they renewed with Go Daddy Software.

For a.com,.net or.org domain name renewal, the victimized customerwould pay $29.00 to Verisign, Inc. instead of the $8.95 charged by GoDaddy Software.

Those customers who fall prey to this scheme, will not receive any betterservice or value. They will however be tricked out of $20.05 per domainname.

Renewal notices from Go Daddy Software are sent via email, and alwaysmention the Go Daddy name. You can be sure that any communications youreceive concerning your domain name that do not explicitly and obviouslydisplay the Go Daddy name are not from Go Daddy Software.

If you believe, as we do, that this practice of Verisign Inc. is misleading,predatory and improper, we invite you to make your feelings known bywriting to ICANN (who is the governing body for all Registrar's and Registries)and to Verisign Registry. Email links for both are provided below.

Sincerely,

Bob Parsons, President
Go Daddy Software, Inc.

ICANN Registrar Complaint Form (hosted at InterNIC)
http://www.internic.net/cgi/registrars/problem-report.cgi

VeriSign Registry Customer Service
info@verisign-grs.com
Phone: 703-948-3200

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