Psst! Hey buddy, want to transfer your domain name to me? For only $45 a year, I’ll take real good care of it. 
This is a parody of what I got in the mail yesterday from one of the companies that actually mail their scam offer to you. Their name is Domain Registry of America but the thing is that they’re not even in America. They’re in Canada! So much for the name of their company. Oh, and their European counterpart is also not in Europe either from what my sources reveal.
See, most domain name registries have in their TOS (Terms of Service) or other fine print that no entity shall email, fax nor call a domain name owner for the purpose of attempting to solicit your business or other things of that nature. Nothing there about actually mailing you offers. Too bad. It’s still unwanted.
There are other things that many registrars offer such as a privacy deal that prevents anyone from looking up your domain name later and learning your address, phone number, etc. That can be a good thing but any good search of the online White Pages can produce a similar result anyway.
Some registrars also offer many other things that you may or may not need. Read very carefully everything there is on the screen before entering your credit card information and clicking that submit button else you become the not so proud owner of some things you didn’t want.
Some web hosts offer plans that include a free domain name for life. This can be a good idea for those on a budget or just starting out. It can cut the cost of the domain name out of the equation.
However, the domain name’s settings aren’t as easily adjusted if needed as one that you have registered elsewhere. Most changes would need to be done via the web host’s Support Department. So, think carefully here about what you want to use the domain name for.
Also, if you plan to change web hosts and want to keep the domain name, you’ll need to send a request to the web host to have it unlocked for transfer. If it’s within one year, they may very well charge you for the domain name. Most web hosts are resellers for larger domain name registrars.
Here’s a few things I do to ensure that my domains stay mine and at a decent price:
- When searching for that just-right domain name, I never use the registrars’ sites to do so. Some have been registering them as fast as they’re entered for possible availability. I use independent sites or my own built-in Network Tool’s Whois search that came with Ubuntu Linux. It’s never let me down yet.
- When registering my domain, I personally never go for longer than 1 year (never know if the name you choose will be a good one or not, whether you’ll lose interest or not, etc.).
- I always set them to auto-renew so that I won’t have to try to remember to do it.
- I always set them to locked status to prevent any unscrupulous types from stealing them from me.
- I use Go Daddy for my domain names. So far, they’ve been a real good company to deal with.
The main thing here to remember is to be aware of what you’re doing, read all the fine print and never let your guard down. After all, you wouldn’t just hand your car keys over to just anyone would you?
If you want to learn more about domain names and what to look out for, try reading Dave Zan’s blog. He’s one of the foremost leaders on the subject. 
They’re still mailing, huh? One would think they’d have given up, but I guess there’s still money to be made on that, sigh…
I suppose so Dave. The sad part is that many domain owners out there may not pay attention to details and sign up with them anyway. That’s a sure-fire way to lose a domain name IMHO.