Did you get a Domain Listings scam mailer that looked like an invoice from DomainListings.Directory from PO Box 19607, Las Vegas NV 89132?
What can you do? I got one of these, and spent so much time researching, so you don’t have to, so let’s get started.
Also, we will finish with how you can get your money back.
What Are You Paying For?
You are paying to be listed on DomainListings.Directory, but you are NOT paying for any related to your domain registration. So, in reality, you are not paying for anything related to your website continuing to be online. Is it worth it to be included on DomainListings.Directory?
Domain Listings states that you will enhance your website’s exposure and expose them to new customers. With that said, DomainListings.Directory gets an estimated 314 organic search clicks per month across the entire United States, which essentially means that most likely 0 people are finding your service or product from this website. My hypothesis is that this service is worth $0.
Is this a Domain Listings Scam?
I really liked how this article put it that Direct Listing is a scam in the sense of using a deceptive marketing tactic to get you to pay for essentially nothing.
That said, Direct Listing is not a scam in the sense that it is not stealing money from you. Here’s the language that many people will never read before mailing their check.
At the bottom, you will see that even though it very much looks like a bill, the fine print says that it is actually not a bill.
That said, do most people look at the original document and think that it looks anything other than a bill? It looks so much like my other bills, that I do not see how this is okay. In addition, look at how many BBB complaints Domain Listing gets, which further illustrates that many people do not realize that it’s not a bill.
How Can You Get Your Money Back from Domain Listings Directory?
You’ve paid, and you realize now that you purchased a product with very little value, so your next question may be, “how do I get my money back?”
First, let’s talk about the return policy and then potential exception cases. In the Domain Listing Terms and Agreements, you will find this refund policy.
Let’s say you are beyond the 30 day window to receive a 100% refund. How do you get a refund now? Here are some potential options.
I found that many people potentially were getting a refund after filing a BBB complaint. You can file a BBB complaint against Domain Listings LLC here.
Here are the two things that I have found that may help your refund case. I do not know if these are within the refund window.
Persistance
This individual called the business 25 times, and the business response was that he/she would issue a refund. I still do not understand why most BBB responses have OUR in all capital letters.
Non-Profits?
This individual’s complaint highlighted that he/she was a church secretary and that they were a part of a 401c3 non-profit organization. Please note that this individual also appeared to have called the business.
Let’s talk about how you can pay this forward and potentially stop Domain Listings from affecting other churches, non-profits, small businesses, etc.
Domain Listing Makes Estimated ~$9M Annually – Are They Stoppable?
Buzzfile estimates that Domain Listings generates $9,000,000 per year. That’s correct, $9,000,000 per year off places such as churches, non-profits, etc.
Let’s go through some things that can get the right people’s attention to show that this business should potentially be stopped.
File A FTC Fraud Complaint
This is easy to do. If enough people report that this is fraud then the government may take notice.
You can report an FTC fraud complaint here.
Reach out to Your Attorney General
Send an email to your state’s attorney general. This can also take under 10 minutes, and if enough people do this, then someone may take note.
Find Your Attorney General Here.
Reach out to Your Representatives
Your congressman or senator may put together a bill to stop such entities or laws in place to regulate these companies from sending mailers that look like invoices.
This is simple as well.