Last May I received a very official looking "Domain Name Expiration Notice" from Domain Renewal Group, warning me that "failure to renew your domain name ... may result in a loss of your online identity...". I went to their website and "renewed" with Domain Renewal Group, charging $30 for 1 year to my business credit card.
A month or two later, I received my regular email invoice from GNS Domains, which has provided my domain registration satisfactorily for many years. I renewed my domain registration with GNS Domains (for $15 a year!) and asked them to explain what was going on.
I received an answer from GNS Domains that same day, reassuring me that my registration with them is good for the coming year. They also said that Domain Renewal Group is a competitor using questionable tactics to try to lure people to switch to them. The official-looking "Renewal Notice" has fine print on the back stating that it's really a "transfer"!
I have emailed Domain Renewal Group requesting the return of the $30 I sent them for absolutely nothing, even saying that I would like to believe it was just an 'error' on their part. They have not responded. DON'T SEND MONEY to DOMAIN RENEWAL GROUP! THEY'RE JUST THIEVES!