Verio is still up to their old tricks with their automatic domain renewals

Things have to be tough for Verio if they are still relying on entrapment as a basic part of their business model. I first wrote about Verio in 2005 because I was amazed that a company could be so professional at the delivery end and so dysfunctional at the finance end.

Verio has an automatic and non-cancelable domain renewal system. If you don't receive their warning email, you are charged for a renewal and they refuse all efforts to cancel. In 2005, I thought what an insane way to do business! Yet five years later, they are still making life difficult for customers.

Jenifer Sheckler wrote me yesterday:

I had my debit card information stolen and that person used Verio. I contacted my bank and they "took" care of it. Apparently all they did was refund me the money, the account with Verio was not canceled. Verio went to Avadanian & Adler who sent me a collections notice. I called that day both companies and refused to let myself be bullied into paying a dime. The person also spent a couple hundred dollars at Sprint. It was strange because the only person to have had recent access to my debit care info was the pizza delivery guy.

The collection agency of Avadanian & Adler is an online collection agency whose motto is: Give us your debtor information and we'll release the hounds.

They are relentless and they do not care if the debt was a result of an authorized transaction or a stolen credit card. Public ridicule seems to be the only thing that makes them back down.

If you Google the phrase "Give us your debtor information and we'll release the hounds" you will find Avadanian & Adler's website where this appears in two places:

They appear to be ideal business partners for Verio's demented billing department.

If you desire to end your Verio contract, send in your cancellation well in advance of the termination date and get a confirmation in writing. If your email address has changed since you initiated your contract, you will never see your renewal notice and you will have the pleasure of dealing with the attack dogs of Avadanian & Adler.

Possibly the best solution of all is not to do business with Verio in the first place.