[OT?] domain registration durations

[Michael ODonnell]

Years ago I purchased a "ten-year" registration
for a domain and that arrangement has worked
as expected.  Today I spoke with a different
outfit about registering another domain for
ten years and they said that ALL domains are
only ever registered for one year and that a
"ten-year" registration was really just some
registrar agreeing to automatically re-register
you on a yearly basis.  I suspect this registrar
of instead wanting the opportunity to hold my
domain hostage once a year until I pay them
whatever newly increased (or invented) fees they
feel like sticking me with - does anybody know if
that stuff about one-year registrations is true?