OFT tightens screw over domain name scams

The Domain Verification Bureau is at the heart of an unscrupulous network of misleading domain name sales tactics.

Posing as a not for profit organisation that warns businesses against domain name hijackers, DomainVB of London states it has a network of members, all of which are legitimate registrars.

One of those is Domain Registrar Services (DRS), which operates out of Carmarthen in Wales. But a spokeswoman at the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) confirmed to Network News the two companies are the same.

"We can confirm they're the same" said the spokeswoman. "We are considering complaints and have liased with them [DRS]."

She said the OFT was considering several complaints, some of which were forwarded by Network News after readers had contacted us.

One of those was Dave Shepherd, IT manager at MCL Birmingham. "A company called Domain Registrar Services called in an attempt to dupe me into registering two variations of my own existing domain name," he said.

Only last week, Network News reader Robert Farmer was contacted by DomainVB. He demanded some written clarification before going ahead with the deal and received a fax which he has passed on to us.

"Domain Verification Bureau have several domain name companies that are part of our members association," stated the fax. "All registrations and payment are made/taken through ourselves and are then passed back to the member in question for completion.

"...Domain Name companies are starting to get themselves a bad name simply for providing the required service," continued the fax in comic fashion.

"We are the mud at the end of the shovel," said Farmer. "These companies are giving us heartache and pressure - we just don't need it."

Ken Sorrie, director at respected registrar, Internetters, said he had received a flurry of calls last week relating to DomainVB and Domain Registrar services. "I got about four calls on one day from concerned customers of ours, and we are only one of many players," he said.

Felicity Bode, communications manager at Nominet, was unaware that the OFT was considering complaints about DomainVB and DRS. She confirmed that DRS had applied to become a member of the group but said that the involvement of the OFT would change nothing.

"We wouldn't refuse entry," she said. "Our sole purpose is to register domain names. What we do see, though, is the need for a code of practice, but Nominet isn't the body to do this."

Attempts to get in touch with both DomainVB and DRS failed.

Anet complaints

When quizzed on the progress of the Anet situation, the spokeswoman said the OFT was still considering the complaints.

"We have liased with Kent Trading Standards," she said. "If we undertake an investigation it will come under misguiding advertising."

We sent a reporter to Anet's offices in Maidstone, Kent, but were told the directors were moving house and the company would never comment.

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See also:

Don't fall for bogus domain name calls

As more companies fall for aggressive sales tactics, the need for action is growing  13 Nov 2002

Domain name scams hit the NHS

Scare tactics warn of 'mystery shoppers'  23 Oct 2002

Domain name sales scandal

Dodgy tactics by domain name registers are hurting companies - don't fall for them  01 Aug 2002

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