
OFT takes action against "misleading" tactics...
By Andy McCue
Published: 2 December 2003 16:10 GMT
A company using "misleading" selling tactics to try and pressurise businesses into buying internet domain names has been forced to cease the practice after an investigation by the Office of Fair Trading.
The OFT received complaints that Swansea-based Internet Registrations Bureau Limited, trading as Euro Web Designs, was contacting firms and claiming an unnamed third party was interested in registering a domain name similar to their business name.
IRBL helpfully offered to secure the domain name but told companies that they only had a limited period of time to do so before it would be offered to the third party.
The OFT asked IRBL to provide evidence that these third parties existed but the company was unable to do so. A written undertaking has been secured from the firm and its directors Paul Dilling and Susan Ford that they will not claim to have been contacted by these third parties when selling domain names when no such interest has been expressed to them.
John Vickers, OFT chairman, said in a statement: "We will continue to crack down on advertisers who make misleading claims about their services. Businesses should be wary of domain name registration companies cold calling and putting pressure on them to purchase names in haste."
Businesses are advised to contact their usual internet service provider or domain name registration agent if they are in doubt about the reliability of any offer.
About time! I had these guys on the phone about 2...
Tim Mustill
It's about time this was stopped. We provide hosti...
Duncan Pollard
This is still taking place as I received a call fr...
Anonymous
The Trading Standards Office is still investigatin...
Alan Essam
I know of two different companies who have been ca...
Anonymous
You will have excellent networking skills and with experience of managing third parties, leading change and using different approaches and ...
Package to circa 46K Location - Staines Provides overall management services of all infrastructure environments to CSL IS Projects, Support Teams, ...
The primary functions of the role are to provide 1st and 2nd line fault response and resolution and maintenance support to the assigned customer ...
Agenda Setters 2009
Welcome to the ninth annual Agenda Setters poll – silicon.com's list of the top 50 most influential individuals in the technology and IT industries, from techies and CIOs to entrepreneurs and business leaders. Find out more in our latest special report.
Stories from the web...
Copyright © 2008 CBS Interactive Limited. All rights reserved. Top of page
Natasha Lomas Exclusive: Jimmy Wales on what's next for Wikipedia Why Wikipedia needs geeks and why a life unplugged is unthinkable
Peter Cochrane Peter Cochrane's Blog: United breaks guitars? Customer service has changed forever