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OFT cracks down on dodgy domain sellers

IRBL fingered

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The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is to continue to crack down on dodgy domain sellers who pressure companies into registering domains.

The pledge comes as a Swansea-based company has given written assurances that it will not make misleading claims when flogging domains. The assurance from Internet Registrations Bureau Limited (IRBL), trading as Euro Web Designs, followed an investigation by the OFT.

IRBL contacted businesses alerting them that someone was about to register their company's domain name. IRBL then gave the punter the chance to register the domain there and then.

Following a number of complaints, the OFT asked for proof that these third party buyers were about to register these domains. IRBL was unable to supply this evidence.

As a result, IRBL directors Paul Dilling and Susan Ford have agreed to refrain from using these misleading sales tactics again.

Said OFT boss John Vickers: "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." ®

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