Warning: Domain name registration scam
03-06-2005, 13:16
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#1
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Age: 45
Posts: 14,750
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Warning: Domain name registration scam
Got a cold call yesterday from someone called Business Services Agency. They said they had a request to register a domain name which could confuse the buyer's company to ours, and as we are registered with Companies House, our company name is like a trademark. They said they had to offer us the chance to buy it first (which is AFAIK true). Our website is companyname.co.uk, .com, companyname.ltd.uk, and BSA said someone wanted to register companynameltd.co.uk and .com
It started sounding fishy when the woman said she could only do a 10 year registration for £400 per domain name. I pretended I was only a sales guy, and tried to buy time. They said it was pre-registered so either we paid their extortionate rate now, or he has it. I did a quick whois on the phone and both were still available. So she was caught lying. At this point she passed me over to her 'supervisor' who echoed the same thing, said she needed an answer now, or he'll get it (AFAIK you legally have 7 days to answer), but suddenly she said she would offer it to me a 2 year registration for the princely sum of £100 per domain. I just said i'll get back to you. Went straight over to GoDaddy and registered both for 2 years at £12 each.
Certainly sounds to me like that are a scam, cold-calling companies, saying fictious clients want to register a domain name similar to theirs, and pressuring them to sign up with them at a vastly overinflated rate. Anyone else come across this? Are there any bodies who might want to know about this? Trading Standards maybe?
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03-06-2005, 13:19
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#2
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Permanently Banned
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: norton , teesside
Age: 58
Posts: 10,571
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Re: Warning: Domain name scam
this sort of thing happened local to me , trading standards did get involved as i remember 
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03-06-2005, 13:21
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#3
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Inactive
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: East Midlands
Age: 48
Services: Rural BB - Radio Link via Virgin Fibre
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Re: Warning: Domain name registration scam
Them again, I don't get called since last time
I wound the woman on the phone right up when I showed them all the flaws in their pitch. (You can't do a 10 year registration, you can't get preferencial treatment for domains, if there is a dispute you have to go through ICANN... etc etc)
I had hoped they would be out of business by now, considering it was 2002 when they called me 
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03-06-2005, 13:21
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#4
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Essex innit
Age: 52
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Posts: 15,735
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Re: Warning: Domain name registration scam
Might be worth talking to trading standards as they are making false claims to sell something to you. Did you get a phone number from them at all since the company name they gave is obviously bogus.
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03-06-2005, 13:26
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#5
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Inactive
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Eglinton, Co. Derry
Posts: 7,640
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Re: Warning: Domain name registration scam
I had much the same call once, I registered the domains with UKREG while they were on the phone for next to nothing and told her that if he wanted to scam some other mug then perhaps registering the domain names first would add some weight.
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03-06-2005, 13:26
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#6
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Age: 45
Posts: 14,750
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Re: Warning: Domain name registration scam
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Paul
Might be worth talking to trading standards as they are making false claims to sell something to you. Did you get a phone number from them at all since the company name they gave is obviously bogus.
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Gave me a bit more than that. They gave me their phone number, web address, and the supervisor's first name and extension. 
Definitely seems like I should get onto Trading Standards about this then.
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03-06-2005, 13:27
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#7
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Essex innit
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Re: Warning: Domain name registration scam
Quote:
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Originally Posted by punky
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Paul
Might be worth talking to trading standards as they are making false claims to sell something to you. Did you get a phone number from them at all since the company name they gave is obviously bogus.
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Gave me a bit more than that. They gave me their phone number, web address, and the supervisor's first name and extension.
Definitely seems like I should get onto Trading Standards about this then. |
Are they all "real" addresses? Might be interesting to see where these idiots are operating from.
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03-06-2005, 13:33
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#8
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Age: 45
Posts: 14,750
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Re: Warning: Domain name registration scam
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Originally Posted by Paul
Are they all "real" addresses? Might be interesting to see where these idiots are operating from.
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Funny you should say that, there is no address on their website They have one on their whois record though.
Here's all the info I have:
Scam company:
Business Services Agency
businessservicesagency.co.uk
(address from whois)
Silk House
Park Green
Macclesfield
Cheshire
SK11 7QJ
0870 067 2520
'supervisor' Victoria x53
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03-06-2005, 13:44
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#9
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Essex innit
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Re: Warning: Domain name registration scam
Nice registration date for that domain name lol Good to see that you are free to contact their well trained staff 
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03-06-2005, 13:47
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#10
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Age: 47
Posts: 6,343
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Re: Warning: Domain name registration scam
One page website for £200!!! 
Stay well away!
http://www.businessservicesagency.co.uk/prices.htm
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03-06-2005, 13:49
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#11
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Age: 45
Posts: 14,750
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Re: Warning: Domain name registration scam
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Originally Posted by Paul
Nice registration date for that domain name lol
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Well spotted mate My eyes glazed over that 
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03-06-2005, 13:58
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#12
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Essex innit
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Re: Warning: Domain name registration scam
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Originally Posted by Richard M
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You can get a 5 page site for only £600 though, bargain
__________________
I would take that address with a pinch of salt as I've seen several companies working out of it. Looks like rented office space, found this lot
http://www.targetlists.co.uk/contact.html
operating out of there too as well as
http://www.nextcurve.co.uk/
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03-06-2005, 14:46
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#13
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Leeds
Age: 65
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Re: Warning: Domain name registration scam
Don't forget the laminated option that you can also have
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03-06-2005, 15:04
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#14
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Inactive
Join Date: Jun 2003
Age: 45
Posts: 14,750
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Re: Warning: Domain name registration scam
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Originally Posted by whyme38
Don't forget the laminated option that you can also have |
Ehh? 
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03-06-2005, 15:07
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#15
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Guest
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Re: Warning: Domain name registration scam
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Originally Posted by punky
Ehh? |
Jules probably means relevant documents can be laminated for durability - something like that, I'll be bound 
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