OFT eyes domain name bullies

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is pushing forward its investigations into the selling tactics of domain name reseller Anet.

It now wants people who have lodged complaints against the company to give permission to use their names and experiences for a possible misleading advertising case.

If Anet is found guilty of this charge, the OFT would then be able to demand amendments to the way the company tries to drum up business.

Should Anet fail to clean up its act - which it has promised to do in the past only to revert back to bad practices - the OFT has said it would seek a court injunction to stop the company trading.

Anet would be the first prosecution over bully-boy domain-selling tactics.

But despite numerous complaints, a number of firms are still conducting employing dubious selling tactics.

Readers have informed vnunet.com that companies such as Anet and Domain Registrar Services (another company under OFT investigation) are still cold-calling potential customers and trying to frighten them into signing up for domain names purportedly about to be bought by mystery shoppers - usually a competitor.

The latest tactic employed has seen sales representatives telling potential buyers that the person trying to register the company domain name is not only aggressive and abusive but possibly an ex-employee with a grudge.

Marcus Potts, who runs a graphics company, was called by a Domain Registrar Services salesman who tried this method.

"The salesman was very insistent and quite persuasive. He wondered if I had any past employees who might harbour a grudge. He also said that the man had given over his credit card details and this would have to be processed very soon. If I didn't decide by 1.30pm he would have to sell the names to this unpleasant sounding man," Potts said.

Meanwhile Nominet, the UK's domain name registry, is still doing nothing. The group has said that it is not its job to police the industry.

"We funded a year-long study into setting up a Code of Practice. But Nominet was not set up to regulate domain names and it would be inappropriate for us to do this," said Lesley Cowley, operations director at Nominet.

She added that, overall, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) would be best placed to implement a Code of Practice.

Ken Sorrie, director of domain registrar Internetters, wants the DTI to introduce stronger measures.

"The DTI has to get involved," he said. "The situation regarding these sellers is appalling and it just can't carry on. No one seems prepared to take a stance and this gives a green light to these companies to continue these practices."

Anet refused to comment. Domain Registrar services could not be reached for comment by time of press.