 CONSUMER
ALERT from auDA, The Australian Domain Name Administrator
auDA has become aware that Domains Australia
Pty Ltd is sending letters and/or faxes to some domain name registrants
offering to arrange registration of the net.au equivalent of the
registrants com.au domain name for $225.
The letter is headed .DOMAIN NAME AVAILABLE. and
some versions of it offer a free MP3 player with each registration.
auDA has received numerous complaints which indicate
that; 1. despite the net.au name being paid for, it is NOT being
registered and 2. registrants are NOT receiving the .free. MP3 player.
Based on the complaints received auDA is concerned
that the letters may mislead people into believing that they are
renewing their existing com.au domain name when in fact they are
purchasing a new net.au name.
Further, consumers should be aware that $225 for
a net.au domain name is significantly higher than prices charged
by auDA accredited registrars and their resellers.
Domains Australia Pty Ltd is a company controlled
by Blair Rafferty, the brother of Chesley Rafferty. It is NOT an
auDA accredited registrar nor is it a reseller of an auDA accredited
registrar.
auDA has previously successfully taken legal action
against Chesley Rafferty and companies controlled by him under the
Trade Practices Act.
If you have paid Domains Australia Pty Ltd and the
domain name has not been registered or you have not received the
.free. MP3 player and you wish to lodge a formal complaint, auDA
advises that you immediately contact the Australian Competition
and Consumer Commission (ACCC) either by lodging an electronic complaint
at http://www.accc.gov.au/ or by faxing it to their Canberra office
on
(02) 6243 1199. Alternatively you may wish to contact your State
based fair trading or consumer affairs office.
A similar mass mail out has also occurred in New
Zealand. New Zealand Domain Registration Ltd, owned by Blair Rafferty,
was recently exposed on a New Zealand television program Fair Go.
To view this video please http://tvnz.co.nz/view/video_popup_windows_skin/816241.
For more information see http://www.auda.org.au.
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