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ASA COMPLAINT UPHELD AGAINST DOMAIN RESELLER
29th May, 2003
A complaint has been upheld by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) against UK Internet Registry of London. The company, which is not in fact a registry but rather a registrar/domain name reseller, was the subject of a public complaint regarding its use of direct mail.
The mailing complained of, said the ASA's adjudication, stated "...RYDECOLLEGE.CO.UK REGISTRATION ADVICE ... Your .com domain corresponding to your registered .co.uk domain is currently UNREGISTERED. It is important today to have your .com and .co.uk domain names registered, secure your domain for a two year period by providing payment with the slip below. Description Registration of rydecollege.com for 2 year period £69.00 Web, URL and email forwarding rydecollege.co.uk £175.00 Thank you for registering with UK Internet Registry Ltd ...". The top of the mailing stated "notice date 20 February 2003 total amount £175.00 ...". The bottom of the mailing featured a pay slip.
The complainant had objected that the mailing misleadingly implied it was an invoice for services provided by the company that required payment.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, UK Internet Registry did not respond to the ASA's complaint. The ASA has told the company to stop sending out the direct mailing until it has been suitably amended and has asked the Committee of Advertising Practice to advise its members of the situation.
This is not the first time that UK Internet Registry has had difficulties with UK authorities. The UK Internet Naming Authority, Nominet, (that is, the official Registry for .uk domain names) published a notice earlier this year warning about the company's practices, and inviting aggrieved parties to contact them or the Office of Fair Trading in order that the matter could be further investigated.
More details at: http://www.demys.net/news/2003/05/29_as.htm
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