7 May 2002/048
Internet Naming Group: Commission Urges The Public To Have No Dealings With This Company
The Commerce Commission strongly urges the public to have no dealings with internet domain name reseller, Internet Name
Protection Pty Limited, trading as Internet Naming Group (ING).
The Commission has renewed concerns after receiving 35 complaints about the Melbourne based company in the last two
weeks. The Commission investigated ING in October and issued a warning to its Director, Mark Spektor, for alleged
breaches of the Fair Trading Act.
“From the fresh complaints, it appears ING has resurfaced in New Zealand,” said Commission’s Director of Fair Trading,
Deborah Battell.
“The Commission has strong concerns about the activities of ING, and representations it makes regarding the nature of
the services it offers. Our advice is not to deal with this company.”
Ms Battell said the Commission is assisting its Australian counterpart, the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission (ACCC). The ACCC has filed legal proceedings against ING for alleged misleading and deceptive conduct and pro
forma invoicing in relation to its marketing of internet domain name services. ING will reappear in Melbourne’s Federal
Court on 24 May 2002.
The ACCC alleges that ING has made and is continuing to make representations to various businesses to the effect that
it:
„X has the authority to register or renew a consumer’s domain name and can provide the services of registration or
renewal;
„X can register domain names on the Internet for periods of four, six, eight or 10 years and that registration for
periods over two years would involve savings;
„X has sponsorship, approval, affiliation or authority when in fact it does not; and
„X has a pre-existing relationship or prior dealing with them.
“There are definite similarities between representations made in Australia and New Zealand which we are investigating
further,” said Ms Battell.
“We advise people who are ING customers to carefully check any invoices they have received, and they may wish to
consider getting independent legal advice.
“ING operates from Australia and is not registered in New Zealand, hence we are working closely with the ACCC,” said Ms
Battell.
Background
In October 2001, the Commission investigated complaints received from domain name holders concerning the activities of
ING. The complaints related to an unsolicited and undated letter sent by ING to approximately 35,000 New Zealand domain
name holders, thought to be offering recipients a “pre-registration” service for their domain name under the new top
level domains of .biz and .info. The Commission issued a warning letter to ING’s Director, Mark Spektor.
Ends