The London Office for Verifications and Registrations

Coder · Aug 20, 2007

olebean said:
The business changed names in July. There are two directors, if you need welsh addresses let me know..

Yes I believe they were www.mainstreamtech.co.uk before they www.streamlineltd.co.uk and now in the past few weeks www.loovar.co.uk

Notice the identical about us pages:
http://www.mainstreamtech.co.uk/index.php?page=aboutus
http://www.loovar.co.uk/about.php

More scammed people:
http://www.davidhurst.co.uk/2007/06/06/domain-name-scams-mainstream-0870-850-2820/

Coder

Johnp · Aug 20, 2007

Let this be a lesson about 'high pressure' phone sales. If you are a consumer ( rather than a business) you have the Distance Selling Rules to support you. As a business customer watch out !- your only redress is the courts. As the recipient of many phone calls offering dodgy internet directory lisitings wanting instant sign ups - keep a big a sign on your desk to remind you to say 'NO' like I do - LOL

If a cold caller's offer is genuine, of value and of urgent attention then an email to you summarising what they are offering and why you should act, is only reasonable and a reply from you when you have had time to consider (check elsewhere) is also reasonable. If they won't put it in writing then I would suggest it only because it is neither genuine nor something you should act on.

Just my opinion - having worked in professional sales environment, where putting stuff in writing was expected.

JohnP

Coder · Aug 20, 2007

Johnp said:
Let this be a lesson about 'high pressure' phone sales. If you are a consumer ( rather than a business) you have the Distance Selling Rules to support you. As a business customer watch out !- your only redress is the courts. As the recipient of many phone calls offering dodgy internet directory lisitings wanting instant sign ups - keep a big a sign on your desk to remind you to say 'NO' like I do - LOL

If a cold caller's offer is genuine, of value and of urgent attention then an email to you summarising what they are offering and why you should act, is only reasonable and a reply from you when you have had time to consider (check elsewhere) is also reasonable. If they won't put it in writing then I would suggest it only because it is neither genuine nor something you should act on.

Just my opinion - having worked in professional sales environment, where putting stuff in writing was expected.

JohnP

Oh this one is CERTAINLY going down to experience John.
In fact sitting here I can't quite believe how I was sucked in.
Feel a right mug!

Rich · Aug 20, 2007

They are doing exactly the same as these

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/tsearch/domain+name+scam.htm

http://www.nominet.org.uk/disputes/legalinfo/scams/

http://www.nominet.org.uk/disputes/courtcases/domainregserv/

From what I remember there were a couple of companies around the swansea area ended up in court on criminal charges

Coder · Aug 20, 2007

Nismo said:
They are doing exactly the same as these

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/tsearch/domain+name+scam.htm

http://www.nominet.org.uk/disputes/legalinfo/scams/

http://www.nominet.org.uk/disputes/courtcases/domainregserv/

From what I remember there were a couple of companies around the swansea area ended up in court on criminal charges

If only I'd stayed more informed...I would've smelt this a mile off!

disruptive · Aug 21, 2007

If you want more details:

http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/d74c9abc3792ec9a1f1d912ed3084d39/compdetails

I think its £1/2 for the company info...inc directors...so could be worth the investment...

anyone tempted to ring them up?

If they did that to me or tried it with me or my family. I would send the boys in ;-)

olebean · Aug 21, 2007

disruptive said:
If you want more details:

http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/d74c9abc3792ec9a1f1d912ed3084d39/compdetails

I think its £1/2 for the company info...inc directors...so could be worth the investment...

anyone tempted to ring them up?

If they did that to me or tried it with me or my family. I would send the boys in ;-)

pm me for free info

Leeroy · Aug 21, 2007

A client of mine had these people contact them on the back of me selling a domain name to them (my client).

Here is the clients email to me. Note domain name and names changed.

Last week we purchased somedomainname.co.uk and this morning we have been approached by the London Office of Verifications and Registrations to advise that an individual is registering to set up 4 new domain names as somemoredomainnames.co.uk/com/net/eu.

It seems a great coincidence to us that we purchased somedomainname.co.uk last week and this week someone is registering to set up the new domain names. Obviously we are slightly concerned that the transaction between us may have been made public and that this new individual is registering these names in the hope of trying to sell them to us - we are definately not interested in buying them - or that he is trying to trade of the back of our good reputation - in which case we'd just sue him. The timing is very odd and almost too much of a coincidence.

The only information that Loovar would give me is that the buyer is an individual, not called domain name, is an Indian and lives in Islington. I seem to recall that the. Are you able to shed any light on this turn of events for us?

Coder · Aug 21, 2007

Hi Guys,
Didn't receive a reply from www.Loovar.co.uk today. Didn't really expect either, seen as they're scammers!

Have been advised by my bank that the money has gone out of my account and to contact VISA disputes which I will do shortly.

I also remember the woman(I could think of other words for her) saying I would get 1 year free if I registered for 2 years. The current expiry date is showing two years.
Can you register .info,.biz,.eu,.net for 3 years or one year (in two years time?) Could be more grounds for dispute/misprepresentation!

I've posted here http://www.davidhurst.co.uk/2007/06/06/domain-name-scams-mainstream-0870-850-2820/ to update people of their new trading name.

Also plan to look for as many scam forums/websites as possible to warn people.

Have informed Met Police( Fraud Squad) and reported them to their service provider SupaNames, (along with Trading Standards and Nominet).

Oh!, and nice to see Google have already indexed this thread in a Loovar search!

Coder
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moonjoose · Aug 23, 2007

Filthy Scammers

These guys have been around for a while. I first came across them as Mainstream Tech Ltd. I put a post on my blog and it got a lot of comments, so I set up a website to focus specifically on domain name scams (www.domainscams.co.uk). We are trying to get Trading Standards to shut them down. If you have an experience, please post it on my site also, as TS are using it to build evidence.

Thanks.

Coder · Aug 23, 2007

moonjoose said:
These guys have been around for a while. I first came across them as Mainstream Tech Ltd. I put a post on my blog and it got a lot of comments, so I set up a website to focus specifically on domain name scams (www.domainscams.co.uk). We are trying to get Trading Standards to shut them down. If you have an experience, please post it on my site also, as TS are using it to build evidence.

Thanks.

Hi moonjoose!
I certainly will post it up on your site later this evening!
Trading Standards in my borough have passed my information on to TS in the City Of London and I'm told that they are already aware of this company.

I'll also put up a "Report Abuse" link to their service provider SupaNames where other people who were scammed can report them to SN.

Coder

ashdown129 · Aug 24, 2007

Thanks

I have just been called in relation to this and due to my google search, I found your advice and avoided falling into the same pitfall ... it would have been a very red face!

Many Thanks

Coder · Aug 24, 2007

ashdown129 said:
I have just been called in relation to this and due to my google search, I found your advice and avoided falling into the same pitfall ... it would have been a very red face!

Many Thanks

Hi ashdown129, that's great to hear!
I must say, they're getting quite well listed on Google (for scams!).
And that's not even under sponsored listings!!:mrgreen:

GWing · Aug 25, 2007

Very strange how visa and mastercard are still letting them use their systems, usually they will contact the merchant account supplier and get it shut down asap.

Wouldn't surprise me if someone on the banking side running this scam as well.

keys · Aug 25, 2007

GWing said:
Very strange how visa and mastercard are still letting them use their systems, usually they will contact the merchant account supplier and get it shut down asap.

Wouldn't surprise me if someone on the banking side running this scam as well.

Although this is clearly a scam, there is probably no issue with the card companies because the mercahants are delivering what they promise to. It is their deception used in obtaining orders which is in question.

GWing · Aug 25, 2007

Thing is with visa and MasterCard that they are so strict on their merchants behaviour that any indication of a pattern of complaints, valid or not against a merchant will result in immediate suspension of the account pending investigations.

Visa and MasterCard know that any deception or misselling using their trademark reflects badly on them. They may or may not class it as deception, so a charge back may or may not be possible. But I guarantee that Visa or MasterCard will have blacklisted the directors from holding merchant accounts.

I have a couple of merchant accounts and it surprises me that this has been allowed to go on via their systems for over a month never mind over a year.

aZooZa · Aug 25, 2007

This scam is deception - pure and simple. If you make a real issue out of it, your credit card company will certainly compensate you. If you look at the pitch, these scammers are selling something on the basis of a fraudulent claim. The police will no doubt take an interest also. It's actually criminal fraud so I wouldn't bother with any government 'quangos'. Thus: Bank and police. And tell the bank you've made a formal complaint to the police also.

Coder · Aug 25, 2007

GWing said:
Thing is with visa and MasterCard that they are so strict on their merchants behaviour that any indication of a pattern of complaints, valid or not against a merchant will result in immediate suspension of the account pending investigations.

Visa and MasterCard know that any deception or misselling using their trademark reflects badly on them. They may or may not class it as deception, so a charge back may or may not be possible. But I guarantee that Visa or MasterCard will have blacklisted the directors from holding merchant accounts.

I have a couple of merchant accounts and it surprises me that this has been allowed to go on via their systems for over a month never mind over a year.

Not sure how long they have their merchant account open for Loovar but www.loovar.co.uk + www.loovar.com were only registered on 25th July this year!

Coder · Aug 25, 2007

aZooZa said:
This scam is deception - pure and simple. If you make a real issue out of it, your credit card company will certainly compensate you. If you look at the pitch, these scammers are selling something on the basis of a fraudulent claim. The police will no doubt take an interest also. It's actually criminal fraud so I wouldn't bother with any government 'quangos'. Thus: Bank and police. And tell the bank you've made a formal complaint to the police also.

I bank with Abbey (Debit Card). They have said I have to contact Visa Disbutes. Trouble is you can NEVER get through to their number.