domainwatch.org

Rafferty’s rules
http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/when-a-test-match-turns-to-ashes/2006/08/22/1156012542788.html?page=fullpage

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Ian Porter and Nabila Ahmed
August 23, 2006

FULL DISCLOSURE

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Rafferty’s rules

THIS is an alert for the citizens of the wild west, otherwise known as Western Australia.

We believe they are about to have in their midst one Blair Rafferty, proprietor of Domains Australia Pty Ltd, a company that recently came to the attention of auDA, the domain names administrator in Australia.

It seems Domains Australia has come up with a digital-age twist on the David Tweed method of blanket-mailing unsuspecting targets in the hope that 1 or 2 or 3 per cent of them will bite.

Rafferty’s company has been snail mailing or faxing everyone who operates a com.au domain name offering to register a net.au equivalent for just $225. Plus you get a free MP3 player for each registration.

Many people have contacted auDA complaining that their new domain names have not been registered. What’s more, they’re not getting their MP3 players, either.

In a consumer alert issued this week, auDA pointed out that Domains Australia was not an accredited registrar or a reseller for an accredited registrar.

The administrator is familiar with the Rafferty name, having successfully taken legal action against Chesley Rafferty, brother of Blair, under the Trade Practices Act.

So, if you are still waiting for your shiny, new domain name and have suddenly started experiencing a terrible sinking feeling in your stomach, auDA suggests that you contact the ACCC.

In contrast to the snail mail way in which your problem started, you can at least lodge an electronic complaint form on the ACCC website.

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The Australian Domain Name Administrator, .auDA, has issued a consumer alert to .au domain name registrants by email.

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From: consumeralert@auda.org.au
To: undisclosed-recipients
Date: 18-Aug-2006 20:44
Subject: CONSUMER ALERT from auDA, The Australian Domain Name Administrator

You are receiving this email because your email address is listed as the registrant contact address for a .au domain name. Please do NOT reply to this email.

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.

auDA
www.auda.org.au
info@auda.org.au

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Mass mail out by Domains Australia Pty Ltd
http://www.auda.org.au/consumeralert/consumeralert-16082006/

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Mass mail out by Domains Australia Pty Ltd

16/Aug/2006

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.

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auDA in new domain stoush
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,20150135%5E15317%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html

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auDA in new domain stoush
Andrew Colley
AUGUST 16, 2006

AUSTRALIA’S peak internet name authority auDA has marched into another regulatory stoush with another business linked to bankrupt former domain registrar operator Chesley Rafferty.

AuDA took legal action against Domain Names Australia a company directed by Mr Rafferty’s in the Federal Court in 2003 for breaches of trade practice laws.

The domain regulator today issued a warning concerning promotional material distributed by a company run by Mr Rafferty’s brother, Blair.

It said that the company, Domains Australia, was an unaccredited registrar and that it had received numerous complaints about the company’s activities.

Domains Australia had offered .com.au domain owners a free MP3 player for registering the .net.au version of their domain name, auDA said.

However, auDA said that some Domain Australia customers had not received registration services or the MP3 player despite having paid $225 for the service.

Chris Disspain, chief executive of auDA said the matter should be handled by consumer protection agencies but revealed that the regulator was seeking its own legal advice.

The domain regulator also expressed concerns over the wording of the letters which bear the title “DOMAIN NAME AVAILABLE”.

“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,” auDA said.

AuDA issued similar warnings concerning Domain Names Australia’s advertising practices three years ago.

At the time auDA said that DNA had sent to domain owners letters warning them that their .au names were unavailable or unregistered and that they could easily be mistaken for invoices.

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Domain name reminder - ACCC
http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/758612/fromItemId/142

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Domain name reminder

They are also the subject of perennial complaints to the ACCC.

To avoid making unnecessary payments, or in the extreme being scammed, business administration staff are reminded to read domain name renewal letters carefully. The letter you have received may be an offer for a new domain name.

If you receive such letters the following tips may help:

* Check the details of your current domain name
* Know who your current domain name registrar is
* Note the renewal date for your domain name

For more information on domain name issues see the ACCC’s fact sheet Domain name renewal/registrations—don’t get caught.
Related Internet links

* Domain name renewal/registrations—don’t get caught

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Chesley Rafferty’s Domains Australia Pty Ltd - his latest domain name registration company - has sent out a new batch of marketing notices:

In my opinion these marketing notices may be difficult for an ordinary person to distinguish from a real invoice for an existing service (their domain name) which requires payment by a certain date.

One of Chesley Raffery’s previous companies, Domain Names Australia Pty Ltd, was found guilty of misleading and deceptive conduct for similar activities by an Australian Federal Court.

If you have received a marketing notice from Domains Australia and you wish to lodge a formal complaint, we advise that you immediately contact:

• Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) either by lodging an electronic complaint at http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/3634 or by faxing details to their Canberra office on (02) 6243 1199 and
• .au Domain Administration Ltd (.auDA) either by lodging an electronic complaint at http://www.auda.org.au/contact.php, by telephone on 1300 732 929 or by faxing details to their Melbourne office on (03) 9349 5711.

Inspired by Domains Australia’s mass mail out and Chesley Rafferty’s drug charges; Skeeve Stevens penned these words of satire on the .au DNS list:

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Domains Australia Pty Ltd.
Hakea Prison, Nicholson Road, Canning Vale 6155, WA.

DOMAIN NAME AVAILABLE

The domain name “www.chelsey-is-someones-bitch.com” or “www.my-ass-is-sore.com” are currently available for registration. Domains Australia will arrange the registration for a 2 year period (or however long I get sentenced for) for $1000 inc GST (inflation due to legal fees) (or also you can throw a tennis ball over the fence with contraband) if you return the slip below by the time I am out of prison.

Some notes on domain names:

- Domain name have become an important tool in prisons in Australia and all across the world. Many prisoners have them even though they don’t have access to the internet.
- This domain name registration is for a two year period - or due to me receiving a longer sentence than expected, will automatically be renewed for each two year period.
- Domain names can be used to identify both which prison you are in and your sexual preference. All new domain name registrations with Domains Australia come with a web services pack free for three months. With this you can put up pictures of you in your greens, photos of you on visits and if you should so choose, photos of you being sodomised by Bubba.
- Please note that if you are not the current proprietor or you do not want the domain name, then please reconsider or you may be shiv’d if you don’t do as you’re damn well told.

Register before I get parole and receive a free hour sexual encounter with me if you are in Hakea Prison. Remember, I’d put out for domain names.

Chelsey Rafferty (Remember, Rafferty Rules ;-)
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