Tuesday 7 September 2010

1and1 domain name scam.

Hi all,

I thought I would post something to make others aware of 1&1 Internet Ltd, domain name providers. The auto renewal scam and the Arvato debt collecting scam.

Basically what 1&1 do is ignore any and all instructions from you because they want to extract more money out of you, hence the scam reference. Because that is what this is, a scam plain and simple. Actually they run more than one scam at the same time.

To get a domain name from 1&1 I had to set up a direct debit in my Paypal account, of course you can use a credit card to this as well, everyone has to do it if they want a domain with 1&1. At this point alarm bells and sirens should be going off in your head. Why set up a direct debit to make a one off payment? It is all part of the 1&1 scam, once they have your DD, they can charge what and when they like.

So at the first opportunity, I cancelled my paypal DD once 1&1 had taken their payment for my domain name and informed them accordingly, I pointed out at that stage that I did not want their auto renewal service or anything else from them for that matter. Plus I wanted to avoid using some of their services by accident, you could click on a wrong link by mistake and find your account debited by hundreds.

Now bear in mind I informed 1&1 shortly after they had taken payment that I did not want their auto renewal service, yet come the date for renewal 2 years on, the scumbags renewed my account. 4 weeks had passed before I noticed this so I had to log in to go through their convoluted and lengthy cancellation process.

A week after that a letter arrived from Arvato Finance Services Ltd, a debt collecting company ordering me to pay 1&1 for services I had ordered, plus a charge for sending me this letter. Anyway I decided to email them to find out what this was about, email conversation is cut and pasted below. I have removed my personal details, that is all. It may be a bit difficult to follow, the last email I sent is at the top, read from the bottom up.

Dear Katie,

You mean you cannot answer because there is no logic in what you say, basically you are trying to scam me and will be reported accordingly for this deliberate attempt at fraud.


Yours sincerely,

++++++++++++.


Subject: RE: Account number: 19069459 cancelled.
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2010 14:34:17 +0100
From: Collections@arvatofinance.co.uk
To: xxxxx@hotmail.co.uk


Dear xxxx

Please be advised that because we do not consider your emails to be serious, they no longer warrant a reply.

All of your questions have been answered and the emails that you are now sending are considered weightless in regards to a dispute.

We will no longer respond to your email and we will continue with the collection process on this account.

You will receive a letter from our solicitor shortly detailing their intentions and any further costs you may incur.

Regards

Katie



arvato finance services Limited
Block2
Willerby Business Park
Willerby
United Kingdom
HU10 6FE


Tel: 0870 1258809
Fax:+441482 660605
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
arvato finance services is registered in England and Wales
(company registration number 5555818)
Registered office: The Hall, Lairgate, Beverley, HU17 8HL
Directors: Matthias Mierisch, Andrea Kaminski,

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and may be protected by legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and delete the e-mail from your system.

cid:image001.png@01CAE60F.B072C550


From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: 06 September 2010 14:20
To: Collections, Arvato Finance UK
Subject: RE: Account number: 19069459 cancelled.

Dear Katie,

I am not aware of any such contract, I have the original invoice, £2.99 per year, 24 months = £5.98 VAT 17.5% = Total £7.03 That is what I paid for through paypal. It has already been explained to you that I did not renew my domain name when it came up for renewal after 2 years.

As far as I know, no domain name provider hosts domains for less than 12 months. Yet you are trying to tell me I entered a contract for 6 months. This again begs the question, if this is true why was no action taken at the time? It is remarkable that this issue has come to light 2 years after I first registered a domain name with 1&1. Can you see the connection here, 2 years is the minimum period, 2 years is what I paid for and 2 years on you are saying I owe you money. You have access to my invoices therefore you can see exactly what I paid for.

Common sense should tell you by now that you are completely in the wrong, you should have been able to figure this out for yourself. Now as I have previously pointed out, I make a charge for my time therefore I am billing you for this information also, £50.00 and I will sue for the amount owed.


Total amount now due is £100.00, please make a cheque payable to Mr.xxxxx for the full amount and send to;


XXXXXXXXXX


Yours sincerely,


xxxxxxxxxxxx.




Subject: RE: Account number: 19069459 cancelled.
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2010 13:09:53 +0100
From: Collections@arvatofinance.co.uk
To:xxxxxx
Dear xxxx

I have just looked at your account with 1and1 and it appears you did not read your contract or did not fully understand it.

Your domain name is billed 6 monthly and therefore this bill is of accurate timing.

I must also advise you that we do not require any of your services so is bill will not be acknowledged, simply all we require from you is payment in the amount of £11.91.

At the time this bill was raised you were made aware it was outstanding by email from 1and1 they are not required to try and pursue you any further for this balance that is why they employ us.

Call to make payment on 0870 125 8809

Regards

Katie

arvato finance services Limited
Block2
Willerby Business Park
Willerby
United Kingdom
HU10 6FE

www.arvatofinance.co.uk
collections@arvatofinance.co.uk

Tel: 0870 1258809
Fax:+441482 660605
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
arvato finance services is registered in England and Wales
(company registration number 5555818)
Registered office: The Hall, Lairgate, Beverley, HU17 8HL
Directors: Matthias Mierisch, Andrea Kaminski,

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and may be protected by legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and delete the e-mail from your system.

cid:image001.png@01CAE60F.B072C550


From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: 06 September 2010 12:54
To: Collections, Arvato Finance UK
Subject: RE: Account number: 19069459 cancelled.

Dear Katie,

Clearly you have access to my records with 1&1 Internet Ltd, did you look at the dates on the invoice? I signed up with 1&1 and paid via paypal for 2 years from the 12/6/08, total £7.03 Why would there be an invoice issued 7 months later when the renewal for domain names is due every 2 years.

This also begs the question, why are you now chasing me for an alleged debt that must be at least 20 months old, surely the correct thing to do at the time was to send out a final reminder or two, close the account and then take action to recover the a debt. As I previously stated you have sufficient details to resolve this issue. I suspect you must realise by now that this alleged debt is not genuine.

Be advised you are now using my time and as it was made it clear to you in an earlier reply, I make a charge for my time, I have included my bill for this information. You have 30 days to make payment by cheque. If payment is not received within that time, there is a charge of £10.00 for each reminder notice issued.


My fee for providing this information is £50.00

Please send payment by cheque to;

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yours sincerely,



xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Subject: RE: Account number: 19069459 cancelled.
Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2010 08:48:42 +0100
From: Collections@arvatofinance.co.uk
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dear xxxx

We can see that your cancellation took place on the 11.07.10 however this invoice was raised on the 11.01.09 and therefore you would still be liable for the balance outstanding.

Call to make payment on 0870 125 8809

Regards

Katie

arvato finance services Limited
Block2
Willerby Business Park
Willerby
United Kingdom
HU10 6FE

www.arvatofinance.co.uk
collections@arvatofinance.co.uk

Tel: 0870 1258809
Fax:+441482 660605
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
arvato finance services is registered in England and Wales
(company registration number 5555818)
Registered office: The Hall, Lairgate, Beverley, HU17 8HL
Directors: Matthias Mierisch, Andrea Kaminski,

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and may be protected by legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and delete the e-mail from your system.

cid:image001.png@01CAE60F.B072C550


From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: 04 September 2010 12:55
To: Collections, Arvato Finance UK
Subject: RE: Account number: 19069459 cancelled.




Dear Katie,

Please be advised likewise there are account numbers and reference numbers included in the email I forwarded to 1&1 billing, 1&1 customer services and to yourselves Arvato finance, so if you require more proof, take it up with 1&1 Internet Ltd.

There is no personal signature on the email to show who sent it, it is simply signed and dated 11.07.2010

Kind regards,

Your 1&1 Team
1&1 Internet Ltd.
www.1and1.co.uk

I have provided sufficient details for your company and 1&1 Internet Ltd to resolve this issue. It is not my job to correct your mistakes or to provide you with further proof, therefore I reserve the right make a charge for my time should you continue to wrongly pursue me on this matter.


Yours sincerely,


xxxxxxxxxxx.




Subject: RE: Account number: 19069459 cancelled.
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 2010 10:27:27 +0100
From: Collections@arvatofinance.co.uk
To:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dear xxxxxxxxx

Please be advised that the email you sent is not proof of cancellation it has merely been typed by yourself.

We would need the original email forwarding to us with the signature that shows who sent you it and the date.

Without that information the collection process will continue.

Regards

Katie

arvato finance services Limited
Block2
Willerby Business Park
Willerby
United Kingdom
HU10 6FE

www.arvatofinance.co.uk
collections@arvatofinance.co.uk

Tel: 0870 1258809
Fax:+441482 660605
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
arvato finance services is registered in England and Wales
(company registration number 5555818)
Registered office: The Hall, Lairgate, Beverley, HU17 8HL
Directors: Matthias Mierisch, Andrea Kaminski,

This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and may be protected by legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and delete the e-mail from your system.

cid:image001.png@01CAE60F.B072C550


From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: 04 September 2010 02:20
To: support@1and1.co.uk
Cc: Collections, Arvato Finance UK
Subject: Account number: 19069459 cancelled.

Dear sir / madam,

I have received a letter from Arvato Finance Services, Ref No; 936000047784 which is debt collection agency acting on your behalf, ie 1&1 Internet Ltd, to pursue me for a debt that I do not owe.

Once the original contract ended, that should have been the end of the matter, therefore I cannot figure out why I should have to inform you specifically, never the less I followed your instructions to cancel, as you can see from the confirmation below, this account was cancelled.


I would appreciate if you can amend your records accordingly.


Yours sincerely,


xxxxxxxxxxx.

...........................................

Account number: 19069459
                                 Contract number: 18649972
                                 Reference number: 31804452-48



Dear xxxxxxxxxxx,

We have received your cancellation request and confirm that the requested
cancellation action with the above listed reference number will be
carried out on the date which you selected in the 1&1 cancel tool.


Start here to read up for email exchange, this is not the end of it, I then got involved in a discussion with Kimberley from 1&1 or is it arvato ;)

The email acknowledgement of cancellation that I needlessly had to go through after telling 1&1 not to renew.

                                 Account number: 19069459
                                 Contract number: 18649972
                                 Reference number: 31804452-48



Dear xxxxx,

We have received your cancellation request and confirm that the requested
cancellation action with the above listed reference number will be
carried out on the date which you selected in the 1&1 Cancel Tool.

IMPORTANT NOTES:
* If you are cancelling an entire package, your package will remain
active UNTIL the date selected when you made the cancellation request.
Invoices for products that you have ordered will continue until that date.
* Or, only the domains you selected will be cancelled.

If you wish to check the current status of your cancellation, you may do
so in the 1&1 Cancel Tool at https://contract.1and1.co.uk.
You can find detailed information in the "Status of changes" section
in the left navigation bar.

Kind regards,

Your 1&1 Team
1&1 Internet Ltd.
www.1and1.co.uk

And this is what 1&1 have to say about cancelling auto renewal, basically they say they will accept your instructions not to renew your domain.  http://faq.1and1.co.uk/domains/domain_services/2.html

This is not the end, I will update later.