SWITCH warns against bogus offers

SWITCH, the official registry for Internet addresses in Switzerland and Liechtenstein wishes to warn you against bogus offers for domain names.

Anyone receiving an offer of a domain name by phone or e-mail should be on their guard. SWITCH's customer service has been receiving an increasing number of enquiries from worried customers. They have received phone calls or e-mails with offers to register one or more domain names for them – generally at an inflated price.

For example: a customer has already registered the company.ch or municipality domain name. Someone then contacts that customer, misrepresenting the facts and offering to register similar names, such as company-ltd.ch, for them, saying that they must register the name(s) straightaway. The customer is put under pressure and has to take a swift decision.

Caution: unfair advertising
SWITCH regards aggressive methods such as these as unfair advertising. Anyone who feels that they have been a victim of unfair advertising can lodge a complaint with the Swiss advertising standards committee (Lauterkeitskommission) at www.lauterkeit.ch.

Rapid, simple and inexpensive registration
Anyone wishing to register a domain name can do this either directly with SWITCH, or via an Internet Service Provider, or through one of SWITCH's registered partners.

Registering a domain name with SWITCH costs CHF 17 per year.

Internet Service Providers and recognised partners of SWITCH offer all-in packages at different prices. In addition to registering domain names, they also offer the customer other services, such as an e-mail address – or addresses – and web hosting.

• Website Internet Domains
• Partners of SWITCH
• See Swiss Television's consumer broadcast "Kassensturz"