TM Benelux, based in Brussels, contacts entrepreneurs and tries to talk them into a new domain name for which you pay a lot and to which you are tied for many years. Therefore we ask all entrepreneurs and self-employed people who already have a domain name to be vigilant.
Pretending to be interested in a similar domain name
They contact you with the story that a third party is interested in a domain name that is almost identical to yours, or where only the extension differs. For instance yourdomainname.org while you have yourdomainname.be. They give you ‘the right’ to register yourdomainname.org first because you already own the other one. However, you pay an excessive price for this and are stuck for years with this domain name that you did not ask for.
This is a practice that is comparable to the way DNS Benelux and IDS Belgium operated. DNS Benelux was even condemned for this in 2019 by the court of Liège. So we advise you to be vigilant when TM Benelux contacts you.
What to do when TM Benelux contacts you?
- Ask yourself if you need this domain name. If yes, contact the company that registered your first domain name or your registrar. If not, forget about the offer, chances are that this so-called 'buyer' does not even exist.
- Do not accept the offer of TM Benelux. This seems to us to be a case of fraud.
- File a complaint with the European Consumer Centre Belgium so that they can take action.
With this article, we support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.