Today I received an email, ostensibly from Hornby. Not an unusual thing, I am on their mailing list. This is about a model auction site, and just as I was about to click the link, I noticed that the address in the bottom toolbar was actually an ip address, rather than a name - normally a sure thing for a fake email - such as the ones supposedly from ebay or paypal.
Am I being overly suspicious? Or is it really a scam, (they havn't asked for any money yet) ?
John
In message , John Ruddy writes
WHOIS information for model-auctions.com:
[whois.melbourneit.com]Domain Name.......... model-auctions.com Creation Date........ 2005-01-21 Registration Date.... 2005-01-21 Expiry Date.......... 2007-01-21 Organisation Name.... Paul Chandler Organisation Address. Westwood Industrial Estate Organisation Address. Margate Organisation Address. Kent Organisation Address. CT9 4ZA Organisation Address. Kent Organisation Address. GREAT BRITAIN (UK)
So whoever it is, they're at least based in the same place as Hornby, I can't find an address for Hornby on their website, the address given by yell.com gives the same location (Westwood Industrial Estate) but a different postcode. Anyone know who Paul Chandler is?
On 03/06/2005 20:22, Ian Cornish wrote,
Melbourne IT are an domain name hosting company, and are certainly a reputable organisation - I'm pretty sure they wouldn't host anyone dodgy!. We have registered the work domain with them, and the fact that the company is on the other side of the world simply doesn't matter!
"John Ruddy" wrote
If it is something Hornby are planning then it wouldn't surprise me that they are trying to emulate eBay. Hornby are *very* good at mimicking, but very poor at original thought. Even their live steam OO-gauge models were developed outside the Hornby business.
John.
A look at their site suggests that it's going to be a specialist auction centre for Hornby and Scalextric models. Looks pukka to me, I would imagine that it'll be announced via the "collectors club" and so forth once it goes live.
As others have mentioned Melbourne IT are a genuine company and as the registrants address happens to co-incide with that of Hornby's I wouldn't worry to much.
ps. Thanks for your mail this morning, I'll keep it in mind just in case.
er..where on their site? Thanks
On the
It has prominent logos for Hornby and Scalextric and is registered to the Margate factory, not conclusive I grant you but I did say "suggests" ;-)
"Ian Cornish" wrote
Precisely two Hornby Hobbies Ltd entered items of model railway interest on there at the moment.
I think the site went live a week or two ago - hardly an auspicious start, or is that just my inbuilt cynicism?
John.
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