Online Business Registration Pty Ltd has been sending unsolicitated mail (physical) to Australian businesses for some time.
Their letters could appear at first glance to be a renewal notice for your Australan Business Name Registration but in fact is an unsolicited commerical offer for them to renew it for you with an extra fee.
They are able to do this as a private service provider (PSP).
Business names can be registered or renewed directly with the Australian Securities and Investment Commision (ASIC) on their website.
https://asic.gov.au/for-business/renewing-your-business-name/
The current rates are one year for $37 or three years for $87
Online Business Registration Pty Ltd is offering to renew your business name for you for $99 for one year or $199 for three years.
This doesn’t seem like very good value.
ASIC has information about private service providers on their webpage, including their expectations.
Most PSPs have started behaving better by making their unsolicited mail comply to ASICs requirements to state that it is NOT a letter from ASIC and use less confusing and deceptive formating. Still, these letters catch many business owners out and you will find many compaints online.
If you recieve renewal offers, you should check them and report companies that exhibit deceptive and misleading behaviour.
Information contained in letter:
Company: Online Business Registration Pty Ltd
ABN: 36 618 716 019
Address: PO Box 775 – Suite 1111, Cherrybrook NSW 2126 (mail forwarding service)
Phone: 1300 651 752
Website: www.brenewal.com.au
Email: support@brenewal.com
Contact Name: Victoria Kur
Domain Registrant Contact Name: Csilla Vinkovicsne Caroli
Domain Registrant Contact Email: onlinebusinessregistration@hotmail.com
Also trades as:
Company: New Business Name
ABN: 36 618 716 019
Address: 903/50 Clarence Street, Sydney NSW 2000 (This is a virtual office service that just forwards mail. Registered Office)
Phone: 1300 651 752
Website: www.brenewal.com.au
Email: support@NewBusinessName.com.au
Contact Name: Victoria Kur
Domain Registrant Contact Name: Csilla Vinkovicsne Caroli
Domain Registrant Contact Email: onlinebusinessregistration@hotmail.com
ABN also associated with other names, some of which violate ASIC guidence.
Do not use marketing that may mislead customers
Do not operate under a business name that may make customers think ASIC endorses or authorises your services. For example, you must not use words such as ‘ASIC’ or ‘Business Name’ in your business name.
| Business name | From |
|---|---|
| BNAMERENEWAL | 26 Jun 2020 |
| BNREGISTRATION | 26 Jun 2020 |
| BREGISTRATION | 26 Jun 2020 |
| BREGISTRY | 26 Jun 2020 |
| BRENEWAL | 26 Jun 2020 |
| BUSREGISTRY | 26 Jun 2020 |
| BUSRENEWAL | 26 Jun 2020 |
| BNSERV | 25 Jun 2020 |
| REGRENEWAL | 25 Jun 2020 |
| Restore Pilates | 16 Nov 2019 |
| ASCEND THE MIND BODY CONNECTION | 20 Jul 2019 |
| BUSINESS NAME REGISTRY AUSTRALIA | 10 May 2019 |
| BNRENEWAL | 23 Dec 2017 |
| ONLINE BUSINESS REGISTRATION | 23 Dec 2017 |
| RENEW YOUR BUSINESS NAME | 23 Dec 2017 |
| BUSINESS NAME RENEWAL | 12 Aug 2017 |
| NEW BUSINESS NAME | 15 Jun 2017 |
Interesting in this list is Restore Pilates which is an Albert Park (VIC) Pilates studio.
The ASIC portal lists Online Business Registration as the holder of the name and the ABN listed is different from that listed in the domain registration details.
Unclear if there is any relationship or why Online Business Registration has another seemingly unrelated businesses details with different ABN.
ASIC Portal:
Business name: Restore Pilates
Status: Registered
Registration date: 16/11/2019
Renewal date: 16/11/2020
Address for service of documents: 48 Dundas Pl Albert Park VIC 3206
Principal place of business: 48 Dundas Pl Albert Park VIC 3206
Holder Name: ONLINE BUSINESS REGISTRATION PTY LTD
Holder Type: Body CorporateABN: 36 618 716 019
Restore Pilates information from domain and validated against ABN portal
Tech Contact Name: Antoinette Ceravolo
Tech Contact Email: info.restorepilates@gmail.com
Registrant: CERAVOLO, MARIA ANTONIETTE
Registrant ID: ABN 36655092115
Also another strange ABN listed:
Business name: ASCEND THE MIND BODY CONNECTION
Status: Registered
Registration date: 20/07/2019
Renewal date: 20/07/2020
Address for service of documents: U 2 2 Megan Cres . Lennox Head NSW 2478
Principal place of business: U 2 2 Megan Cres . Lennox Head NSW 2478
Holder Name: ONLINE BUSINESS REGISTRATION PTY LTD
Holder Type: Body CorporateABN: 36 618 716 019
Other associated domains:
dreg.com.au
busregistry.online
Most Recent Letter received:
8 replies on “POSTAL SPAM: Online Business Registration”
Hi,
So dunno if you will get this, but reaching out because we just discovered that these scammers were using a service provided by us to host thier scam website. I’m interested to know if you reported this to authorities and if you got any responce. We usually get nowhere and it seems like police etc are just not equipped to even start combating this sort of thing. Reach out of you want to chat.
They exist in a legal grey area. We have reported them in the past when the letters were much closer to impersonating an invoice. You see over time they have made the least amount of changes they had to in order to stay in the grey.
The best thing to be done is just educate people about the poor value these 3rd party service provide and the risk they are in fact a scam. When they do step over the line, it is worth reporting them to government department responsible as they have been fined in the past.
I assume you’ve asked them to leave your hosting platform which is also other positive action that can be taken.
Sad to say that I got caught out by spam mail sent to my home address from Online Business Renewal. Very misleading and moments after I processed the transaction when I realised it was not ASIC but a PSP I attempted to call them. No answer. I then emailed them requesting a refund due to an error on my behalf, and the reply I received was offensive. I have since reported their misconduct to ASIC in the hope they will not be allowed to continue doing what they do. According to the ASIC website, they are not allowed to send you a letter in the mail offering to renew your business name earlier than 2 months before your expiry date. The sent a letter to me dated 12July 21 and my renewal date is not until November 21. But it appears from the countless complaints from other Ozzies that nothing ever seems to be done about it.
So frustrating!
Yup, me too, although I didn’t pay and checked it all out, hence here I am.
The letter I received is from ‘Bservice.com.au’, so may be the brenewal got closed down? Got the same ABN, address in Kellyville etc.
If so, just another new domain name and they’re off to the races again!!!
I can’t believe its so easy to do, maybe I’m in the wrong game?…..
Received a lettrt in the post from Online Buinsess Registration, Kellyville, contact name Victoria Kur.
When I called them it went to answering maching saying “because of the pandemic we are unable to take you call”.
I shredded the letter. It did look authentic though.
The alarm for me was that I had previously cancelled this business name. So beware.
bservice.com.au is a scam – RUN
G’day, just a heads up, they’re no longer only sending them to people with business. I’m not a business owner and just got one of these letters in my PO box. Don’t know what they thought they’d get out of me but figured people might benefit from knowing
Which Govt. Dept. is best to contact about these scammers? I received a renewal letter as well, except they sent it in April. My ABN isn’t due for renewal until November.
They fired off a scam to the wrong guy.
I wanted to shred this letter, but I’ll be holding onto it as evidence until I know where to go from here.