My daughter bought an internet 'package' from 1 and 1 in October 2008 (for an online retail business). This 'package' included a domain name. However, within a matter of days she decided that the 'package' wasn't apropriate and she arranged with 1and1 to switch to a different 'package' with a different domain name. The 1and1 staff member who dealt with this transfer advised her that payments (present and future) for the original domain name would be transferred to the new domain name.

However, the staff member apparently didn't log this transfer onto my daughter's account, so she has been continually billed for the unused/unwanted/defunct domain name. One would imagine that this would be an easy issue to resolve: not so! Unfortunately 1 and 1 are notoriously difficult to communicate with. They employ staff in an Asian call-centre who have a very poor grasp of the English language, and once they become 'confused' by what is being said to them they simply hang up. Writing to 1and1's London-based HQ results in non-replies.

1and1 have now transferred the alleged debt to a company called Arvato Finance Services Ltd (based in Hull, UK) I spoke to a member of their staff yesterday - I explained that the blame for on-going issue with regard to 'unpaid' bills for the original domain name lie squarely with the 1and1 staff member who obviously failed to log details of the transfer of billing from the first name to the second.

The Arvato debt collector refused to accept this fact. He said 1and1 had not provided them with information about the switch from the original domain name to the current one - so as far as they (Arvato) are concerned, my daughter still has two 'live' domain names - and she has failed to keep up the payments for one of them!

So our dispute is on-going. 1and1 have now stated that they are no longer dealing with 'the case' - they have transferred the entire matter over to Arvato - and unfortunately Arvato are unwilling to examine our evidence. (Actually, they like to portray themselves as a bunch of 'heavies' - they've already threatened to send 'agents' around to my house to confront me over the £25.56p debt!)

My advice to anyone considering doing business with 1and1 Internet Ltd is to keep a record of all dealings with them - phone calls, emails, letters - because at some point in the future you will need to refer to them as 'evidence'!