This is a good discussion, and brings out a number of issues in the evolving publishing marketplace. Besides the predators, we are likely to see a lot of new arrangements pop up. Some will be well thought out and others will be amateurish. Who will succeed? Anybody’s guess!
Regarding the name, would you watch a movie starring Marion Mitchell Morrison? I’d rather watch John Wayne. Also, I secretly love Betty Crocker and would like to meet her sometime. Names matter. They define an image. As Joro Paveto points out above, the wrong name can subject a company to discrimination.
An address in a lovely village on the Severn River with a domain registered in Sweden is unusual but not necessarily sinister. This site has all the hallmarks of a startup with a somewhat nebulous business plan. Let’s not laugh yet, because we may find ourselves using their new software!
I don’t see why an author would publish here, though. No track record, but at least they’re honest about it.
