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[RESOLVED] - Domain Name Stolen...A Horrible Story and a Warning...

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Hi All. I've not been in here for a number of years, but a week ago I had my domain of 20 years (dustie.com) stolen and I have to tell the story. it looks like I'm out of luck here, and out a lot of money, but maybe my story can help prevent this happening to someone else. This happened at Godaddy, though I don't blame them, and i still have all of my domains with them, as well as my websites. I blame the no good slimy thief who stole my domain name!

Here's the story... First off, my name is Dustie, and I've owned Dustie.com since 1998.
Sometime in 2017 (I think) I decided to go ahead and list dustie.com as a premium domain for a high price. It being my name, I wasn't real keen on selling it, but, as they say, everything is for sale for the right price. I'd had someone offer me 5,000.00 for it, but after taxes (it would have put me in a higher tax bracket for the year) and commisison, it wasn't worth it wasn't worth it to sell it for that amount. However, I figured that if someone were willing to pay that for it, maybe someone would pay even more. So I listed it as a premium domain for 20,000.00. I seriously didn't think it would sell but it woudn't hurt to list it (or so I thought).

All was well, until a bit over a week ago. I had been out that evening and didn't get home till nearly 10:00 PM. It was 11:00 before I was able to get onto the computer. That's when I saw the 5 emails from Godaddy.... I'm sure you can imaging my reaction when I saw that, within 20 minutes, my domain name, dustie.com, which I have owned since 1998, sold and transferred for a mere 450.00? I was sick...simply sick. How could this happen! First off, I've never had a domain name sell and transfer inside of 21 minutes and then be paid for it a little over a day and a half later. That's unheard of!

Immediately after reading those 5 emails and realizing my domain name had sold for less then 5% of what I'd had it listed for on Premium Domains, I was online with Godaddy help. Though they were sympathetic, no one there could help. They said I'd have to wait till morning and call auctions help. Needless to say, I didn't sleep well and was on the phone as soon as they opened their office. Though I was on the phone for a good 30 or so minutes with them (a good part of that time on hold), I was ultimately told there was nothing they could do for me. My domain was bought, paid for, and transferred and that was that! (Oh, and this even though they found the price had been tampered with twice that same night, long before I got online). They said this had to be me because no one else had access to that account! That was proof to me that someone was in there messing with my account and screwed me over big time, but not to them.

So I've been sick all week...trying to forget that someone illegally reached into my pocket and stole a lot of money , as well as my NAME! Needless to say, even a week later, I'm just sick about the whole thing.

Today, on a lark I looked up dustie.com on godaddy and was sick all over again when I saw that it is now listed as a premium domain for 12,000.00 (by the person who stole it from me?). That's just wrong, in so many ways! How do I get over this? I want to know how this could have happened!!??

I am posting in here as a warning to you all, as well as wanting to go on record that this did happen, regardless that the guy at [email protected] said that dustie.com had always been listed at 450.00 and it was a legitimate sale! I know how to use GoDaddy. I'm a long time user and have over 50 domain names with GoDaddy, more the half listed as premium domains! Ever since Dustie.com was originally listed as a premium domain at 20,000.00 that was the price that showed up whenever I went to maintain my premium listings. It always stuck out like a sore thumb, because most my other domain names are listed below 1000.00. There is simply no way Dustie.com was ever listed for as little as 450.00. Even go daddy suggested a price of nearly $5,000 as a premium listing starting point for dustie.com.

Without a doubt, my godaddy account was hacked and my domain name of 20 years stolen from me and relisted for 27 times what they paid for it! That burns me to the core!!!

I'm sure that, since this happened to me it will surely happen again. If any of you hear about such a thing, could you please have them get in touch with me? If I can find others that this has happened to, maybe we can do something as a group?

In the meantime, if you have a valuable domain name on Godaddy Premium domains, then you might want to take screen shots of the listed prices. Also, I was told that if I had the original email when it was listed that would be proof that it was listed at 20,000.00. Alas, I did not have it...I had, not long ago, deleted emails that were more then a year and a half old. If you don't have emails for your most valuable domain names, then remove them from listing, then relist them to get a new email and save those emails just in case!!

And Thanks for listening to my very long rant!

Dustie
(was [email protected] for over 20 years...now I am [email protected] and my site is dustie.art ... cool name, but it's certainly not worth what I lost in dustie.com!)
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
Dustie is taken in 8 extensions according to Uni not .ca
Linkedin 488 hits
411.com 6308 hits, some incorrect but it is a last name and first name. It's worth money to someone with name Dustie. Hookbox just made a valid point as well, no one here jumped on 5k
 
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Dustie.com sat here on namepros at $5,000 or best offer for six days and no one pulled the trigger. That says it all. He paid $450 and was willing to take a best offer which I'm sure he would have been happy flipping it quick for a grand or two profit and no one jumped. It's not that great of name but to each his own.

What it says is that people at NP are cheapskates who freeze up at the prospect of paying a fixed price for most any domain. That you think that the fact that people are NP are unwilling to pay a certain price for a domain, "says it all" proves the point more than anything else, my friend! NP is not the "be all end all" for domain pricing as far as what people here are willing to pay. Rather, it's the last stop, where people are willing to pay rock bottom only.

Your analysis of dustie.com proves the point too, the point being that most NP peeps can't see value in many domains, including a good one.

This is also part of why I don't post my closed sales at NP. Guaranteed, some NP people would come along and state that the domain wasn't worth the price I got, and then the buyer might see that. (This is exactly what has happened when a couple of my sales have landed at #1 on namebio.com and been posted here by a third party - NP peeps come in and one or two post inevitably about how the domain "wasn't worth that much.") It's not professional to open up a sale to public debate after the fact, especially for debate from peeps who can't always recognize value.

You'd have resisted paying $4200. for yotta.com too, admit it! (Hell, even I woulda resisted that I'll admit it...I guess hanging around NP is making me a cheapskate too.)
 
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What it says is that people at NP are cheapskates who freeze up at the prospect of paying a fixed price for most any domain. That you think that the fact that people are NP are unwilling to pay a certain price for a domain, "says it all" proves the point more than anything else, my friend!

You'd have resisted paying $4200. for yotta.com too, admit it!
On pure name alone anyone would be a straight up fool to pay $4200 for Yotta on name value alone. Yotta is worth what it is because there just so happens to be a company with deep pockets with that exact name. Bottom line is a name is worth what someone is willing to pay for it not what the name is actually worth.
 
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Bottom line is to not use the average NP member as a measure of what a GOOD domain is worth. Do your own research.

We're pretty good at NP at detecting crap, but most members here would pass on a fabulous name or try to buy it for lower no matter what the fixed price was.


On pure name alone anyone would be a straight up fool to pay $4200 for Yotta on name value alone.
Interesting verbiage. I guess you'd never buy and hold (or have bought and held) AMZN NFLX TSLA either? Book value of those has been nowhere near the stock price...for YEARS.

For example, Ali Zandi may be floundering these days, but in 2015, he was buying domains for mid four figures, even five figures and re-selling for much higher. Those particular domain names, in those days, no one at NP woulda paid a nickel for, and someone like you might've come in with an analysis of why they were worth little.

Book value isn't everything. You said it yourself (<< is worth what someone is willing to pay>>), and yet you keep repeating why such and such domain isn't worth much, and why a comparable sale is irrelevant or not even a comparable.

Why do FANG (FB AMZN NFLX GOOG/GOOGL) stocks tend to go up (or down) in unison? They have no real comparable basis...different markets...different companies...and yet they do move together. Toni and Dustie are comparables in this same way. To say that they have nothing to do with each other, is flat out wrong.

Anyway, if I were selling dustie I would bring up toni as a comparable, and you had better believe my buyer would buy into my analysis. They always seem to, haven't had a buyer argue yet that "such and such domain has nothing to do with the one you are selling." When I make a pitch, it tends to stick.
 
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This topic is interesting and I think warrants it's own thread. I mean I understand it started comparing value of first name domains, which was relevant, but seems to have drifted further away. There are still unanswered questions about the transaction, and don't want us to lose sight of that. Just my humble opinion.
Bob
 
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But Bob, we're just being verbose and digressing. Aren't you a fan of that? :xf.grin:

However, yes, I agree, this sub-topic at this point has enough meat on it, for its own thread.

P.S. I guess we're all just waiting for that post stating "I got the domain back!" and until then...we're occupying ourselves.
 
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>> I guess we're all just waiting for that post stating "I got the domain back!"


I agree - but I also would like Dustie to ask GoDaddy for the details from their research.

Yes, I appreciate Joe's involvement and response, but there is still an underlying concern of how this transpired..

-Cougar
 
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I have now pushed Dustie.com to you and we can all move on once you accept

I am happy I was able to do this for you :)

If it was bought by big domainer you might have never gotten it back

Another thanks to @MapleDots for that act and the refund has been sent as you know

Also thanks to @Joe Styler and GoDaddy for offering an additional credit in addition to the refund, that is very kind :)

Thank you for offering to split the profit of a future sale but I think you should take advice from others here and never list it for sale again

You clearly have a very personal connection to it and your first name in .com is great for personal/business uses and branding

I know if I had my first name in .com I would not even consider selling unless I was offered an unbelievable sum of money

Thanks
 
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@maxtra -

Thanks for the update.

"Thank you for offering to split the profit of a future sale" = I will piss myself if she lists if for sale 2 days later and gets $5,000 for it.

This has certainly been quite the drama.

I also hope that Dustie will requests more details from GoDaddy and shares that with this community. Without the details of GD's findings, how do we (as a community) know how to take action to protect ourselves from this happening again.

-Cougar
 
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I have now pushed Dustie.com to you and we can all move on once you accept

@MapleDots the refund has been sent as you know

Also thanks to @Joe Styler and GoDaddy for offering an additional credit in addition to the refund, that is very kind :)

the intent is that all three parties are made whole and no one takes a loss.
Looks like this has happened!

Nice!
 
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A very generous and heroic move @maxtra! (y)(y) You are very classy. Also, even though he never actually was fully involved due to things beyond his control, @MapleDots jumping in with the early offer helped this go to this solution. I know @Dustie truly appreciates your incredible generosity.

Maybe NPs should start a Domain Hero of the Month award? You have my nomination if they do (or maybe jointly with @MapleDots).

Bob
 
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Sorry, woke up early today and had to run out without being able to respond to anyone.

Dustie.com was only ever listed through the GoDaddy Premium Domain program through my GoDaddy Account. Never on auctions, at least not by me.

Cougar, from what Joe says they've not found any glitches or any sign of misuse in the system, and that, while they don't doubt I would have never knowingly repriced a 20,000.00 domain to 450.00, without any evidence to the contrary on their side of wrong doing, they can't, according to their TOS, reverse the transaction from their end. It has to be the buyers decision. So it looks as if there were any underlying concerns here, it's not ever going to ever come to light.
 
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Sorry, woke up early today and had to run out without being able to respond to anyone.

Dustie.com was only ever listed through the GoDaddy Premium Domain program through my GoDaddy Account. Never on auctions, at least not by me.

Cougar, from what Joe says they've not found any glitches or any sign of misuse in the system, and that, while they don't doubt I would have never knowingly repriced a 20,000.00 domain to 450.00, without any evidence to the contrary on their side of wrong doing, they can't, according to their TOS, reverse the transaction from their end. It has to be the buyers decision. So it looks as if there were any underlying concerns here, it's not ever going to ever come to light.
I have pushed the domain to you, you just need to accept the transfer :)
 
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Thank you [Dustie] for offering to split the profit of a future sale but I think you should take advice from others here and never list it for sale again
I think this should silence any remaining critics of Dustie, any who might have lingering thoughts of that she had any untoward intentions here.
 
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Sorry, woke up early today and had to run out without being able to respond to anyone.

Dustie.com was only ever listed through the GoDaddy Premium Domain program through my GoDaddy Account. Never on auctions, at least not by me.

Cougar, from what Joe says they've not found any glitches or any sign of misuse in the system, and that, while they don't doubt I would have never knowingly repriced a 20,000.00 domain to 450.00, without any evidence to the contrary on their side of wrong doing, they can't, according to their TOS, reverse the transaction from their end. It has to be the buyers decision. So it looks as if there were any underlying concerns here, it's not ever going to ever come to light.

Hi @Dustie -

I understand.

However - you still should send the list of questions I outlined to Joe. If you don't, then GD leaves themselves open to scrutiny with the situation and also (and more important) how will you or I or anyone else know how to protect ourselves from this happening to us?

Not asking the questions is (in my opinion) not pursuing the truth.

I don't believe I am alone with wanting to assess the details myself and draw my own conclusions.

I can certainly say if this happens again - I doubt their will be such warm reception the 2nd time around - especially if we are left NOT KNOWING the details that the review team identified.

There is NO HARM in providing such details. It would add SIGNIFICANT credibility to their findings.

-Cougar
 
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Bottom line is to not use the average NP member as a measure of what a GOOD domain is worth. Do your own research.

We're pretty good at NP at detecting crap, but most members here would pass on a fabulous name or try to buy it for lower no matter what the fixed price was.



Interesting verbiage. I guess you'd never buy and hold (or have bought and held) AMZN NFLX TSLA either? Book value of those has been nowhere near the stock price...for YEARS.

For example, Ali Zandi may be floundering these days, but in 2015, he was buying domains for mid four figures, even five figures and re-selling for much higher. Those particular domain names, in those days, no one at NP woulda paid a nickel for, and someone like you might've come in with an analysis of why they were worth little.

Book value isn't everything. You said it yourself (<< is worth what someone is willing to pay>>), and yet you keep repeating why such and such domain isn't worth much, and why a comparable sale is irrelevant or not even a comparable.

Why do FANG (FB AMZN NFLX GOOG/GOOGL) stocks tend to go up (or down) in unison? They have no real comparable basis...different markets...different companies...and yet they do move together. Toni and Dustie are comparables in this same way. To say that they have nothing to do with each other, is flat out wrong.

Anyway, if I were selling dustie I would bring up toni as a comparable, and you had better believe my buyer would buy into my analysis. They always seem to, haven't had a buyer argue yet that "such and such domain has nothing to do with the one you are selling." When I make a pitch, it tends to stick.

I must say you are pretty much spot on with your observations.

If I like a domain name, I buy it and don’t spare any expense in my decision to purchase the name, and it may be to solely put in my vault of collection names as opposed to buying it for any resale purposes. I am quite sure many people think that pretty crazy here at NPs lol
 
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What it says is that people at NP are cheapskates who freeze up at the prospect of paying a fixed price for most any domain. That you think that the fact that people are NP are unwilling to pay a certain price for a domain, "says it all" proves the point more than anything else, my friend! NP is not the "be all end all" for domain pricing as far as what people here are willing to pay. Rather, it's the last stop, where people are willing to pay rock bottom only.

Your analysis of dustie.com proves the point too, the point being that most NP peeps can't see value in many domains, including a good one.

This is also part of why I don't post my closed sales at NP. Guaranteed, some NP people would come along and state that the domain wasn't worth the price I got, and then the buyer might see that. (This is exactly what has happened when a couple of my sales have landed at #1 on namebio.com and been posted here by a third party - NP peeps come in and one or two post inevitably about how the domain "wasn't worth that much.") It's not professional to open up a sale to public debate after the fact, especially for debate from peeps who can't always recognize value.

You'd have resisted paying $4200. for yotta.com too, admit it! (Hell, even I woulda resisted that I'll admit it...I guess hanging around NP is making me a cheapskate too.)
Sorry can't keep discussing something with someone that waits for a response and then goes back and edits what they said to make their response look different then what it originally was. I agree with others here that its off subject and agree there should be a new thread. ✌
 
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OMG...MAXTRA...You are one very special person and my friend forever! Is that an actual picture of you in your icon? You have such a wonderful friendly smile! ;)

OK...not sure how this is going to play out. I received the Transfer request, approved it...then it wanted my address and such, including email address. I put in [email protected] since that's what I've been using for the last 10 days, and low and behold...it then said that there would be one more step to complete since the ICANN email had changed and that ICANN would have to send an email to the email on record to confirm.

Well, guess what... I am no longer receiving email at [email protected] so that email will go nowhere. I did go over to ICANN, logged in (I didn't even remember I'd joined them...but fortunatly had the password written down). I then changed my email over at ICANN to [email protected], hoping they will send a new email confirming my email to the right address. So right now my transfer is in LIMBO...

One more big dip for the Emotional Roller Coaster! BUT YOU ARE STILL A ROCK STAR MAXTRA!
 
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Sorry can't keep discussing something with someone that waits for a response and then goes back and edits what they said to make their response look different then what it originally was.

LOOK, now you're coming across as an idiot. Nothing less.

I edit my response not because of what YOU have to say. I edit my response or post during the course of posting it. I don't even read what you have to say until after I am done editing my post and have posted it as final.

I'm sorry if I am thoughtful and think about what I have to say before I am done posting it.

My advice to you at this point is to double clutch, and take some time to reflect before posting. If that means waiting until someone has finished posting his complete post, that is only a matter of minutes.

I am both a practiced writer, and a lawyer. If I let loose my first draft of my thoughts I'd be a poor example of both.

I do not read your response before editing. I edit everything I write. I suggest you start doing the same and not just let loose with your first thoughts. My first draft is never my final.
 
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OMG...MAXTRA...You are one very special person and my friend forever! Is that an actual picture of you in your icon? You have such a wonderful friendly smile! ;)

OK...not sure how this is going to play out. I received the Transfer request, approved it...then it wanted my address and such, including email address. I put in [email protected] since that's what I've been using for the last 10 days, and low and behold...it then said that there would be one more step to complete since the ICANN email had changed and that ICANN would have to send an email to the email on record to confirm.

Well, guess what... I am no longer receiving email at [email protected] so that email will go nowhere. I did go over to ICANN, logged in (I didn't even remember I'd joined them...but fortunatly had the password written down). I then changed my email over at ICANN to [email protected], hoping they will send a new email confirming my email to the right address. So right now my transfer is in LIMBO...

One more big dip for the Emotional Roller Coaster! BUT YOU ARE STILL A ROCK STAR MAXTRA!
It is Kevin from the office :-P

Let me know if there is any issues on my end in DM and I will resolve it (y)
 
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I have now pushed Dustie.com to you and we can all move on once you accept

I am happy I was able to do this for you :)

If it was bought by big domainer you might have never gotten it back

Another thanks to @MapleDots for that act and the refund has been sent as you know

Also thanks to @Joe Styler and GoDaddy for offering an additional credit in addition to the refund, that is very kind :)

Thank you for offering to split the profit of a future sale but I think you should take advice from others here and never list it for sale again

You clearly have a very personal connection to it and your first name in .com is great for personal/business uses and branding

I know if I had my first name in .com I would not even consider selling unless I was offered an unbelievable sum of money

Thanks


All wonderful advice from a true gentleman, without a doubt! Advice which I intend to definitely follow!
 
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LOOK, now you're coming across as an idiot. Nothing less.

I edit my response not because of what YOU have to say. I edit my response or post during the course of posting it. I don't even read what you have to say until after I am done editing my post and have posted it as final.

I'm sorry if I am thoughtful and think about what I have to say before I am done posting it.

My advice to you at this point is to double clutch, and take some time to reflect before posting. If that means waiting until someone has finished posting his complete post, that is only a matter of minutes.

I am both a practiced writer, and a lawyer. If I let loose my first draft of my thoughts I'd be a poor example of both.

I do not read your response before editing. I edit everything I write. I suggest you start doing the same and not just let loose with your first thoughts. My first draft is never my final.
First you call me an idiot and then as usual you edit your response and say I'm coming across as an idiot. I know with you it is best to wait 20 minutes so no more editing can be done so I can answer to EXACTLY what you said the first time. 😁
 
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It is Kevin from the office :-P

Let me know if there is any issues on my end in DM and I will resolve it (y)

Thanks! Mind my asking what DM stands for? I probably know but am not thinking clearly right now. I need a cup of Coffee!
 
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Thanks! Mind my asking what DM stands for? I probably know but am not thinking clearly right now. I need a cup of Coffee!
Direct Message
 
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