Am I obliged to have a phone number in WHOIS?

[Domain Lead Finder]

I have 1000s of domain names and use a cell phone number that is turned to mute because I get 100 phone calls every day from Indians. Now a certain registrar is making me jump through hoops to "verify" random domain names. I have 2 questions:

1) Am I obliged to have/own a phone number by law? Are my rights being infringed upon if a verification process involves having something that is not mandatory by law like a phone?

2) If it is obligatory by law to have a working phone number listed, is there a law that obliges me to pick up the phone? I feel it is my god given right to not answer the phone or SMS. Putting a phone number that is technically working is one thing, but picking up or answering is completely another. If I do not wish to answer the phone this is nobody's business IMO and nobody can make me answer. I feel my rights are being infringed upon because they are making me take action. I put in a working phone, my bit is done.

Thank you for any input.

 

[Kuffy]

I have a second cell phone that is turned off almost all the time. It's an old phone on a cheap PAYG plan, and it costs me virtually nothing.

 

[Domain Lead Finder]

I have a second cell phone that is turned off almost all the time. It's an old phone on a cheap PAYG plan, and it costs me virtually nothing.

Yes this is exactly what I use. But I have 1000-s of domains and these "Verifications" are becoming tedious. Their system picks a random domain and I have to jump through hoops.

I was wondering whether I am obliged to answer a phone at all, act upon an SMS. The law says a working phone number must be listed and I did list a working number. Whether I answer or not is a completely different thing.

 

[Kate]

The law says

Icann is the law now ?

Personally I would suggest listing a virtual phone number with autoresponder. And a dedicated E-mail address for whois too.

 

[xynames]

Google voice (GV).

However, whatever phone number you have on your WhoIs now has already spread throughout the spam community, so I'd recommend transferring that WhoIs number to GV.

If you have a disconnected number, undeliverable email or nondeliverable address on your WhoIs this is technically grounds to lose your domain registration.

Yahoo is good for the domain WhoIs email because it tends to filter out all spam automatically.

---

What do you mean by "these 'Verifications' are becoming tedious" - there are no phone verifications related to ICANN.

 

[creataweb]

2nd phone, turned off except 1 time a week to check messages solves it for me.

 

[Blueforever]

Lol! Why are they all Indians?

 

[lock]

Thank you for your call however i am not taking cold calls. All calls are made by an email appointment and will call you if you qualify. In order to register to receive a phone appointment you must give a full introduction including a reason statement on why you choose that particular domain to develop or promote.
If you found the number you will have the email and will call you if interested.
You will appreciate that i am currently too busy now to discuss a call of this nature..

 

[slimjim270]

Op - I ran into the same problem 18 months ago when I made the mistake of using my personal cell phone # on a new registrar account.

With over 700+ domains on the account, I started getting all these unusual calls at all hours of the night for "design services", "tax relief", "amazing winnings from a lottery on Mars"... etc...

Worse - I left my phone on one night while my Dad was in the hospital (just in case I got "the call"). At 2:00AM I got "a call", jumped out of bed in a panic thinking it was my sister calling to tell me the old man had died. Nope, it was a terrific offer via an auto-dialer for "spectacular savings on your next trip to Jupiter" or something. My heart pounding... no sleep the rest of the night.

Similar to @Kuffy and @creataweb I simply went to Walmart and purchased an inexpensive Track phone (the cheap flip type). It cost me less than $7/month (only $0.22 / day) for that dedicated phone #. I shut it off during, let all calls go directly to voicemail and check it once a week.

Only $0.22/day... it is a cosmetic expense for a good nights sleep and having my personal phone back to.... personal.

 

[forge]

If it is the registrar I think it is, just choose the SMS/text option and you aren't obliged to reply by text. You are sent a numeric code that you enter online to verify.

 

[mr-x]

I get 100 phone calls every day from Indians.

FaxAway.com - $1 a month for voicemail / fax. Will email voicemail as mp3.

https://smsreceivefree.com/ Throwaway number to receive text messages

Phone.com - more expensive but handles voice and SMS.

Kall8.com - $5/month for a number with voice mail, forwarding, etc..

 

[MasterOfMyDomains]

I use this app
http://www.free-tone.com/

Its free, watch videos for credits that they never seem to deduct
Never had issue, except the indians phoning which you can block
You have to use it once every 30 days or will switch numbers, u can pay $3 to lock in number for year.

 

[.X.]

Lol! Why are they all Indians?

That is a very good question, But i get the same thing, Indians, All indians, I had one of those IRS scamming numbers call me, I called it back, The number showed to New York USA, An indian lady answered, telling me she was a US Government agent, I wont say what all i said to her, But by mid call, she told me, I am in New Delhi India , She fessed up that they use auto dialers with numbers from the USA,

Then i have dedicated Gmail addy just for my domains, I get endless e-mails for website development, SEO optimization, pretty much you name it, Guess where these folks are from, India, They say so in their email.

I don't have a problem so much with the solicitation via email, goes straight to spam box, no harm, no foul. In this society-world we live in today, i have become very accustomed to the scammers and the people running behind greed, and given the opportunity, they would clean out my bank account, take my wife, my last piece of food, they don't give a damn, And they come from all countries.

But the "Why India" on the misuse of whois info, or mainly soliciting off my domain names, I have no idea. I wish i did know why.

 

[Blueforever]

Wish there was a way to earn money every time these guys call me. Via a premium number or something. I'd be rich, rich I tells ya!

 

[mr-x]

Not a bad idea, maybe a 900 number would do it.

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