Is privacy worth paying for?

[sky]

For example, GoDaddy?

Or is a little bit of indirection in the WHOIS records sufficient to both hold claim to ownership and avoid SPAM, stalking, etc...?

Privacy really adds up.
Not so bad ordering new in bulk, but at renewal time it's $9. Killer.

Paul

 

[StoneRoses]

Depends how much you need the privacy,only you know why you would want it, personally i don't have the need for it.
I would advise against putting any false info in the whois though,

 

[-NC-]

I wouldn't advise putting any false info in your whois, you can *technically* get your domain taken away from you.

You could:
1) transfer the names as the renewals come around to a registrar who doesn't charge the kind of rip off prices for privacy that godaddy does.
- DynaDot $2-$3
- Moniker $4 (I think)
- NameCheap (free for new registrarions I think, not sure about renewals)

2) Get a P.O. box to use for the address and a free phone to email service for the phone number

3) Register an LLC in Wyoming for $150 and use those details

 

[shockie]

whether it's worth paying for is somewhat of a personal question. for some people it is worth it, for others not so much so. is spam that big of an issue for you, are there reasons for people to stalk you, etc?

relatively cheap ways of avoiding these issues is what -NC-'s point number two. it is especially cost effective if you're going to have a large number of domains. be sure to check your mail and email though!

 

[gazzip]

Not if its at Network Solutions - they charge you heaps and still show your name - Duuur

I transfer mine to Answerable.com where Full Privacy is FREE !


.

 

[kiore]

I don't want my whois information hidden. I sell domain names, if someone wants to buy one of my domains & contacts me through the whois information, it's good.

The privacy option doesn't protect you from law suits, DRS/UDRPs, etc; and if you have a defense to the complaint you have to rely on the registrar forwarding the papers to you in a timely manner so you can mount the defense.

If you really want to hide your name, register a company somewhere cheap but make sure the address information is accurate.

 

[gpmgroup]

WHOIS privacy is all round not good.

If there is a serious issue , when it matters... when push comes to shove ... Who owns the name? You or the Privacy company?

If you were running your own search engine who would you trust more a site with open details or one with details you couldn't verify?

If you were undecided about buying something expensive and one site had hidden WHOIS and one was the same as the website who would you do business with?

As others have said if you really need privacy and your names are valuable use a PO Box or an LLC then you are in control.

 

[notlikeyou]

If there is a serious issue , when it matters... when push comes to shove ... Who owns the name? You or the Privacy company?

This does not make sense to me could you explain? Are you saying that a Privacy company can take ownership of your domain?

 

[RazorNF]

This does not make sense to me could you explain? Are you saying that a Privacy company can take ownership of your domain?

I don't think anyone has actually lost their name to a privacy service, but when you read the fine print for alot of them, they actually do become the registrant of your name, though through a lot of legal mumbo-jumbo, they are not responsible for anything you do with it, and either side can opt out of the privacy services they provide you at any time, and hand the name back to you.

As GPM mentioned, get yourself a PO Box, especially if you are currently using your home address for your registrations.

 

[gpmgroup]

either side can opt out of the privacy services they provide you at any time, and hand the name back to you.

I'm not so sure its that easy lol

This case will be one to watch though I wonder how far it will get?
http://dockets.justia.com/docket/court-mndce/case_no-0:2007cv04022/case_id-94079/

This does not make sense to me could you explain? Are you saying that a Privacy company can take ownership of your domain?

If your name is not in the WHOIS record do you think you actually own the domain? You may have an agreement with the WHOIS privacy service but is that the same as owning a domain?

 

[Jammer]

I recently had someone use my whois information(except for the email) to register names with TM issues and then park them for the parking cash.
I received a C & D for a name that I never registered, of a company I've never heard of.
It cost me $12 to send a registered letter to the law firm issuing the C & D.It certainly would have been cheaper for the privacy protection and I have no way of knowing how many other names might be out there with my whois info.
There are lots of malicious people out there who have access to your whois info and can do a lot of nasty things with that info.

 

[sky]

When I first started buying domains I was scammed

I was auctioning a domain on afternic and someone found my whois information and contacted me via e-mail and tried to run the classic auction scam on me and... it worked. So now I'm smarter in a lot of ways.

I prefer to keep a level of indirection, but I'm not being stalked, I just guess I like to have a degree of insulation.

 

[htmlindex]

I use to use Whois privacy when I 1st started, but found it a waste of money. Personally, I wouldn't waste money on it anymore, especially when you have a portfolio of names. Just get a PO Box if you don't want to have your home address there

 

[gingeman]

Not sure what's happening with it now, but the dnoa here used to offer free privacy services across all registrars...http://dnoa.org

 

[tpruby]

Not if its at Network Solutions - they charge you heaps and still show your name - Duuur

I transfer mine to Answerable.com where Full Privacy is FREE !


.

Answerable only provides privacy protection for some of their tld's, example, .co.in and .in do not have the service....the only place I have every seen that has reasonable privacy protection for a .co.in and .in , is domainsite....50 cents a name. I would have used Moniker, but they charge $4.00.

I certainly would have used answerable, but like I said, they only offer the token service for a few tld's and certainly not the majority.