Lost my Domains on GODADDY

[Yanosh]

Hi guys
Just wanted to share with you a terrible experience with godaddy.

I registered a godaddy account about 2 months ago , I bought 6 domains through it and paid the fee to enter their auctions as well always using the same (mine) credit card.
A bit later they contacted by email :




From this point on , my account was blocked.
I emailed them with my ID , customer number and PIN as told me by their customer support center.
Nothing for 10 days and after that they sent me this email :


I contacted them by email about 5/6 times again , never had an explanation nor an answer.
I contacted their support team more then 10 times and always had different solutions :
Some said I need to reach the concerned team through email cause they can’t help me, others made me send again an email with ID , customer number, pin and even 4 last digits of my credit card and wait for their response.
Never had a new answer.
Another month passed and 2 days ago I contacted their support team once again :
Incredibly this guy told me that they already refunded me for all my domains I had in that account, informing me that in 90 days since the refund my domains will be available again.
I checked and they had refunded me ( missed that , idk how but my fault )
I then checked for my domains and 2/6 of them were indeed available.
The other 4 were already taken by different people 2 DAYS after they sent me the 1 email, where they blocked my account.

I’ve never had an explanation and luckily I’m new in these business so my domains weren’t so good ( 1 of them is now listed as premium though), but what if I had valuable domains in there ?

Is this a normal behavior for godaddy ?

 

[iDat]

@James Iles

 

[Yanosh]

@James Iles

Oh he already spoke with me
And he told me the same things their customer support said : I can’t give any info just contact the concerned team

 

[iDat]

They don't just close accounts for no reason.

Was yours a new account?
Was the account address different than your card's address?
Account name matched with the name in card?
Used VPN to enter?

 

[Andreas B.]

I once signed up at godaddy with my gmail account, which had a fictive pre / family name (not my real one).

Godaddy simply took that information, as my real name,
and let me reg 2 names with it, which I unintentionally did...

Good, that one year later I wanted to let them drop either way;

at that time I had no more access to my account as I had deleted the verification app (2 fact authent) on my smartphone.

When reaching out, they told me they can only restore access when I mail them a screenshot of my passport, with that name on it.

it were two words, pre/family name, that are obviously not real...

 

[Yanosh]

They don't just close accounts for no reason.

Was yours a new account?
Was the account address different than your card's address?
Account name matched with the name in card?
Used VPN to enter?

So why they didn’t told me the reason ?
It was a new account , never had any sales or a previous account
The account was with my name , as the credit card
Never used a VPN.
I don’t know about address honestly cause here in Italy I have 2 houses , but in the same state.
Probably I bought domains in both locations , but if that was the issue why not contact me and ask instead of closing my account ?

 

[Andreas B.]

So why they didn’t told me the reason ?
It was a new account , never had any sales or a previous account
The account was with my name , as the credit card
Never used a VPN.
I don’t know about address honestly cause here in Italy I have 2 houses , but in the same state.
Probably I bought domains in both locations , but if that was the issue why not contact me and ask instead of closing my account ?

Cannot be because of the address...

Can only have sth to do with your name (history) or IP address...

 

[Yanosh]

Cannot be because of the address...

Can only have sth to do with your name (history) or IP address...

Being in 2 different locations IP address obviously changes.
I have domains on Namecheap, Register and Ionos as well
Never had any problem

 

[VTS]

Oh he already spoke with me
And he told me the same things their customer support said : I can’t give any info just contact the concerned team

Scary, it Sounds Like Godaddy Can Just Steal from its Customers and there is No way of doing anything about it without taking Legal Action.

You've Got me thinking about moving my domains OUT of Godaddy.com Now.

 

[Yanosh]

Scary, it Sounds Like Godaddy Can Just Steal from its Customers and there is No way of doing anything about it without taking Legal Action.

You've Got me thinking about moving my domains OUT of Godaddy.com Now.

Don’t rush
Godaddy is one of the biggest registrars out there , this is an isolated case.
Indeed strange

 

[VTS]

Don’t rush
Godaddy is one of the biggest registrars out there , this is an isolated case.
Indeed strange

I'm Very Concerned and Noted.

 

[Samer]

@Joe Styler

 

[DomainsGENERAL.com]

Is this a normal behavior for godaddy ?

I guess so if something appears "fishy" or simply "risky" according to their own criteria. Which of course you can't know. If this can reassure you, I had the exact same experience as you. I believe it was because I used a prepaid card (gift card). It was only for one domain on my side, and I had the feeling maybe the fact I was benefitting from a discounted price for the first registration had also something to do with it. But if you registered 6 domains, maybe not, in hindsight. I probably used a VPN too, because I do most of the time.

They wanted a copy of the credit card, or to verify it was under my name. Something like that.
No way to make their "support' accept it was a gift card and it obviously had no name attached to it (I explained, sent a copy, etc. to no avail). It was irritating because they were always spinning everything as being for my supposed own protection and how great they were to restict my account and make me lose that domain too. I did ask several times for them to not cancel the order and send me an auth code to transfer it somewhere else. They never did. They kept my domain for themselves, it appears. It wasn't made available again after 90 days. I also got the refund, tho.

Anyway, I walked away frustrated and have been very happy with Porkbun, Namesilo, Dynadot and Namecheap since (Epik too before it went sideways).

I guess they have enough customers to be picky and value THEIR "security" above all. While telling you it's about your security. At least, it was like this with me. Use another registrar

 

[Yanosh]

They don't just close accounts for no reason.

Was yours a new account?
Was the account address different than your card's address?
Account name matched with the name in card?
Used VPN to enter?

Oh I hope so
What about explaining me any issue instead of just closing my account without any explanation ?

 

[Samer]

@Joe Styler

@Joe Styler made it clear he doesnt use NP much nowadays, but thankfully, you’re in great hands if @James Iles replies. I’ve had nothing but positive experiences in all my time dealing with James, but it was never when James was in GD vicinity.

Good luck!

 

[cooljub]

The other 4 were already taken by different people 2 DAYS after they sent me the 1 email

All different people?

 

[Yanosh]

All different people?

Yes , it seems so !

 

[AliDot]

It's happened when you used different card or payment method that does not match with your godaddy account details.

2nd if you used VPN.

3rd if you made 2 to 3 different godaddy accounts for first domain registration.

I've faced this same situation 2 times in my early domaining days.

- First i used vpn for paypal then they blocked me and redund my domains cost.
- 2nd when i paid for my closeout domains thru my daddy credit card then they refunded and blocked my account.

I don't think Godaddy did this without any reason specially, in your case where you've not premium domains that you recently won in a auction.

 

[Yanosh]

It's happened when you used different card or payment method that does not match with your godaddy account details.

2nd if you used VPN.

3rd if you made 2 to 3 different godaddy accounts for first domain registration.

I've faced this same situation 2 times in my early domaining days.

- First i used vpn for paypal then they blocked me and redund my domains cost.
- 2nd when i paid for my closeout domains thru my daddy credit card then they refunded and blocked my account.

I don't think Godaddy did this without any reason specially, in your case where you've not premium domains that you recently won in a auction.

I think they have their reasons , but since the account is mine I think it could have been better to explain it to me.
Cause to this day I still don’t know.
One of the domains I lost is now listed as premium. (.cc )

I’ve used only 1 credit card , mine.
Never used a VPN
Never had a different godaddy account

Seriously

 

[hn]

Its surprising that Registrars get away with such things & ICANN does nothing about it. Long back I had an issue where in I won a domain at an auction of a major expiring domain catcher. Once a domain is won, they used to keep it in locked state with a registrar of their choice for 60 days. Now just before the 60 days were about to end they deleted domain from my account and amount was refunded! I registered complaint with ICANN and know what - they directed the complaint to the same registrar who simply said they were within their rights to take back the domain!!!

 

[DomainsGENERAL.com]

just before the 60 days were about to end they deleted domain from my account and amount was refunded

Which registrar was that? Also GoDaddy or another one?
There are some registrars behaving better than others out there.

 

[hn]

Which registrar was that? Also GoDaddy or another one?
There are some registrars behaving better than others out there.

Not GoDaddy but some other. I will try to find the info if possible as its been almost 7-8 years since the issue happened. I had contacted ICANN too in this regard, nothing happened. They ccd the mail to the registrar and registrar said they can take back the domain in the 60 day period!