More GoDaddy horror stories

[kektex]

Most of you know that Godaddy will suspend your domains if anyone feels like complaining to them about you.
Well, it looks like the owner of FamilyAlbum.com lost this valuable domain because of an innacurate email address:
Original Story
GoDaddy Response

After all the GD horror stories popping up lately I´m starting to move my domains to another registrar. It´s going to be costly but at least I can rest easy that they´re not going to hijack my domains.

 

[mis_chiff]

There is a bunch of threads already about this story....
Maybe they can be combined...

and they don't suspend them cause someone complains,

there was 8 weeks of no responses! (from the owner)
Email caught in spam filter..........

and I actually just found this on google,
http://www.xeblo.com/index.php/2007/02/27/godaddy-deletes-domain-name-for-inaccurate-email-address/
looks to me that the sneaky person involved
was not godaddy, it was the guy reporting it in the
first place in order to steal it from the current owner!
and the proof is in the pudding!
Gee, think he knew ahead of time what would happen :talk:

 

[kektex]

There is a bunch of threads already about this story....
Maybe they can be combined...

Hmm sorry about that...should have searched before.

and they don't suspend them cause someone complains,

http://www.threadwatch.org/node/3785
http://news.com.com/GoDaddy+pulls+security+site+after+MySpace+complaints/2100-1025_3-6153607.html
http://www.nodaddy.com

there was 8 weeks of no responses! (from the owner)
Email caught in spam filter..........

Suspending a domain is no small business...a phone call would have been nice.

and I actually just found this on google,
http://www.xeblo.com/index.php/2007...-email-address/
looks to me that the sneaky person involved
was not godaddy, it was the guy reporting it in the
first place in order to steal it from the current owner!
and the proof is in the pudding!
Gee, think he knew ahead of time what would happen

Does that make you feel better about Godaddy?
From that domainnamewire link I posted:

UPDATE #2 2/28/07: I just heard from GoDaddy that the cost the new owner paid for the domain was $18.99. This is the price of a backorder, not a regular registration. Perhaps this is how it worked: Person tries e-mailing domain owner with Whois information and e-mail bounces. Person backorders domain and then sends complaint to GoDaddy. GoDaddy tries to contact only via e-mail, which bounces. Domain is cancelled and given to person with backorder.

Somehow this doesnt make me feel any safer.

 

[mis_chiff]

Doesn't sway me either way about godaddy,
I have been with them for about a year, I have
had nothing but excellent service, fast responses,
and I have always been informed by them, via email,
cause mine works..... if there has been an issue. Now I can only
talk about my experiences with them, and unfortunately for
the godaddy bashers, I haven't had a bad experience yet...
so needless to say, why would I bash? We don't really know
the whole story...

However, whether I agree with what they did or not -
I mean if it's in their TOS who am I to argue?
and sure if it was to me, then I'd be pissed...it is a great domain!
but when I eventually realised IT WAS MY OWN FAULT,
then I'd be kicking myself in the butt!

Why would someone NOT be sure their stuff is correct??
It started back in December apparently? Well, isin't that's lots
of time to log in and check your account?

 

[slipondajimmy]

I am still not sure what the problem is? What is go daddy's Legal Responsibility to contact the owner? If the owner of the domain did not have valid contact info that where is the issue? What are they required to do per Icann rules?

 

[kektex]

I have not had any problems with GD yet. Apart from an issue that came up yesterday with the fact that they do not allow IP numbers as a DNS server (which a customer needs), I haven´t needed to contact them for anything.

But I would rather not wait for it to happen.Saving a dollar on a domain is not worth the risk.

If the owner of the domain did not have valid contact info that where is the issue?

The owner only had the wrong email listed.He had his phone number and real address correctly.Plenty of people have posted already about GD even calling them when they haven´t renewed a domain or another service.Why didn´t they call this customer too?

IMHO, GD didn´t handle this and the other situations we have all read about correctly.
Sorry that I posted this again (just saw the other threads about this :red: )

 

[labrocca]

Sorry but other registrars simply do not delete domains on the whims of an email complaint. Godaddy does everything it can to cause hassle for it's users. If you get a legal letter...they charge you..if you domain gets expired...they charge you extra, if you useir tdnam service you may not actually get the domain they are selling. If someone complains about your sites content to GD...they will suspend your DNS to theirs. They take action on a constant basis as if they are the net police. Most registrars don't give a damn about what emails, complaints, or letters they recieve unless it's a court order in a proper jurisdiction.

 

[tricolorro]

I am still not sure what the problem is? What is go daddy's Legal Responsibility to contact the owner? If the owner of the domain did not have valid contact info that where is the issue? What are they required to do per Icann rules?

:hi:

GoDaddy was required to "take reasonable steps to investigate that claimed inaccuracy" and "take reasonable steps to correct that inaccuracy".

This is from the Registrar Accreditation Agreement
Section 3.7.8

http://icann.org/registrars/ra-agreement-17may01.htm#3.7.8

-----------------------------------------------------------------
"3.7.8 ...Registrar shall, upon notification by any person of an inaccuracy in the contact information associated with a Registered Name sponsored by Registrar, take reasonable steps to investigate that claimed inaccuracy.

In the event Registrar learns of inaccurate contact information associated with a Registered Name it sponsors, it shall take reasonable steps to correct that inaccuracy."
-----------------------------------------------------------------

Whichever side of the fence you are on can any reasonable person claim that GoDaddy took ...reasonable steps to investigate that claimed inaccuracy by just sending an email to the email address that was reported as invalid?

Can any reasonable person claim that GoDaddy took
...reasonable steps to correct that inaccuracy by selling the domain to the Complainant?

Yes the domain holder violated ICAAN's Whois Data Reminder Policy by not keeping ALL the Who Is info updated and correct.

http://icann.org/registrars/wdrp.htm

But I think any reasonable person would claim that GoDaddy also violated the Registrar Accreditation Agreement they signed.

Patrick

 

[slipondajimmy]

I do not condone GD actions at all . I want to make that clear. BUT. It did not see anything that says they are required to call, send a messenger, or drive to the persons house to say that they do not have proper info.

I work for a internet based company. We send about 250 packages a day. If someone orders a product and after a week or so they call us and say they didnt get it and we find that apon ordering they entered the wrong address, is it our fault? Should we say no problem and pay 4-5 dollars to send out again?

Should we have called them or emailed them first to make sure that the address the entered was correct? Imaging having to call over 1000 customers a week just to make sure they entered all the correct info before sending out a package?

 

[Damion]

I'm sorry Donnie but that is an comparisement not applicable to this situation.

I agree that there is an responsibility that rests on the registrant but if for some unforseen reason you are not able to check your email then it's not justified to have your asset removed from you.

There are just more scenarios possible then just the scenario of an invalid email address should no response be given which is why GD actions where not correct even though they can hide behind their Terms of Service.

Which may even not be so bullet proof as one may think seeing the above post made by tricolorro.

take reasonable steps to investigate that claimed inaccuracy.

Reasonable steps would an 1)email subsequently followed by a 2)phone call and should this not yield a response a 3)letter by snail mail.

That are all the reasonable steps in the equation.
Only as far as we know and to which this topic is being discussed the first reasonable step has been taken.

By the way, was it not so that GD would return the domain if the owner would not sue them?
I believe something like this was mentioned?

 

[slipondajimmy]

Reasonable steps would an 1)email subsequently followed by a 2)phone call and should this not yield a response a 3)letter by snail mail.

That are all the reasonable steps in the equation.
Only as far as we know and to which this topic is being discussed the first reasonable step has been taken.

By the way, was it not so that GD would return the domain if the owner would not sue them?
I believe something like this was mentioned?

All im getting at is that reasonable is a broad word. Some could argue that me emailing someone 6 times to get something resolved is reasonable. Would it be my responsibility to try and contact you by other means? I dont think so. So if all that Iccan is saying is that reasonable steps should be taken , 6 emails could very well be reasonable.

They should not have to police what people are putting for info. It sucks that this guy lost his name. But if it was that important he would of had all the proper info, im sure he was well aware of policies

 

[Damion]

If you're not able to answer your email your not able, it's that simple!
A non-valid email is not the ONLY scenario possible why someone is not responding to your email.

There are three means of contact in the registrant details so reasonable would be to make use of these, that is reasonable. Nothing more, Nothing less. Not utilizing these other options is pure negligence.

If these other options for contacting have been utilized ONLY then you can rightfully say you have done everything reasonably possible to get in touch.

Why is it reasonable to neglect these other two opportunities to get in touch?

In your view only email is a reasonable form of communication.
Remember that some people don't live day and night next to their computers.

 

[mis_chiff]

There has to be more to the story that we're not
aware of yet, this person had the domain from 2002...
he never received emails from Godaddy? The whole time?

Or did he maybe get some advertising from godaddy at
some point and perhaps blocked it? Thinking it was spam,
and in turn...blocking contact!

Seems like a bad sequence of events happened here, it's unfortunate!
For all involved!

 

[Damion]

He could perhaps changed his email address in it's whole but forgot to update it in the GD control panel so the WHOIS could be updated.
It's also a possibility he is using a different anti-spam software and the software is filtering GD emails unknowingly.

According to the above outlined ICANN policy it's negligence from GD side, since not all reasonable steps have been utilized and also from general customer service and ethical point of view.

I mean a phone call by itself is a reasonable thing to do.
Should i need something cleared up i can try to email first but if this doesn't yield any responses in a timely manor i would pick up the phone :talk: which is only a natural thing to do and nothing out of the ordinary.

But perhaps i am TO reasonable :lol:

 

[tricolorro]

He could perhaps changed his email address in it's whole but forgot to update it in the GD control panel so the WHOIS could be updated.
It's also a possibility he is using a different anti-spam software and the software is filtering GD emails unknowingly.

According to the above outlined ICANN policy it's negligence from GD side, since not all reasonable steps have been utilized and also from general customer service and ethical point of view.

I mean a phone call by itself is a reasonable thing to do.
Should i need something cleared up i can try to email first but if this doesn't yield any responses in a timely manor i would pick up the phone :talk: which is only a natural thing to do and nothing out of the ordinary.

But perhaps i am TO reasonable :lol:

But perhaps i am TO reasonable :lol:

No you are not too reasonable.

By no stretch of the imagination could sending an email to an email
address you are told is invalid be considered a reasonable attempt
to investigate and solve the problem.

GoDaddy often has staff calling their customers when their domains
are close to expiration.

I do not know if they call every customer but...

...I have hundreds of domains at GoDaddy and get these calls all
the time and I appreciate these reminder calls.

But in this case GoDaddy could not or would not call the registrant.

Why not?

I would like to register BadDaddy.com but it's already taken by
a record company.

Patrick