Private domain registrations

[WritersWrite]

When registering domain names, do you use the privacy option for the WHOIS database?

Besides the obvious additional cost, is there any downside to going with this option?

So far, I have purchased the private registration for my domains however I recently saw it mentioned in a comment online that, since you are not listed as the owner of the domain, you are actually not the owner.

In other words, the person was stating that whoever is listed in the WHOIS database is the de facto owner.

I do not believe that this is correct but the comment was enough to give me pause.

Has anyone seen a negative issue arising out of private registrations?

 

[Name Trader]

Yes it is correct. If you are not listed as the owner, then you are not the owner. You are relying entirely on the honesty of your privacy partner to hand the registration back to you. Which they are more than happy to do if they receive a lawsuit. Then also, lets say some catastrophic event takes place, like your registrar going bankrupt. If it is an ICANN controlled TLD, they are supposed to have backup systems in place, so that ICANN can successfully transfer your domain to another registrar. ICANN learnt a valuable lesson from the RegisterFly.com debacle.

There could also be other, as yet unimaginable catastrophic events where your privacy partner simply decides they own your domain. There is always some risk when using privacy on your domains. However slight that might be. With your name in the whois record, that slight risk is eliminated. It's up to you to balance the risk/rewards.

 

[biggie]

:talk:

if registered to resell, why use privacy?

it's counter-productive to that goal


imo...

 

[Rado_Ch]

Really depends how you want to use the domain. If you want to build your business around it, then you would want to display your details wherever possible. Same is if you are into selling domains, you would want your potential customers to have your contacts.

Still, if you are concerned about personal data, domain privacy is the way to go. As for the case with RegisterFly, as far as I remember, ICANN reacted after that and made maintaining the customer data in escrow mandatory to avoid similar predicaments.

As long as you have access to the domain panel and the administrative email for it, you should be just fine.

 

[RazorNF]

I can understand the need for privacy if you don't want your home address/phone # details permanently indexed on the web and associated with all of your domains.

If you are going to be doing this as a regular means of income, then I would suggest getting a post office box and alternative # for publication.

 

[alien51]

I recently saw it mentioned in a comment online that, since you are not listed as the owner of the domain, you are actually not the owner.

That is true. If you are not listed in whois as the Registrant, then you are not the owner of the domain.

But keep in mind that when you purchased private registration, the domain proxy company is under a legal contract with you that they merely registered the domain IN YOUR BEHALF. So it's not like they can run away and steal your domain at any time they want. All their legal obligations with you are on the contract you agreed with them when you paid for the private reg service.

This simply means that you can file a lawsuit against the private reg company, if they suddenly say they own the domain and they don't know you or whatsoever, if that's what you are scared about. You have a legal contract, which clearly stipulates how to the domain ownership is worked out between the two of you.

So just make sure you purchase private regs from companies that have reputable corporate standing, and are known to respect laws. That translates to mean that you should not purchase private regs from unknown entities. You have better odds to trust companies that are "too big to fail", because they are less likely to screw you since they have a reputation to protect.

 

[WritersWrite]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback on this.

It's a really tough one. On the one hand, I hate the idea of blurring the lines of ownership but on the other I value the privacy.

Almost all of my domains are through Register.com, so I think that company is solid enough to not have any issue arise from this.

 

[biggie]

Thanks to everyone for the feedback on this.

It's a really tough one. On the one hand, I hate the idea of blurring the lines of ownership but on the other I value the privacy.

Almost all of my domains are through Register.com, so I think that company is solid enough to not have any issue arise from this.

:talk:

Hi

most folks don't have the high quality type of domain names , that are worth the time to put on private registration.


as I see it's usage mainly for those with top tier names, who are tired of being bothered with $10 offers via email, or those trying to hide ownership of tm's.


BTW: register.com sucks as a registrar, if you really want to be a reseller.


imo...

 

[Kenny]

I can understand the need for privacy if you don't want your home address/phone # details permanently indexed on the web and associated with all of your domains.

If you are going to be doing this as a regular means of income, then I would suggest getting a post office box and alternative # for publication.

This is the best solution.
Dont give fake whois.

Peace,
Cy

 

[SearchEngineZ]

If you have nothing to hide, and you wish to sell - keep it real.

If you feel you are at legal risk, hide the WHOIS. And then question your domaining tactics.

 

[alien51]

If you want to keep it real, no fake whois, and at the same time you do not want to give away your personal identity to the general public, then do this:

1. Create an organization name. It does not matter if it's not government registered. ICANN does not require that your organization is government registered. Name your organization with whatever you want - Example: The Beer Lover's Club, or Florida Internet Society.

2. For registrant info, enter "Domain Administrator", then your organization name.

3. Enter an accurate email address that you have complete control.

4. For physical address, you don't need to be very specific as to add your house number, building number, or whatever. You can be vague like say Park Avenue, New York. Trust me, nobody would send you snail mail. If ICANN tries to send you snail mail and it bounced, they will email you and ask you to update your physical address. They will usually send you snail mail if your domain is in trouble, like you're being sued under UDRP. And of course, if you are running a legit business that needs a public face, then use your business address.

5. If it's completely necessary that you need to receive snail mail and you do not have a business address, then rent an address forwarder service and use their physical address as your WHOIS physical address.

6. For Phone Number, use a disposable/business cellphone number. Don't give your personal phone number.

7. Remember that popular domain businesses like Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, etc. are not registered to a specific person. If they are allowed to do it, so could you.

 

[domain invest3r]

If you want to keep it real, no fake whois, and at the same time you do not want to give away your personal identity to the general public, then do this:

1. Create an organization name. It does not matter if it's not government registered. ICANN does not require that your organization is government registered. Name your organization with whatever you want - Example: The Beer Lover's Club, or Florida Internet Society.

2. For registrant info, enter "Domain Administrator", then your organization name.

3. Enter an accurate email address that you have complete control.

4. For physical address, you don't need to be very specific as to add your house number, building number, or whatever. You can be vague like say Park Avenue, New York. Trust me, nobody would send you snail mail. If ICANN tries to send you snail mail and it bounced, they will email you and ask you to update your physical address. They will usually send you snail mail if your domain is in trouble, like you're being sued under UDRP. And of course, if you are running a legit business that needs a public face, then use your business address.

5. If it's completely necessary that you need to receive snail mail and you do not have a business address, then rent an address forwarder service and use their physical address as your WHOIS physical address.

6. For Phone Number, use a disposable/business cellphone number. Don't give your personal phone number.

7. Remember that popular domain businesses like Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, etc. are not registered to a specific person. If they are allowed to do it, so could you.

Sorry to dig up this blast from the past. I thought I would reinvigorate this instead of starting a new thread.

So just to be clear, you are saying that you can register a company and use non-specific owner information, as long as the email is one you control, and this would suffice for you to be registered as the legal owner? If I am putting an organisation name inplace of my own, wouldnt that organisation need to be a ltd company or something official at all?

DI

 

[jberryhill]

...and if your domain name is stolen, good luck trying to prove to anyone it was ever yours.

I'm not a big fan of whois privacy services in general. I realize people like them and use them for various reasons. You can form a corporation for pocket change and have all the privacy you want.

 

[domain invest3r]

...and if your domain name is stolen, good luck trying to prove to anyone it was ever yours.

I'm not a big fan of whois privacy services in general. I realize people like them and use them for various reasons. You can form a corporation for pocket change and have all the privacy you want.

Thanks JBerry. But would forming a corporation involve ample paperwork including accounting, legal and tax forms etc.?

DI

 

[jberryhill]

https://www.incorporate.com/incorporate_now.html?pseudoEntityType=S-CORP&entityState=DE

No, it requires you have the ability to write a check to an incorporation service in the amount of anywhere from $170 and up. If you are the sole owner, then as an S Corporation under IRS rules, it just gets pass-through tax treatment on your personal return.

 

[alien51]

Assuming the allegation that the domain was stolen is true, then it follows that the domain in question should be returned back to the registrar account where it came from.

The registrar account, controls the domain.

You now have to prove that the registrar account, is yours. This is much easier to prove, since you have credit card information with the registrar.

BTW, not everyone lives in America. So corporation rules vary.

 

[jberryhill]

You now have to prove that the registrar account, is yours. This is much easier to prove, since you have credit card information with the registrar.

That's not going to be of any help, since there is no objective, public information that the domain name was ever associated with any particular "registrar account".

BTW, not everyone lives in America. So corporation rules vary.

You do not have to live in America to form a corporation in Nevada or any other state of which I am aware. What difference does it make where you live?