Godaddy Wants To Suspend My Domain Because My Affiliate Spammed! Any Advice?

102 replies
Hi all,

Urgent help needed!

Have you ever come across GoDaddy threatening to suspend your domain because your affiliate spammed?

What happened was that one of my affiliates spammed by mass-mailing to many people and one of them filed a complaint to Godaddy. I immediately got an email from GoDaddy explaining that

"----- Provide Proof Of Prior Consent -----
Go Daddy has a strict anti-spam policy, Go Daddy customers are required to be able to provide conclusive proof of prior consent for any individual they send advertisements to. This also applies to the actions of any party that generates traffic on your behalf. This includes, but is not limited to, 3rd party marketers, business partners, employees, mailing list providers and affiliates."

Now, I only have the complainant's email address. The affiliate is the one who spammed and how am I supposed to know whether the complainant has given any prior consent or even remembered that? It looks more likely that the complainant has never given any prior consent since the affiliate has sent an email under a fake email address.

Has anyone of you encountered this before? Is there anyway you can help? Any advice?

The situation is urgent as I only have 48 hours to respond! Help is needed and deeply appreciated. Thanks!

Davion
#advice #affiliate #domain #godaddy #spammed #suspend
  • Profile picture of the author Christian Fox
    No Idea, but best of luck to you.
    It seems to me you will have to prove it was an affiliate. If you can do that I can't see how they could reasonably delete you but there are of problems with that also.

    Anyone can by any proxy shifter assume any random IP.



    I am sure you have or will banish the affiliate for the favor.

    Wow, that sucks!
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  • Profile picture of the author homebizbuilder
    I have banned him promptly and explained to GoDaddy but the way they have crafted the email to me as I have written above, it seems that GoDaddy considers the product owner which is me as spamming as well because of my affiliate's actions!
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    • Profile picture of the author Floyd Fisher
      Originally Posted by homebizbuilder View Post

      I have banned him promptly and explained to GoDaddy but the way they have crafted the email to me as I have written above, it seems that GoDaddy considers the product owner which is me as spamming as well because of my affiliate's actions!
      Unfortunately, legally you are responsible for your affiliates actions.

      It's why I use clickbank.
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  • Profile picture of the author homebizbuilder
    Yes, it has not been locked or suspended yet. By moving my domain to another registrar like NameCheap, what will happen to my site? Also, how long will the process take? You sound like you have come across such an incident before?
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    • Profile picture of the author homebizbuilder
      Hi Nathan,

      My site is fortunately not hosted with Godaddy. It is on my own Hostgator account.

      I am sending you a pm now. Thanks!

      Originally Posted by NathanFalkner View Post

      Twice, actually. But the last time it happened one of my
      roommates took care of it, so my recollection of some
      of the nuances surrounding the process are a bit spotty.

      Are you currently hosting your website with GoDaddy, or
      is your website hosted elsewhere? If it's all tied up under
      one roof (namely GoDaddy), then the process for quickly
      extricating yourself from this will be slightly more complex.

      Please feel free to PM me if you need some one-on-one
      help, I'd be more than happy to do what I can.
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      • Profile picture of the author ebizman87
        I tell you what.Cut all crap relationship with Godaddy and start a NEW one with other host.Godaddy is #1 in upsell.They scare you off with something then as a solution,they'll introduce you to an upsell service that you've to pay.B.S
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        • Profile picture of the author JamesFraze
          I would have to agree. Godaddy is not marketer friendly. They like to sell you tons of junk and do not provide service.

          I like dreamhost but have accounts on 1and1 and hostgator - all of them have affiliate programs that are very nice.

          If you can move your site off quickly do it. filezilla, export databases, etc Then, transfer your domain to another host and remove all contact information of Godaddy.

          Other consultants where I work use godaddy and they defend godaddy, but I personally can't stand them because of their hostage holding tactics and upsell tactics (they are too aggressive and upsell instead of provide service).
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          • Profile picture of the author ripsnorta2
            If all you have with Godaddy is your domain registration, you should be okay just to do a transfer to another registrar like Namecheap. Once your domain has been transfered all you'll have to do is set your nameservers to look at the webhost you are using.

            Your site will be down for a few days while the domain is transfered, and until you set the nameservers again. There's nothing you can do about that.
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            • Profile picture of the author ecdiscounts
              Originally Posted by ripsnorta2 View Post

              Your site will be down for a few days while the domain is transfered, and until you set the nameservers again. There's nothing you can do about that.
              If it is a simple registrar transfer and the nameservers do not change there should be No interuption of the site, in his case he is using a hostgator account so he is using their nameservers I imagine so he is safe.

              Scott
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            • Profile picture of the author mloveridge17
              Originally Posted by ripsnorta2 View Post

              If all you have with Godaddy is your domain registration, you should be okay just to do a transfer to another registrar like Namecheap. Once your domain has been transfered all you'll have to do is set your nameservers to look at the webhost you are using.

              Your site will be down for a few days while the domain is transfered, and until you set the nameservers again. There's nothing you can do about that.
              If you are diligent about responding to the various email involved with transferring a domain, it can happen in a few hours. I just transferred my last domain away from GoDaddy to Namecheap last week. It took less than 4 hours and my site was never down.
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          • Profile picture of the author ebizman87
            Originally Posted by JamesFraze View Post

            I would have to agree. Godaddy is not marketer friendly. They like to sell you tons of junk and do not provide service.

            I like dreamhost but have accounts on 1and1 and hostgator - all of them have affiliate programs that are very nice.

            If you can move your site off quickly do it. filezilla, export databases, etc Then, transfer your domain to another host and remove all contact information of Godaddy.

            Other consultants where I work use godaddy and they defend godaddy, but I personally can't stand them because of their hostage holding tactics and upsell tactics (they are too aggressive and upsell instead of provide service).
            How true.I got fed up with Godaddy's upsell and now thinking of changing my host.Godaddy is not NEWBIE friendly at all.Just imagine what will happen to a NEWBIE with zero knowledge on web hosting and designing who wants to make a small fortune on the net get exposed to Godaddy in the first place?Godaddy gona scare him off with it's WEIRD and confusing offers.You'll be totally confused with it's offers.I'm a victim of Godaddy too.I got so confused with their B.S upsell that I end up paying for 2 hosting account when I only need 1.I was a NEWBIE back then.Zero skills and knowledge.Fortunately for me I got my money refunded after a series of emails to the online support team.It took me 8-9 emails with 'hot argument' to convince them that Godaddy confused me and it's not my fault to pay for 2 hosting account.Just defend yourself if Godaddy accuse you with something that's not your fault.Don't give up.
            If it's possible,just leave Godaddy.Case closed!
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  • Profile picture of the author globalpro
    Davion,

    Go Daddy is notorious for doing what they are telling you. It's how they make money. I would attempt to get things moved somewhere else immediately or cut your losses and move on.

    Be cautious in making too many concessions to them. Once they see you will give, they will want more.

    Thanks,

    John
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    • Profile picture of the author jjpmarketing
      Does namecheap do this as well? I have a ton of domains with Godaddy.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sean Donahoe
    A lot of hosts really nail you with this even if you have a dedicated server. The only thing you can do is switch hosts and move on because GoDaddy does not care about any pleas you may make and they will always think you are full of crap. Ban the affiliate that spammed if you can identify them and get the site moved to a new host.

    Good luck, tell us how it turns out!

    Regards

    Sean Donahoe
    The Manic Marketer
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  • Profile picture of the author homebizbuilder
    Guys, hopefully this thing will blow over soon enough. I am quite fed up with this "ransom" holding experience. They don't listen to reason at all. Hardly marketer friendly. What's worse is the way they have threatened to take action when you don't respond within 48 hours??

    The spammer is not even me! How am I supposed to investigate?

    And despite the fact that I have been registering domains with them since 2 years ago. And I have quite a large number of domains there.

    Fortunately, I never put all my eggs in one basket. Some are elsewhere and I NEVER use their webhosting service. Otherwise, I am not sure what will happen now...

    In any case, once the episode is over, I shall update everyone how I managed to get out of this mess so that it will be a good learning point for everyone who happens to be caught in the same undeserving situation...
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  • Profile picture of the author Norma Holt
    I never liked GoDaddy from the first and have never had any business with them. My host is one I have used for years and I always register my domains with Aplus. Great services

    God bless

    Norma
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  • Profile picture of the author homebizbuilder
    Have initiated the transfer from GoDaddy to Namecheap. Will let you guys know what is the final outcome.
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  • Profile picture of the author Platinum Matt
    This happened to me YEARS ago.

    Nice to see they are up to their old tricks.

    My advice... Pay the "ransom" and then TRANSFER OUT OF THERE and make sure you let as many people know that using GoDaddy is BAD FOR YOUR BUSINESS.

    I've warned MANY people here and other forums NOT to use GoDaddy for this very reason.

    Namecheap is the way to go guys.
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  • Profile picture of the author derekwong28
    It takes 5 days to transfer a domain to another Registrar and Godaddy may well have frozen your account before then.

    Anyway, you should try your best to explain your situation to Godaddy and hope that they do not freeze your account before the domain is transferred out.

    By the way, it may help if you have a dedicated account representative with Godaddy. If you do not have one, I would suggest that you get assigned with one now and get him/her to work on your behalf.


    Derek
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  • Profile picture of the author Melkor
    Ask Mike Filsaime about Godaddy, and you're likely to get a bunch of swearing in return - same thing happened to him
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    • Profile picture of the author newsecrets
      Like Nathan said, transfer your domain away before Godaddy locks it. Luckily you use a different company for web hosting. (ALWAYS use different companies for your domain name and web hosting.)

      Wow, I didn't know Godaddy was so marketer-unfriendly. From the Godaddy email cited above, looks like Godaddy will still put the blame on you EVEN if you can prove it was your affiliate who spammed - because the email states that Godaddy holds you responsible for your affiliates' actions (which is ridiculous).

      Thanks for the heads up, I have dozens of domains on Godaddy but I'm moving them away ASAP.

      Any recommended marketer-friendly (and inexpensive) domain registrars? Someone mentioned Namecheap - any others? I prefer not to put all my eggs in one basket.
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      • Profile picture of the author Dixiebelle
        This is at the top of my list of reasons why I don't use affiliates.

        Dixie
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        • Profile picture of the author Kim Standerline
          So u risk reducing your income because there is the possibilty someone will act like a tosspot!

          All you need to do is take precautonary measures. The first one is tell your afffiliates straight up that if caught spamming they will instantly forfeit any moneies due. (and stick to it)

          I have a number of domains at Goddady, but I wouldn't dream of using them now

          Kim



          Originally Posted by Dixiebelle View Post

          This is at the top of my list of reasons why I don't use affiliates.

          Dixie
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          • Profile picture of the author ecdiscounts
            Originally Posted by Kim Standerline View Post

            So u risk reducing your income because there is the possibilty someone will act like a tosspot!

            All you need to do is take precautonary measures. The first one is tell your afffiliates straight up that if caught spamming they will instantly forfeit any moneies due. (and stick to it)

            I have a number of domains at Goddady, but I wouldn't dream of using them now

            Kim
            Kim that isn't really fair holding monies due an affiliate because they were accused of spamming. Most Affiliates do not spam yet get reported because some AHOLE didn't want to click on the unsubscribe link and instead reported them as spammers. Been there, Done that, Have that T-Shirt. I just went through this with another marketer where I sent out just 1 email promoting her product and some idiot reported me as a spammer instead of just unsubscribing.

            I also deal with this crap every day as I run a Autoresponder Service and people that are double opt'd in to clients lists are reporting them as spammers and we end up getting banned. Mainly it is OutBlaze that does this crap and since they share their internal BL list with surbl it creates a mess for me to clean up.

            Don't be so fast to jump on the Affiliates before you know the entire story.

            Scott
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            • Profile picture of the author Kim Standerline
              Hi Scott

              I appreciate what you're saying, have to set ground rules in your TOS otherwise you don't have a leg to stand on if you are investigated.

              I should have been clearer. Obviously I would do a thorough investigation before withholding funds

              Regards
              Kim

              Originally Posted by ecdiscounts View Post

              Kim that isn't really fair holding monies due an affiliate because they were accused of spamming. Most Affiliates do not spam yet get reported because some AHOLE didn't want to click on the unsubscribe link and instead reported them as spammers. Been there, Done that, Have that T-Shirt. I just went through this with another marketer where I sent out just 1 email promoting her product and some idiot reported me as a spammer instead of just unsubscribing.

              I also deal with this crap every day as I run a Autoresponder Service and people that are double opt'd in to clients lists are reporting them as spammers and we end up getting banned. Mainly it is OutBlaze that does this crap and since they share their internal BL list with surbl it creates a mess for me to clean up.

              Don't be so fast to jump on the Affiliates before you know the entire story.

              Scott
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      • Profile picture of the author JamesFraze
        Originally Posted by newsecrets View Post

        Any recommended marketer-friendly (and inexpensive) domain registrars? Someone mentioned Namecheap - any others? I prefer not to put all my eggs in one basket.

        I have always used WSM Domains - Domain Management System Domain Name Transfers $9.99 includes Whois Contact Privacy Free forwarding with Meta Tags includes FULL Zone Management of SPF, Cname, MX, A records with a TTL of 3 min not because they are cheap, but because they would personally call me when my domains expired. I was also single and the girl sounded friendly - but hey, that's a different story!

        Seriously, I like wsm domains service. They are $15 a year though, unless you buy multiple years, then it drops much lower.

        I have a discount code for moving existing domains over to them, PM me if you want it (they don't have an affiliate program, but they gave it to me to use because I asked them for a discount).

        If you want dirt cheap - then buy 7 years at 1and1.com - then do the transfer after 90 days to a host you like.... that was my plan anyway, however so far no problems with 1and1.com

        Why 7 years, and not 10? Well, if I bought 10 and then need to transfer - I can't. I buy long periods because it is believed to help the search engines vouch for the "stayability" of a domain if it's at least 2 years on the registrar's records. Also, I get better discounts when buying for longer times.
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        • Profile picture of the author mikegates
          I have been a good GoDaddy customer or several years, and have purchased several domains from them, with automatic renewal on I have renewed several that I haven't even used.

          So how do they take care of good customers? One spam compliant with my domain in an email that I did not send, and now they want me to pay $75 or $199. The email didn't come from me, but a member of my service. I deleted the member from the service, and even disabled new user registrations so I would never have another complaint again. I have essentially shut down that business, but it makes no difference to GoDaddy.

          Once you have a spam complaint GD doesn't care what lengths you goto to make sure it doesn't happen again. You have three choices - pay $199 to keep your domain there, or pay $75 to transfer it to another registrar, or lose it - period!

          I am now moving that domain to another registrar (after paying the $75 extortion fee) and will start moving my other domains as they near expiration until all are off of GoDaddy.

          Here is what is really frightening about all this. What if I wanted to hurt my competitor who had their domain with Godaddy.

          I could have my friend Jack email me some fabricated email that contained my competitors domain name. I could then file an abuse complaint with Godaddy and screw my competitor out of $75-$199. It may not break him, but it will cause some grief and lost time.

          Godaddy wants to make money, so they are not going to listen to what my competitor has to say in defending themselves. So the real winner is Godaddy.

          If you have anyone else promoting your product on your domain, you are at risk if you are using Godaddy. I would like to see all internet marketers stop using Godaddy. I'm guessing internet marketers helped build the big GD, now it's time hit them where it counts.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jon Alexander
    NEVER host at the same place you registered the domain.

    EVER.
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  • Profile picture of the author Art Turner
    First of all, if it's your domain, then you ARE responsible for securing it and policing it. Check the TOS when you buy.

    Second, one of my Godaddy domains was locked because the Wordpress installation (Hostgator) had been hacked and it was hosting malware.

    I responded to GoDaddy, explained the situation, explained what I had done to keep it from happening again, and they unlocked the domain. No upsell, no fee.

    And if you don't want the upsells, click on the express checkout or "no thank you" buttons. It's not that difficult.

    Art
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris Lockwood
    This is why many of us just say no to NoDaddy.

    The $200 is pure extortion. What does it have to do with the alleged spamming?
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  • Profile picture of the author ecdiscounts
    Your Affiliate probably didn't Spam but someone on his list decided instead of unsubscribing to just report then as spammers as people have done to me in the past.

    For some reason Godaddy also goes after the site that was advertised and they try to extort money from them for some BS service. I have already threatened to pull all my domians from them if they ever try that crap again.

    If you only have a few domains you can transfer them to another registrar although they all have a spam policy. Stay way from enom they send you a warning email and then suspend your domain before you can even answer it.

    Scott
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    • Profile picture of the author homebizbuilder
      Oh, it so happened that this affiliate tried to spam me as well! Which is why I got hold of his spam email. He was masquerading as someone else under another email address but he did something very stupid. He left his paypal id as the tracking link as I am using RAP script so his paypal email was appended to the affiliate link.

      I promptly canceled his account but I guess I am getting the major bulk of the aftermath repercussion.

      Originally Posted by ecdiscounts View Post

      Your Affiliate probably didn't Spam but someone on his list decided instead of unsubscribing to just report then as spammers as people have done to me in the past.

      For some reason Godaddy also goes after the site that was advertised and they try to extort money from them for some BS service. I have already threatened to pull all my domians from them if they ever try that crap again.

      If you only have a few domains you can transfer them to another registrar although they all have a spam policy. Stay way from enom they send you a warning email and then suspend your domain before you can even answer it.

      Scott
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      • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
        Davion,

        Congratulations on getting it moved before they locked it. Santa's being very, very good to you.

        This is one of the problems of an instant pay affiliate program. They tend to attract spammers, because they can get their money even if you end up cancelling their affiliate accounts.

        No matter what it is, if you try to make things better for legit folk, these [insert epithet here] will do their damndest to screw it up.

        I suggest setting your system to require approval before letting people sell. Otherwise, this guy is likely to keep coming back. I have no idea if reporting him to PayPal will do any good, but it's worth a try.


        Paul
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        • Profile picture of the author homebizbuilder
          Hi Paul,

          Probably reporting to Paypal will help.

          Now, I am more concerned about my account at GoDaddy. I have quite a number of domains there. Am going to move them over to NameCheap.

          But unfortunately, I still have a number of newly bought domains there. To initiate transfer, registration needs to be more than 60 days!

          Now, I am not sure if that will affect my main account, seeing that I have moved my domain out.

          Davion

          Originally Posted by Paul Myers View Post

          Davion,

          Congratulations on getting it moved before they locked it. Santa's being very, very good to you.

          This is one of the problems of an instant pay affiliate program. They tend to attract spammers, because they can get their money even if you end up cancelling their affiliate accounts.

          No matter what it is, if you try to make things better for legit folk, these [insert epithet here] will do their damndest to screw it up.

          I suggest setting your system to require approval before letting people sell. Otherwise, this guy is likely to keep coming back. I have no idea if reporting him to PayPal will do any good, but it's worth a try.


          Paul
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          • Profile picture of the author DustinPopham
            Banned
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            • Profile picture of the author TelegramSam
              Is there a way that GoDaddy can be stopped from blackmailing people like this?

              It seems you are guilty even if you can prove your innocence.

              Surely there are some legal eagles on this site who can outline whether this is legal or not.

              Who the f*** do they think they are.

              Are we legally able to band to gether and create a few dozen "godaddysuck.com" type of sites.

              With our combined knowledge and interlinking skills we could get them to rank highly very quickly.

              If we kept to the facts, could Godaddy do anything about it?
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              • Profile picture of the author jcaviani
                All you have to do is sit through one of their pathic commercials and it tells you all you need to know.
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          • Profile picture of the author mikegates
            Originally Posted by BlueStar View Post

            Anyone who goes with NoDaddy deserves what they get.

            I am so Sick and tired of Internet Wannabees who don't treat this like a Business.

            Have you not read post here by a ton of Warriors who slam GoDaddy, Mike Filsaime, etc...

            You can always tell the Professionals from the Wannabees by the products they use.

            Maybe I should post a list of Credible vendors:

            NameCheap, Moniker, Enom, etc...

            IMHO NameCheap is the BEST. They don't log/swipe your names when searching for URL's.

            GoDaddy sucks, period.

            What part don't Wannabees understand?
            Well, your insults are sure to help "wannabees" learn the Godaddy lesson and help us all feel better. It's cocky "experts" like you that makes "wannabees" think internet marketers are jerks. Please let me know who you are so I make sure to never purchase a product from you.
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          • Profile picture of the author GrantFreeman
            Originally Posted by BlueStar View Post

            Anyone who goes with NoDaddy deserves what they get.

            I am so Sick and tired of Internet Wannabees who don't treat this like a Business.
            A solution to that problem is simple- Spend your time elsewhere were you can enjoy the company of people that are just as superior as yourself.


            You can always tell the Professionals from the Wannabees by the products they use.
            Hmmm. Does that also mean that anyone here that uses an inferior host or registrar to yours is a wannabe? If that's so, then add me to your list, and lots of other Warriors here that are not as knowlegable as you on this subject.

            But then again, I think that's why we are here in the first place. To learn things that help us move forward in IM. If at any time our wannabeness makes you feel uncomfortable, it might be better to just ignore us.


            What part don't Wannabees understand?
            [/B]
            I have a question: How do you manage to squeeze through the double-doors of the Warrior Forum with an inflated head of that size?

            Grant
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            • Profile picture of the author Kay King
              This Question comes up 20x a day here on WF and tons of Bozos still recommend NoDaddy, unfriggin believable.
              As you've been a member almost 2 weeks, you may be thinking of another forum - I haven't seen anyone recommend GD hosting here for a long time and if they did, they'd be shouted down. Have to question your judgment, too, about "tons of bozos" here. That comment is unfriggin believable to me.

              Don't understand why so many old threads are being bumped recently....and why some need to repeat themselves multiple times in one thread.

              kay
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              • Profile picture of the author ripsnorta2
                Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

                Don't understand why so many old threads are being bumped recently....and why some need to repeat themselves multiple times in one thread.

                kay
                It's an easy way to increase post count without actually having anything new to say.
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              • Profile picture of the author GrantFreeman
                Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

                As you've been a member almost 2 weeks, you may be thinking of another forum - I haven't seen anyone recommend GD hosting here for a long time and if they did, they'd be shouted down. Have to question your judgment, too, about "tons of bozos" here. That comment is unfriggin believable to me.

                Don't understand why so many old threads are being bumped recently....and why some need to repeat themselves multiple times in one thread.

                kay
                Kay, I never noticed the date on the thread till you mentioned it. Thanks

                Grant
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            • Profile picture of the author GrantFreeman
              Originally Posted by BlueStar View Post

              As far as I'm concerned any Warrior who is still with NoDaddy after a thousand threads have been posted here is still a Wannabee.
              Make up your mind. Is it everyone, or just those with 1,000 posts or more? You're not thinking things through.

              On a side note: you're sounding oddly familiar to me. You're last name wouldn't be "Anderson" would it? For your sake, lets hope not and move on.

              About not thinking things through..

              You didn't consider a few important things when you first started your rant about Godaddy.

              First, you had no way of realizing that before you joined, there was an influx of new members to the forum that were just getting started with, and were excited about learning everything they could about IM.

              Their knowlege, even though they were eager to learn, was limited.

              Most are excited about learning or copying techniques/Models that other Warriors have had success with. The last thing on their minds is worrying about what Godaddy "MIGHT" do with their domain name.

              They really don't know better, and don't deserve the labels you assigned them. And if you presented that information to them they way you demonstrated to everyone reading this thread, I seriously doubt that they would consider accepting a free $500 bill from you, much less your opinion about "NoDaddy".

              Secondly, you never considered the fact that some people here have clients that insist on using Godaddy. Some have stated in threads that they have tried to convince their clients otherwise, but to no avail.

              This does not classify them as "wannabe's" or "Bozos" in any way. That's simply unsolicited advice that can either get you booted from the forum, or your brain melted by Paul Myers.

              Take your pick. Ironically, the latter choice might be your best because you could actually learn something.

              I'd suggest downing a few cranial-anal-inversion pills first.

              Thirdly, I'd agree that Godaddy isn't the best choice to make for a host or domain provider. Some marketers can't make sense of the misinformation at Godaddy's website, get confused, and put it off until later. I've done this 5 times so far.

              Forth, you seem to be looking for help in other areas in the forum. You're statements here, I think, have just made that task harder on you. Good luck with that.

              Lastly, post count doesn't equal a high level of intelligence or awareness. You've already proven that with your negative attitude towards other members.


              I make over 500k year, more than most, but not as much as the Gurus, so I think I can have some input.
              Nonsense. That only proves that if you're a jerk with no money, you'll be a bigger jerk when you've got a lot.

              I have a real business that generates between 40-50k a month, I use Vendors that are reliable, honest and won't let me down.

              My family depends upon my success to maintain their standard of living. I have kids in college who cost a fortune, nice homes, cars, vacations, etc...

              I would NEVER trust NoDaddy for my family's future.
              Let me get this strait, are you saying that someone could loose everything they've worked for if they use Godaddy as a registrar?

              That's got to be the most obtuse statement I've heard since I've been a member here, and it hasn't been that long.

              Truth is, the only one, one has to blame for their own success or failure is themselves. Blaming Godaddy for that is a cop-out. Give me a break. I'm done here.

              Bozo #8460U812
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  • Profile picture of the author TheMagicShow
    Godaddy is a picky registrar and they can do all kinds of things if they want, there are many godaddy threads on this forum, well at least in the old one there were tons, use other registrars and save yourself the headaches.
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  • Profile picture of the author ecdiscounts
    Originally Posted by NathanFalkner View Post

    Odds are you're going to be given two choices. Pay a fee in the
    neighborhood of US$200 and promise not to SPAM again, or transfer
    your domain to another registrar. My recommendation is to make
    arrangements to transfer the domain to another registrar. Do NOT
    try to reason with GoDaddy -- simply accept that you are going
    to either have to cough up the cash or move. I'd move, quickly...
    Never Never pay the Extortion fees they want, GoDaddy says they want 75.00 to allow you to transfer your domain which is BS. I know of someone that resently had this same problem and they basically told Godaddy to go pound salt and transfered their domain without paying the Extortion fee.

    Scott
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  • Profile picture of the author seobro
    This is a good reason for having many different domain names placed over many different companies, with different hosts for the websites.

    Putting all your eggs in one basket is asking for trouble. A few years back, another company, not godaddy, held my domain name hostage and asked for $250.00 to get it back. Bunch of crooks.
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  • Profile picture of the author sunnyman
    I am about to transfer all my domains from Godaddy to Namecheap. I have heard of exactly the kind of things reported here. Reminds me of speeding up the process...

    - don't use Godaddy as registrar
    - don't use Godaddy for hosting either! (their reputation is poor also)
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan Ambrose
    Originally Posted by homebizbuilder View Post

    Hi all,

    Urgent help needed!

    Have you ever come across GoDaddy threatening to suspend your domain because your affiliate spammed?

    What happened was that one of my affiliates spammed by mass-mailing to many people and one of them filed a complaint to Godaddy. I immediately got an email from GoDaddy explaining that

    "----- Provide Proof Of Prior Consent -----
    Go Daddy has a strict anti-spam policy, Go Daddy customers are required to be able to provide conclusive proof of prior consent for any individual they send advertisements to. This also applies to the actions of any party that generates traffic on your behalf. This includes, but is not limited to, 3rd party marketers, business partners, employees, mailing list providers and affiliates."

    Now, I only have the complainant's email address. The affiliate is the one who spammed and how am I supposed to know whether the complainant has given any prior consent or even remembered that? It looks more likely that the complainant has never given any prior consent since the affiliate has sent an email under a fake email address.

    Has anyone of you encountered this before? Is there anyway you can help? Any advice?

    The situation is urgent as I only have 48 hours to respond! Help is needed and deeply appreciated. Thanks!

    Davion

    I had a similar problem with aan affiliate a while ago. GoDaddy threatened to remove my domain name unless I paid them $199 for the abuse enforcement program - which basically means they turn a blind eye or I pay $77 instead but move hosts.

    I decided to move hosts to hostgator, because AEP sounded dodgy. However I soon learned they charged me the full $199 anyway.

    It was absolute daylight robbery.

    Having tried to get in touch with them through email and phoning them, they kept me waiting and waiting and came back to me saying the $199 was for "cleaning up" the spam and for admin fees.

    I raised a dispute with paypal, but paypal said they could not enforce a refund based on the fact I had paid for services.

    I had to cut my losses and get on with life.

    I did learn a valuable lesson though - NEVER EVER USE GODADDY AGAIN.

    I am pretty bitter about the whole ordeal and I just hope the theiving company goes bust.

    Then again, I got more chance of seeing a pig fly.
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  • Profile picture of the author danhughes
    I hate to say the same stuff, but this is CLASSIC GODADDY. I have moved nearly all my domains away from Godaddy at this point (I use namecheap) and havent hosted with them for years. This information is in their universal user agreement (or whatever they call it). Moving forward, if this is how you make your living make sure to read over terms and conditions to the point that you understand what they are saying and what it could mean to you. Even consider paying an attorny to do this for you. That goes for every contract you enter into.

    If the transfer doesnt work then pay their fee and walk away. It will fee crappy, but your domain and content is worth far more than $200.

    If the affiliate has sold you stuff in the past offer him / her a second chance, by doing the same as Godaddy did to you. Send him a nasty email with a super tight deadline asking him to prove permission.

    Good Luck, Dan
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  • Profile picture of the author ~kev~
    Originally Posted by homebizbuilder View Post

    Hi all,

    Urgent help needed!

    Have you ever come across GoDaddy threatening to suspend your domain because your affiliate spammed?

    Davion
    My only advice to you is to find a different host. My experiences with "godaddy" have been less then pleasant.

    I have had a few problems that I needed help with, godaddy told me they did not provide tech support and would not help me. Besides that, their tech support people are some of the rudest I have ever dealt with.
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  • Profile picture of the author pmore
    Unfortunately for you registrars and hosting providers like to be seen to be doing all they can to cut out spam so that they don't get bit in the ass with fines. They'd much rather it was you, it's unlikely they will side with you on this - as per the previous advice, try to move out from under GoDaddy asap.

    Get a fresh start elsewhere and make sure you have something on your website, preferably where your affiliates sign up saying that you don't condone SPAM etc. incase this happens again.
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  • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
    Davion,

    Welcome to Hell.

    I have never heard of anyone successfully appealing a claim like this one with GoDaddy. Your choices at this point are:

    1. Lose your domain.

    2. Pay them $199 for the privilege of staying there, and lose the domain (or pay another $199) if anyone complains in the future.

    3. Pay their fee to be allowed to transfer the domain elsewhere.

    This all assumes they won't allow the current transfer request. Given their history, I'd be surprised if they did. If they allow it while there's a complaint outstanding, I would start believing in Santa Claus.

    GoDaddy is not a suitable host for any business that sends email, about which email might be sent, or that has any significant degree of controversy attached to it. It is especially risky if you have one or more email lists to which you do regular mailings, or if you have affiliates.

    They assume that any complaint is valid, whether they can verify it or not. I could sign up for a list, confirm my subscription, and complain to them about an email I got from that legitimate list, and you'd be right where you are now.

    Some people will likely chime in and say that GoDaddy isn't a problem. That's only because they haven't been hit with this themselves yet. This is a regular occurrence.

    To be fair, probably better than 99% of the domains about which they get complaints really are spamming. The thing they fail to consider is that the ones that really are spamming are not the ones that are likely to follow up on issues.

    GoDaddy's handling of these things reaches a level that I consider extremely abusive. I'd avoid them like the plague.

    Now, on the affiliate thing... There's a problem with affiliate marketing that a lot of new folks to the game don't consider. It is not uncommon for shady merchants to create affiliate accounts and spam using those. When caught, they cancel the fake accounts, to look like they're playing by the rules, and then start up new fake accounts to keep spamming. This is why people at abuse desks are so skeptical of claims that an affiliate was the one who spammed.


    Paul
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  • Profile picture of the author getmorebuyers
    Is it possible to call the phone number that Godaddy provides and speak to someone directly. I have tried that in the past and it worked. Don't rely on email.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ryan123
    Originally Posted by NathanFalkner View Post

    Quick followup -- it could very well be that your domain has
    yet to be locked and/or suspended, in which case, I'd still move
    forward with transferring the domain name to another registrar
    while apologizing profusely to GoDaddy via e-mail in an effort
    to smooth the process as much as possible.

    I fully agree with Nathan's reply. This is the best way out. Buy time from GoDaddy, and move your domain elsewhere. I just hope they haven't put some lock on it.

    Overall, this problem can happy to anyone. Imagine...any affiliate on Clickbank can spam, and your domain will be cooked! Doesn't make sense. I just hope NameCheap has more reason on this front.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ryan123
    Folks, there's another thing I wanted to share, which you can also try.

    For every serious domain, I add affiliates only after personal verification by phone or web conference. I don't take any under the hood gurus! I suggest the same to you.
    Signature
    With 100+ sites, I see 80% pages indexed in Google, but only 20% in Yahoo and 10% in MSN Bing. Despite spending billions, Yahoo/MSN can't even index web pages well yet. Do you see opportunity?
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    • Profile picture of the author Anthony Smith
      I tell you what, that's a terrible situation to be in. You will probably have to pay a hefty fine. I guess in the future just watch who you work with eh?

      good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author jjpmarketing
    I am starting to think that GoDaddy is only for people not trying to make money online. It is only for personal websites... or business websites that do absolutely zero email marketing.
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    • Profile picture of the author Platinum Matt
      A lot of people are missing the point.

      It's not forced to have been anybody spamming. All it takes is ONE spam *complaint*.

      Doesn't even have to be a case of genuine spamming.

      TRANSFER OUT OF GODADDY NOW.
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    • Profile picture of the author ebizman87
      Originally Posted by jjpmarketing View Post

      I am starting to think that GoDaddy is only for people not trying to make money online. It is only for personal websites... or business websites that do absolutely zero email marketing.
      My ambition to make a small fortune with a business website was "DESTROYED" by Godaddy.That's why I'm considering changing my host.
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  • Profile picture of the author webpromotions
    I just received the exact same email from GoDaddy about 2 weeks ago, but it was a complaint on an email from a double-optin user of a membership site, not an affiliate email.

    I just had to provide proof of opt-in and that seemed to put them at ease - but then they sent me another email basically saying "ok, we'll accept that, just provide us with proof that this member has been removed and we'll close the case".

    Didn't even know how to respond to a stupid request like that.

    Over 5 years w/ GoDaddy - never a previous complaint.

    Will never be a GoDaddy customer again based on how they handled this situation.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jesus Perez
    Welcome to the wonderful world of "GoDaddy, the internet's self-appointed cop".

    I'm bookmarking this thread so I can place it on "I love Godaddy!" posts. They've been doing this for years. The chances of you getting your domain back are very, very low (unless you have deep pockets). Good luck and start looking for a new domain at a registrar that doesn't think they're moral cops.
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    • Profile picture of the author ebizman87
      I'd say don't give up.Keep arguing and fight for the truth.It's not your fault anyway.Although my problem is a different one,but I can say that they'd eventually give in if you fight back.I sent 8-9 emails to their support group to get back my $80 that I spent for a hosting account that I never wanted and used.Maybe $80 is not much for some of you,but for me instead of wasting my money for a STUPID BS service,I'd rather spend it to buy Joe Vitale's product.It brings me more money.
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  • Profile picture of the author homebizbuilder
    Hi guys, I have successfully moved my domain to NameCheap. Now, I am concerned that they will try to be funny and touch my account. I have over 30 domains there. Am trying to move those critical ones over to NameCheap asap.
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    • Profile picture of the author Eric Lorence
      Register your domains with your IM strategy in mind.

      NEVER host where you register.

      Spread your domains across several registrars, yes it's a little more to keep track of, but there is software for that and more.

      Register your affiliate domains at namecheap, then your other sites elsewhere.

      Diversify and get used to it, that goes for payment processors and hosts as well.

      Good luck!
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      • Profile picture of the author homebizbuilder
        Hi Eric,

        That's what I did but I own quite a number of domains which makes it painful whenever I have to move.

        Guess this episode really showed the ugly head of GoDaddy. To think that I have been using their service for 2 years and they don't even understand or care about customer loyalty.

        Davion

        Originally Posted by Eric Lorence View Post

        Register your domains with your IM strategy in mind.

        NEVER host where you register.

        Spread your domains across several registrars, yes it's a little more to keep track of, but there is software for that and more.

        Register your affiliate domains at namecheap, then your other sites elsewhere.

        Diversify and get used to it, that goes for payment processors and hosts as well.

        Good luck!
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      • Profile picture of the author newsecrets
        Originally Posted by Eric Lorence View Post

        Spread your domains across several registrars, yes it's a little more to keep track of, but there is software for that and more.

        Register your affiliate domains at namecheap, then your other sites elsewhere.

        Diversify and get used to it, that goes for payment processors and hosts as well.
        Other than Namecheap, which other domain registrars are inexpensive and email-marketer-friendly?
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    • Profile picture of the author Charles E. White
      The was a long thread about this same situation a while ago where people who had their domain registered with Godaddy and had their hosting there too had problems. My advice would be to move one or the other or both.
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    • First, sorry you're getting digitally mugged by GoDaddy, but they've been doing this for years. And the price keeps going up also.

      Just for a historical reference, this happened to Mike Filsaime a few years ago and his site was down for 24 days and he lost over $45,000 dollars in sales and refunds.

      And don't bother with trying to call. A few other warriors pointed this out, and Mike will even tell you himself. The only way to reach that department is via email. And the only way to resolve your issue is to pay. You can send all the documentation you want but it won't make a difference.

      Most warriors have already given you the registrar/hosting companies that most top marketers use - NameCheap.com for domains and Kiosk.ws for hosting.

      Although a deluxe plan on Kiosk costs considerably more than GoDaddy, Joel (Kiosk's president) is very IM savvy and friendly, and an extra $35 bucks a month is worth keeping $45,000 in sales.

      NameCheap has the same policy w/ spam complaints - you'll get an email that someone complained and a request to remove them from your marketing emails, but you won't get the knee jerk reaction that GoDaddy uses. Unless you KEEP getting complaints, your domain is safe at NameCheap.

      And just make sure you have clear, written policies for your affiliates. I specifically tell them what marketing methods are acceptable in both the affiliate agreement, as well as the welcome email and all the marketing materials I prepare for them. I also touch base from time to time w/ marketing tips, and always reiterate the policies.

      As everyone suggested, take the $$ hit on the chin, file it under "lessons learned" and run from the GoDaddy light as fast as you can...

      Good luck.

      CID
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    • Profile picture of the author FasthostsCom
      Hey everyone. I know this is my first post and this is not spam. This post is relevant so please don't flag me.

      Homebizbuilder, Call Nikole at 484 325-2036. She will set you up with a free re-seller account at fasthosts.

      So, not only will you get free hosting, but you can become a re-seller and host others. The first year is no charge, after that it's like $50/year (check with her on the price) and that's for as many accounts as you'd like to host. I have 20 websites and it hasn't cost me one penny. Plus they want your business. They don't have an affiliate program but I would appreciate you telling Nikole that you talked to John.

      PS They don't have an affiliate program but I would appreciate you telling her you heard it from me.
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      • Profile picture of the author homebizbuilder
        Hi FasthostsCom,

        Thanks but I don't think your post is appropriate here. We are talking about Godaddy's domain registration and not webhosting.

        Davion

        Originally Posted by FasthostsCom View Post

        Hey everyone. I know this is my first post and this is not spam. This post is relevant so please don't flag me.

        Homebizbuilder, Call Nikole at 484 325-2036. She will set you up with a free re-seller account at fasthosts.

        So, not only will you get free hosting, but you can become a re-seller and host others. The first year is no charge, after that it's like $50/year (check with her on the price) and that's for as many accounts as you'd like to host. I have 20 websites and it hasn't cost me one penny. Plus they want your business. They don't have an affiliate program but I would appreciate you telling Nikole that you talked to John.

        PS They don't have an affiliate program but I would appreciate you telling her you heard it from me.
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        • Profile picture of the author FasthostsCom
          Originally Posted by homebizbuilder View Post

          Hi FasthostsCom,

          Thanks but I don't think your post is appropriate here. We are talking about Godaddy's domain registration and not webhosting.

          Davion
          I respectfully disagree. You were talking about godaddy taking your domain. I'm simply saying that you should do your own web hosting. In other words if you're fed up with godaddy then fire them and host yourself for free for a year.

          I guess the word free is what puts blinders on people. If someone came to your front door and stuck their hand out with a $100 bill you'd tell them to get lost because they would have other motives right? I probably would too. I'm suggesting that you resist the knee jerk reaction to say no and keep an open mind.

          I've been with fasthosts for a few months because I got fed up with godaddy. I was about to sign up with another reseller for $20 a month. While I was on hold with them to sign up I did a search and found fasthosts. The price was unbeatable (FREE) and the service is great! If you don't sign up with fasthosts just know that there are other alternatives out there that are more economical than godaddy where you can host yourself.

          Again, I don't work for them and they don't have an affiliate program I was just trying to help you out. The only reason I asked you to mention my name to Nikole was because I've already started developing a relationship with her and fasthosts, and I wanted to reward her hard work by sending her some more business.

          Your choice. Open up your mind and listen or go somewhere else and pay someone else to host you. If you're having spam problems they may not want to deal with that anyway. Just trying to help. Good luck.
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          • Profile picture of the author homebizbuilder
            Hi FasthostsCom,

            I am not against you. It's just that your post content may not be appropriate here since we are talking about domain registration. If you did read the thread, you would have known that. I mentioned it earlier that I am hosting my website at Hostgator.

            You are promoting a web hosting service here. That is a fact. Affiliate program or non-affiliate program.

            Just to let you know lest you receive an infraction. Again, just an advice. Like what you said, you are new here and you were careful to point out that what you are saying is not irrelevant.

            "Hey everyone. I know this is my first post and this is not spam. This post is relevant so please don't flag me."

            This does suggest that you are uncomfortable with posting your comment.

            Peace here. Like what I said, nothing against you or your post. Just letting you be informed.

            Davion

            Originally Posted by FasthostsCom View Post

            I respectfully disagree. You were talking about godaddy taking your domain. I'm simply saying that you should do your own web hosting. In other words if you're fed up with godaddy then fire them and host yourself for free for a year.

            I guess the word free is what puts blinders on people. If someone came to your front door and stuck their hand out with a $100 bill you'd tell them to get lost because they would have other motives right? I probably would too. I'm suggesting that you resist the knee jerk reaction to say no and keep an open mind.

            I've been with fasthosts for a few months because I got fed up with godaddy. I was about to sign up with another reseller for $20 a month. While I was on hold with them to sign up I did a search and found fasthosts. The price was unbeatable (FREE) and the service is great! If you don't sign up with fasthosts just know that there are other alternatives out there that are more economical than godaddy where you can host yourself.

            Again, I don't work for them and they don't have an affiliate program I was just trying to help you out. The only reason I asked you to mention my name to Nikole was because I've already started developing a relationship with her and fasthosts, and I wanted to reward her hard work by sending her some more business.

            Your choice. Open up your mind and listen or go somewhere else and pay someone else to host you. If you're having spam problems they may not want to deal with that anyway. Just trying to help. Good luck.
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            • Profile picture of the author FasthostsCom
              Originally Posted by homebizbuilder View Post

              Hi FasthostsCom,

              I am not against you. It's just that your post content may not be appropriate here since we are talking about domain registration. If you did read the thread, you would have known that. I mentioned it earlier that I am hosting my website at Hostgator.

              You are promoting a web hosting service here. That is a fact. Affiliate program or non-affiliate program.

              Just to let you know lest you receive an infraction. Again, just an advice. Like what you said, you are new here and you were careful to point out that what you are saying is not irrelevant.

              "Hey everyone. I know this is my first post and this is not spam. This post is relevant so please don't flag me."

              This does suggest that you are uncomfortable with posting your comment.

              Peace here. Like what I said, nothing against you or your post. Just letting you be informed.

              Davion
              Then by all means, flag me. Flag me for being new, Flag me for trying to help, Flag me for not reading every word, FLAG ME! But before you do check out some of my other posts and I think you'll see that I'm not here for fasthosts. I promise I won't post on one of your threads or try to help you again. If I even look at one of your threads then please FLAG ME!

              The one thing I do regret is the name I chose. If I had chosen "godaddy sucks" as a user name instead of FasthostsCom then we probably wouldn't even be talking about this. I was surfing when I saw your thread and I signed up without giving a lot of thought to my user name.

              WOW! I'd appreciate feedback from someone else (not homebizs' friends list). Did I completely screw up here? If so, I'll go down the road. Good luck to you Homebiz.
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  • Profile picture of the author blakekr
    I have heard so many stories like this with godaddy. Namecheap has a very good reputation, many of the domainers use it, and I haven't heard of them strong-arming people for cash like Godaddy so often does.
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    • Profile picture of the author Eric Lorence
      Originally Posted by blakekr View Post

      I have heard so many stories like this with godaddy. Namecheap has a very good reputation, many of the domainers use it, and I haven't heard of them strong-arming people for cash like Godaddy so often does.
      The only heads up about namecheap I know is their lax domain transfer policy.

      Had a few friends get their domains jacked thru simple social hacking methods there.

      But for the marketer or flipper they are a good choice.
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      • Profile picture of the author Dan C. Rinnert
        Originally Posted by Eric Lorence View Post

        The only heads up about namecheap I know is their lax domain transfer policy.

        Had a few friends get their domains jacked thru simple social hacking methods there.
        Well, that's a pretty big heads-up!

        Keep your domains with GoDaddy, and worry every time you send out an eMail.

        Keep your domains with NameCheap, and worry whether you'll be able to keep them.

        Maybe it's just better to stick with Network Solutions for your valuable domain names?
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        • Profile picture of the author Eric Lorence
          Originally Posted by Dan C. Rinnert View Post

          Well, that's a pretty big heads-up!

          Keep your domains with GoDaddy, and worry every time you send out an eMail.

          Keep your domains with NameCheap, and worry whether you'll be able to keep them.

          Maybe it's just better to stick with Network Solutions for your valuable domain names?
          Unless your sitting on a 5 or 6 figure domain I wouldn't worry about it too much.

          As these are isolated incidents...

          Just take the common steps to secure your account such as changing your password regularly.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alex Hunter
    This happened to me. Except they wanted to fine me some amount, I told them "here is my credit card, charge it whatever you like but unsuspend my domain immediately." they didn't charge it, and complied with my request.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ryan Dodson
    This reason alone is why I ALWAYS manually hand-pick and approve my affiliates using my own program.

    It's worth the extra cash to avoid problems like these...

    That's my advice for the future.
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  • Profile picture of the author Art Turner
    fasthosts....the point that homebizbuilder was trying to get across is that the OP wasn't hosting at godaddy...just had the domain registered there...so it's not a hosting issue.

    12inch...you'd be funnier if you could spell
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  • Profile picture of the author derekwong28
    fasthostcom, I can see that you do try your best to help and contribute to this forum. However, I would strongly recommend that you change your username or rejoin with a new name. Anybody seeing your username would think that you work for fasthosts. Whatever explanation you give later on would not be good enough.

    Derek
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  • Profile picture of the author guna
    Yeah.. We got threatened by Godaddy for requesting (Not Spamming) a link to a website owner who had a links section. It was horrible that the guy with a link section takes a link request as a SPAM and Godaddy approving it..

    Well I talked to them for hours and they put me 2 options, either pay 250$ (i am not sure on the amount) or transfer domain. I just transferred the domain because some crackpot may complain again and I don't want to pay the 250$ for every complaint..
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  • Profile picture of the author trafficwave
    1) Terminate the Affiliate.

    2) Provide proof of your no-spam policy to Godaddy and explain that you have terminated the offending Affiliate for violating the policy.
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    Brian Rooney, CEO
    TrafficWave.net Email Marketing AutoResponders
    Email Marketing Blog

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    • Profile picture of the author homebizbuilder
      Hi Guna,

      After my personal experience with them, I have a good taste of their "quality and professional" service. Best to get out of there as fast as you can!

      Originally Posted by guna View Post

      Yeah.. We got threatened by Godaddy for requesting (Not Spamming) a link to a website owner who had a links section. It was horrible that the guy with a link section takes a link request as a SPAM and Godaddy approving it..

      Well I talked to them for hours and they put me 2 options, either pay 250$ (i am not sure on the amount) or transfer domain. I just transferred the domain because some crackpot may complain again and I don't want to pay the 250$ for every complaint..
      Hi Trafficwave, I terminated that fellow immediately and even after explaining to GoDaddy, they still insisted that being the domain owner, I am responsible for my affiliate's conduct!

      I know it sounds ridiculous.

      Originally Posted by trafficwave View Post

      1) Terminate the Affiliate.

      2) Provide proof of your no-spam policy to Godaddy and explain that you have terminated the offending Affiliate for violating the policy.
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  • Profile picture of the author homebizbuilder
    Dear all,

    I promised to explain what transpired after that and what could be done for a situation like this. I hope this will help folks who may be caught in the same situation.

    This affiliate used his affiliate link and did spammed the complainant. So clearly, this was a case of spamming on his part.

    When they threatened me with the 48 hours to show proof that the complainant had given prior permission for the email to be sent, what I did was:

    1. Contact the complainant and explained the situation. (Complainant did not respond at all)

    2. Explain to Godaddy that it was obviously not my fault and presented the email to the complainant.

    During the 48 hours, I quickly initiated the transfer to NameCheap. This is the process.

    1. You need to go to NameCheap or whatever domain registrar you wish to transfer to and initiate the transfer. We will call it Registrar A.

    Before you do that, remember to unlock your domain in GoDaddy, and cancel the "DomainsbyProxy.com" if you have private registration with them. If not, it will delay your transfer and you cannot get out in time!

    2. When initiating transfer, they will need your EPP code, which is the Authorization code.

    You will see it in Godaddy's interface. Click on the subject domain, and you will see "Authorization Code:Send by Email" on the left. Click on this. An email containing the EPP code will be sent to you.

    3. Go to NameCheap or Registrar A. Enter the EPP code there. The new registrar will then initiate the domain transfer. For NameCheap, within 3 hours, you will receive an email to approve the transfer. Approve it.

    4. Within the next few hours, you will receive an email from GoDaddy that informs you that a domain transfer is pending.

    5. There is a trick here to accelerate the transfer. Otherwise, it can take anything from 3 to 8 days for the transfer to complete. By then, before the transfer is completed, you may have received an email from GoDaddy to pay your $200 penalty!

    Go to "Domains" in GoDaddy. Look for "Pending Transfers" under the drop-down menu of "Domains". You should see the subject domain. Approve the transfer.

    Once this is done, within the next few hours, you will receive a confirmation that the transfer is complete all within 24 hours. Voila! You are out of GoDaddy before you have to pay your ransom!
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  • Profile picture of the author newsecrets
    Just a FYI -

    Bob Parsons, CEO of Godaddy, will be speaking at Yanik Silver's upcoming Underground Online Seminar.

    If anyone attends, perhaps you could ask him why his company has such policies that are so unfriendly towards marketers!
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  • Profile picture of the author GeorgR.
    GoDaddy....shudder....just recently i hear bad things, especially for more professional marketers hosting sites or domain names.

    That's why i rather chose a "smaller" hosting company as opposed to a big company with many abusers and script kiddies on them.
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  • Profile picture of the author GeorgR.
    yes...if you are IM and DEPEND on your sites, get away from shared hosting!! Get a VPS..it costs more, but you have full control over anything.
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    -> VISIT www.1UP-SEO.com *** <- Internet Marketing, SEO Tips, Reviews & More!! ***
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    • Profile picture of the author astaga
      Originally Posted by GeorgR. View Post

      yes...if you are IM and DEPEND on your sites, get away from shared hosting!! Get a VPS..it costs more, but you have full control over anything.
      George,
      Can you elaborate? Am trying to understand how this works. The issue (as I understand it) is with domain not hosting. What is VPS? How does it work?

      TIA, thanks.
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      • Profile picture of the author jjpmarketing
        astaga,

        The reason for the need for a dedicated server of vps is to avoid the fallout from a spam issue on another site on the same shared hosting server. A lot of times, spam blacklist services will ban a range of ip's instead of just a single ip. This is why the dedicated server option is better.

        Hostgator has dedicated servers for around $200. You could probably get a VPS for less than $100 per month. Think of it as "Internet Marketing Insurance" instead of a cost for hosting. The extra expense protects you from these issues.

        Dennis
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        • Profile picture of the author astaga
          Dennis,
          Does that alone do it, or do you still need to spread who you used to "register" your domains with? Thanks.

          Originally Posted by jjpmarketing View Post

          astaga,

          The reason for the need for a dedicated server of vps is to avoid the fallout from a spam issue on another site on the same shared hosting server. A lot of times, spam blacklist services will ban a range of ip's instead of just a single ip. This is why the dedicated server option is better.

          Hostgator has dedicated servers for around $200. You could probably get a VPS for less than $100 per month. Think of it as "Internet Marketing Insurance" instead of a cost for hosting. The extra expense protects you from these issues.

          Dennis
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          • Profile picture of the author jjpmarketing
            Originally Posted by astaga View Post

            Dennis,
            Does that alone do it, or do you still need to spread who you used to "register" your domains with? Thanks.
            I'm not exactly certain what you are asking. Basically the dedicated server usually comes with about 10 ip addresses. All of these are your ip addresses. There are no other customers' sites on your server... only your sites. So the only reason you would get your ip's blacklisted by someone like spamhaus or some similar service... is if your sites were hacked and being used as bot for spamming or you yourself spammed (or an affiliate of yours spammed).

            On shared hosting you are sharing a server with an unknown number of customer who may have affiliate programs themselves. This increases the chances for one of those sites and ip's being reported for spam. So instead of a service like Spamhaus tracking down the ip that spammed, they blacklist a range of ip's in the event that the spammer has hacked multiple sites on a server... or even worse multiple sites at a host.

            A dedicated server with HostGator, you wouldn't likely have to worry about the host getting hacked as they have very good security. But it is still a possibility, and in that case a blacklist service could start blocking multiple ranges of ip's connected to HostGator and not just one specific server.

            But if you are smart and use services like Aweber or Getresponse, then this should be a non issue because it only affects the delivery of email... or at least as far as I know.

            Dennis
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  • Profile picture of the author yourreviewer
    Ok! This may sound dumb but I gotta ask you anyways.

    1. A few folks have advised, 'NEVER HOST WHERE YOU REGISTER'. I have always had all my sites at Hostgator and I registered my domains through them, (I think it is called Rocket Registry or something). So is that a bad pratice?

    2. I will be releasing a product soon on Clickbank and I would like to know the best of going about it.

    a. Register the domain from Namecheap?
    b. Have it registered via Hostgator?

    Eric mentioned, spread your domains across different registrars, what does it mean?

    Thanks,
    Dan
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  • Profile picture of the author Ant West
    Sugarrrrrrrr i've got 500 domains at godaddy wtf! i'm gunna be busy now
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    "This time next year I'm Going to be a Millionaire"
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  • Profile picture of the author GrantFreeman
    Just found a site called retailmenot.com. If you want to save some cash on domain transfer (especially if you've got more than one domain), visit the site, and find the search field that's located in the upper-right hand corner of the page.

    Use this form to search for "namecheap.com".

    If you don't want namecheap, try searching a registrar you DO like.

    From here, you click on the code you want to use, which will take you to the registrars' website. Code is automatically entered in the appropriate field upon checkout.

    Cheers!

    Grant
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  • Profile picture of the author cypherslock
    An Idea: If you spread your registrations across multiple registrars (good plan just in case), then invest in Big Mike's Domain Acquisition Manager, as you can keep track of everything related to your domains (and can renew and what not) from one central place.
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  • Profile picture of the author jjpmarketing
    I talked to GoDaddy a while back on the phone about using affiliate programs and protecting your domain/website. This was out of curiosity because I have about half my domains with them and the other half with namecheap. I have a hosting account with them, that I essentially only use for storage.

    Basically after navigating my way through several people and being accused of getting ready to launch a spamming campaign... (and i was just asking questions about an affiliate program) I finally got to abuse department or whatever it is GoDaddy calls it.

    In short, they basically said that they would suspend the domain no matter what if one of my affiliates spammed even if I specifically put in my affiliate TOS that I do not permit email marketing of any kind. They said I would have only 2 options. Pay them $200 cleanup fee which is good for a yearly plan of some sort to prevent further spamming issues. Or I could pay like $60 or something like that and transfer my domain elsewhere. The $200 would allow me to keep my domain with GoDaddy.

    But it gets even worse. Even if you don't have an affiliate program and someone starts sending out emails with your domain in their email in a spamming campaign, you are still at risk of having your domain suspended.

    That statement alone just blew my mind. Something you have absolutely no control whatsoever over, can still get your domain suspended. Eventually when my remaining domains are due for renewal they will get transferred to namecheap. That is the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard.

    Dennis
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  • Profile picture of the author Fox30
    Please stop using GoDaddy for any domain or hosting needs. They are notorious for giving marketers trouble. IMO.
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  • Profile picture of the author Eric Graudins
    GoDaddy is not a place to register domains, or host your websites.
    See NoDaddy.Com - Exposing the Many Reasons Not to Trust GoDaddy with Your Domain Names for some real life horror stories.

    As many have said, use name.com or namecheap.com for domains,
    Hostgator.com for hosting.

    Cheers,
    Eric G.
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    The biggest benefit of the internet is that almost everything can be automated.
    The biggest curse of the internet is that almost everything can be automated.



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  • Profile picture of the author astaga
    Thanks Dennis for your reply.
    Reason I asked is HomeBizBuilder registered his domain with Godaddy, but his hosting is with Hostgator. He's got no problems with Hostgator but with Godaddy was the one threatening to suspend his domain, and I'm thinking "hold on, the registrar and the hoster are different outfits". What gives???

    Yep it would be prudent to use a professional autoresponder for one's mailings.
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    • Profile picture of the author Eric Graudins
      Originally Posted by astaga View Post

      He's got no problems with Hostgator but with Godaddy was the one threatening to suspend his domain, and I'm thinking "hold on, the registrar and the hoster are different outfits". What gives???
      The domain name (which Go Daddy has under its control) is the first "link" in the chain that makes up your website.

      If GoDaddy suspends the domain name, the hosting can be fully operational, but your website will not work because the domain name is no longer connected to it.

      So the rule of thumb should be:
      "Have separate domain registrars and web hosts, neither of which is Go Daddy :-) "
      Cheers, Eric G.
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      The biggest benefit of the internet is that almost everything can be automated.
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      • Profile picture of the author Gene Pimentel
        Originally Posted by Eric Graudins View Post

        So the rule of thumb should be:
        "Have separate domain registrars and web hosts, neither of which is Go Daddy :-) "
        Cheers, Eric G.

        Perfectly stated.
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  • Profile picture of the author Brad Gosse
    I have seen this happen over and over. I think someone who was anti competitive enough could send spam complaints about their competitors to Godaddy.
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