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Spam issues with bluehost (offshore host maybe only solution?)

by hershkoy
7 replies
Hello friends

I have a Brazilian affiliate website that is hosted at bluehost at the moment. Apparently Brazil has no spam regulations, and some of my affiliates are sending mass unconsolidated emails from there own emails accounts (gmail,hotmail,etc.) with a link to my domain in their message.

As a result, bluehost has shut me down yesterday. After I suspended the affiliates that were involved, they reactivated my account. For now.

They say that all emails to and from their servers go through the same email proxy server. Whenever someone is spamming (from their own emails) with my domain in the message text, the spambots are blackisting all servers on the way, so even if I will have my own dedicated server and IP, bluehost email proxy will still be blacklisted. This means that if the spamming problem continues, eventually they will shut me down.

I am taking some measures to cool down my over enthusiastic affiliates. I do not support spamming, but remember that these are Brazilians that dont even understand what spamming is.

So I am looking for a solution for this issue.

The only idea that comes to my mind is offshore hosting that will ignore the spamming.

I am open to hear any other solution that I didn't think about.

Does anyone here has a recommendation for a good and reliable offshore hosting service?


Thanks in advance.


P.S: My site is just the usual internet marketing training affiliate platform. No porn, gambling, and all that stuff.
#bluehost #host #issues #offshore #solution #spam
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  • Profile picture of the author lotsofsnow
    Originally Posted by hershkoy View Post

    I am taking some measures to cool down my over enthusiastic affiliates. I do not support spamming, but remember that these are Brazilians that dont even understand what spamming is.
    Yeah right.

    Most Brazilians are civilized people and they do know what spamming is, especially the ones that have figured out how to apply for an affiliate program related to internet marketing.

    You might want to give them your terms in Portuguese because it may very well be that their understanding of the English language is kind of limited.
    Originally Posted by hershkoy View Post

    So I am looking for a solution for this issue.

    The only idea that comes to my mind is offshore hosting that will ignore the spamming.
    It looks like you like the spam traffic. Otherwise you would simply not allow it. Yes, an affiliate could try to send you spam traffic but if you clearly state what you mean with spam traffic and clearly state that this would equal zero pay you should not have a problem.
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    • Profile picture of the author hershkoy
      My site is for Brazilians in the Portuguese language. It just happens that the server is currently in the US. And Brazil don't have a email spam regulation, so some Brazilian don't know what it means:
      Email spam legislation by country - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

      Even if I try to force my anti-spam in the terms and condition, I don't have control over competitors that might want to spam just to shut me down, or even affiliates that don't read or don't follow the rules, or don't pay enough attention.

      In the US and most other western world countries you (the person doing the spamming) can get sued for sending mass emails, so people don't do it. In Brazil, because they don't have spam regulations, they have no such fear.

      I can suspend affiliates account, and I already had, but if the problem continues bluehost will shut me down nevertheless.

      So maybe I am enjoying the traffic for now, but I am mostly worried that it won't last for very long (days, hours, don't know) and I am looking for a solution. Offshore hosting is one of them. I would appreciate any recommendation or tip how to really solve this problem




      Originally Posted by hpgoodboy View Post

      Yeah right.

      Most Brazilians are civilized people and they do know what spamming is, especially the ones that have figured out how to apply for an affiliate program related to internet marketing.

      You might want to give them your terms in Portuguese because it may very well be that their understanding of the English language is kind of limited.


      It looks like you like the spam traffic. Otherwise you would simply not allow it. Yes, an affiliate could try to send you spam traffic but if you clearly state what you mean with spam traffic and clearly state that this would equal zero pay you should not have a problem.
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  • Profile picture of the author FlamingWolf
    You are the owner of the affiliate program, so you set the rules. We have a similar issue here in Italy, where people think that spam is just promoting scams and blue pills via email. So make a very simple box where you explain what you consider as spam. A simple list of things that your affiliates are not allowed to do.

    After all, if they don't know what spam is, you have to teach them

    A possible solution ( but I'm not completely sure ) to lower the amount of spam traffic is to use CloudFlare ( they should be able to shield you from spam traffic )
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    • Profile picture of the author hershkoy
      Originally Posted by FlamingWolf View Post

      You are the owner of the affiliate program, so you set the rules. We have a similar issue here in Italy, where people think that spam is just promoting scams and blue pills via email. So make a very simple box where you explain what you consider as spam. A simple list of things that your affiliates are not allowed to do.

      After all, if they don't know what spam is, you have to teach them

      A possible solution ( but I'm not completely sure ) to lower the amount of spam traffic is to use CloudFlare ( they should be able to shield you from spam traffic )
      We are teaching it, suspending accounts and all, but there can always be a few that don't follow the rules. One more coincident like that, and then I am in the mercy of bluehost, that can shut me down without a notice. I can't have it.

      I will check CloudFlare, thank you
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  • Profile picture of the author Weblover50
    If spam is legal in Brazil and your customers are in Brazil, why host anywhere else? Just host in Brazil itself. Additionally it will help your sites SERPS and speed as well.
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  • Profile picture of the author ShanyMav
    For spaming i use bulletproofvps with cpanel packages you can check on their website. They are very good I never get any complaints.
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  • Profile picture of the author Work2Live
    Following someone else's advice I used bluehost to put up a website for a physical storefront.

    Bluehost doesn't have whoisguard. They have their own whoisguard type product but they don't automatically sign you up for it or automatically give you the option!

    Eventually got it fixed after talking to bluehost customer service.
    The store and cellphone got spammed with tons of weird phone calls from India. Real pain in the butt.

    Stick with namecheap, they sign you up for whoisguard automatically.

    Boycott Godaddy because they support the Internet censorship bills SOPA and PIPA.
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