Slashdot Mirror
Taking Domain Control Back from the Registrar?
Patrick Clinger asks: "I run a large community Web site, and today I woke up to find that one of my domain names (proboards21.com) was disabled by my unnamed registrar -- my name servers were changed to NS1/NS2.SUSPENDED-FOR.SPAM-AND-ABUSE.COM and I no longer have access to that domain in my control panel. I am in no way involved in any spam activities, and the registration for my domain expires in 2007. I would expect at least a courtesy call or an email letting me know what happened, but neither was provided by the unnamed registrar. What can you do when suddenly a registrar goes off and takes control of your domain when there was no violation of your agreement with them? What is to prevent any registrar from taking over any domain when they feel like it? Right now my domain is in limbo, waiting for them to hopefully restore it to the correct name servers."
You could bitch about it on slashdot. That can only turn out well.
I've heard both good and bad stories about Godaddy, so I've stayed away, they seem to be cheapest price, but I didnt want to take a chance.
Personally, I'd send a certified letter from a lawyer, and work with them. But you did allow one of your sites to be used for spam relay, even if by mistake. Work it out, if not, get fuckoffgodaddy.com, and tell the world. Bad reputation can cause lots of damages.
Contact SpamCop about it. Also, send yourself an email with a Godaddy.com link it, and report it to SpamCop. GoDaddy can suspend themselves. ;-)
Go Daddy's Spam and Abuse Department received spam complaints regarding proboards21.com and began investigating the situation. The Go Daddy Spam and Abuse team sent multiple warnings to the Administrative and Technical contact email addresses, which are the email addresses that ICANN requires be accurate. Email warnings sent to both contact addresses were rejected by the customer's mail server with a "did not like recipient" error. This, in an of itself, can be a big problem. Our abuse department also attempts to send warnings to the fax number of domains under investigation as this is also a traceable form of communication. This customer did not provide a fax contact number for his domain name. Many spammers register "disposable" or "throw away" domain names with the intention of utilizing these domain names to distribute their material until they get caught. Often times, these individuals do not provide valid contact information, and do not respond to any warnings that are sent. The name servers were re-directed as an alternative to simply canceling the domain registration outright. Re-directing the domain's name servers is not as permanent or as drastic as canceling the domain name. Taking this action allows Go Daddy to work with the customer to resolve the immediate problem, and avoid any future problems. As other Slashdot readers have already pointed out in their comments regarding this post, if you are going to provide a free service to the Internet public, it is crucial that you are able to keep a tight reign on these individuals. This is especially important when these individuals are essentially out there using your domain name. Our Abuse team has discussed this situation with the customer and explained the related, options, fees, and policies involved. The customer has ensured Go Daddy that his users will abide by Go Daddy's anti-spam policy from this point forward and has agreed to enforce this policy by canceling the service he provides to any users that violate this policy in the future. We are not out to shut down legitimate customers, nor are we out to charge fees for no reason. GoDaddy is trying to do our part to stop spam and network abuse, while at the same time, helping legitimate businesses and individuals with their online needs. If you have any questions about our spam policies/procedures, please see our site at https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/no_spam.asp Thank you, Office of the President GoDaddy.com