Did I Make a Huge Mistake?

[JayDee123]

I bought a few more domains names recently and noticed that I didn't get the privacy (for whois, etc.) on the last batch I purchased. When I called GoDaddy to see about adding Privacy the price was very steep!

Should I cough up the extra $$$ to get privacy on those without it? I've heard people with the know-how can find out who owns a domain name anyway...

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[draggar]

I almost never get privacy.

 

[Biggie]

privacy, is a profit center for registrars that charge for that service....nothing more

 

[JayDee123]

Thank you, I won't concern myself any longer

 

[angel69]

Haven't you guys heard of a Domainer's Right to Privacy ? and it's sacred to some .....LMFAO..... (Roe v Wade circa 1973, landmark decision thing.....)

reggers: after a..... :smokin:


PS - JayDee123, never expect privacy to be given to you for free, some registrars offer free privacy for regs/trans (usually not rens), but just a few do an always free privacy

 

[jdk]

If you are that concerned go to your local post office and get the smallest po box for $30/yr. Otherwise go to another registrar that has lower privacy charges.

 

[bwhhisc]

If you set up as a bulk customer, or check deals and use coupon codes, you shouldn't pay more than $8.50 - $9 per year for .com with free privacy included.

But why have privacy, it just limits buyers ability to contact you easily if they are interested in buying the name.

 

[dcristo]

Do you have fetishes you don't want the world to know about?

 

[angel69]

Really ? Are you sure this is Go Daddy ? I have yet to see a deal lower than $8.47 (and that's paying the annual $89.99 DDC fee or with a valid code) + $3.99 privacy maybe, and if that low it's once in a blue moon, normally it's $9.99 additional to reg fee or very close to it, if you know of any promos for $9 regs INCLUDING privacy for GD pls pm me lol...

The privacy email address for the admin in the WHOIS will always work with any registrar unless you set it up as to not receive any mail, strangely enough some do that. So I've never subscribed to the idea people won't find you with privacy on a domain. A true noob will NOT know what the WHOIS is for starters, so if anyone is knowledgeable enough to search the WHOIS and find the domain owner's info displayed then he's already gone pretty far. And I'd expect him to be smart enough that if he sees [email protected] or 7&[email protected] (whatever set up for privacy addresses ea registrar uses) he'll assume his email enquiring about jingles.com will be received by the owner....

Also, most domains have a webpage including FOR SALE links or some form leading to the parking co, so searching the WHOIS may not even be the 1st thought or simplest route for buyers' enquiries. It's viewing the page and using any info there. Or they'll go to marketplaces and the domain may be for sale on a couple. So no, the WHOIS doesn't make selling a domain any harder, at least not in my book.... (if the owner doesn't set up the privacy email address properly, or he doesn't post a for sale sign on his webpage, or he doesn't list the domain on marketplaces, then he's the only one to blame if the thing doesn't get sold, not the fact that there's privacy on it) ....

:cell:

If you set up as a bulk customer, or check deals and use coupon codes, you shouldn't pay more than $8.50 - $9 per year for .com with free privacy included. But why have privacy, it just limits buyers ability to contact you easily if they are interested in buying the name.

 

[angel69]

LOL.....but see, there are so many reasons different people add privacy, it's not necessarily something you're hiding or the domain may be too close to a TM, there are politically sensitive subjects (your position on gun control, abortion, death penalty, etc on a blog and that's your own domain, see ?... I can see how heated things can get for detractors, they'll find you at your own your place...), XXX names are a great reason, some domain may be so valuable that exposing any email address (no matter how detached from you or "safe" it may be) on the WHOIS will only invite hack attempts, some people don't want the world to see where you live lol.... as simple as that....even a mailbox # tells everybody what city you're in...all sorts of folks have all sorts of reasons for privacy ...

You may own an LLC and put your domains into that but much of that info can't be concealed. The LLC administrator needs to be featured and you can't invent one. Some info will always be available to some/all people, you cannot be totally anonymous. But privacy can be a positive thing, or at least it doesn't hurt domainers. I've never understood why many domainers are totally against privacy, even when some may have perfectly valid reasons for adding it. As for virtual phone #s, I agree, they help. Remember any inaccurate info on the WHOIS will be cause for ICANN/registrars to fine you and they do, so you can't make up info or include fake data. Another reason to not disclose owner's info is you'll get a ton of unsolicited emails from jerks who don't have anything else to do, like mentioning they can see you own more domains, that you bought X domain for $X, and at which place, and which date/time, and thus you must be loaded, wow.... LMFAO... me loaded....and they'll email you daily trying to shove their lousy names down your throat...(yes, block 'em, I know...)

Others tie your full name/info on the WHOIS and do thorough searches about you. A few times it's been creepy. Another time a guy had X domain in his alerts, an expensive domain I had just won. Moniker (surprise ! lol) was paid to add privacy to my domain when I got a transfer to them. But as many know, sometimes it doesn't get activated until you go to your acct and do it manually, that's what happened here. But the monitoring alerts had already gone off that there had been a change in registrar, exp date, etc, any changes trigger those. Sure enough, many people saw the WHOIS and then I started getting emails at my own email address, I won't get into that ....but trust me, that time I did need that privacy Moniker didn't give me right away...

:spy:

Do you have fetishes you don't want the world to know about?

 

[grcorp]

Ask yourself why you want WHOIS privacy. What is the worst that can happen to you?

In my opinion, the worst that can happen is a potential buyer might be discouraged to get in touch with you; undermining your whole business model as a domainer.

 

[jdk]

It depends if he is going to resell the domains or plans to use them on a developed web site. If you are planning on reselling in the future, you want your info there. If you are planning on developing, depending on the content of the site, you may consider privacy.

 

[draggar]

OP has his location flagged as the USA so...

Small PO box: $60 a year (price according to the closest post office to me)
Phone # though Magic Jack: $20
Another email address: Free

So, for $80 a year you can have your identity protected by not having your address, phone#, or email address stored in the WhoIs database..

 

[amplify]

Better yet, for ULTIMATE privacy, buy an established shelf corporation in Delaware that will forward all incoming mail to your current residential address or to add an extra layer of privacy, to a PO Box.

 

[jdk]

Or the OP can:

Create a throw-away email address: FREE
Use fake whois info: FREE

OR as a last resort is all the above starts becoming too stressful: SELL or GIVE the domains away

 

[angel69]

David LOL, true, I should weigh that an an option.... Delaware and even Nevada get mentioned a lot


JDK, disposable email address yes, like I said .....but fake WHOIS info I'd be real careful about, although I've never entered fake data when I began in 08 it was right before GD added automated changes in registrar info as an option for pushes, so some Ebay seller was lazy and just entered like 123 Main St, Anyville, NY, 99999 for a couple of names he sold me for which he had to do a manual push on GD. And GD fined me rather quick, one separate fine for each domain, like $20/ea I think. They must've been watching me as a new acct or I don't know how they monitor so many changes, if they're fake or real info. They said they were only acting as agents for ICANN, yeah, right. And they wouldn't have kept any of it for themselves if the penalties had stuck, but I fought them and they reversed them.... but it wasn't easy

Any email address you use on any WHOIS, make sure you do get all email (they may test it) and any phone # you enter you need to have a working VM, if you don't reply to an email or VM of theirs they probably assume it's fake (it also goes to the fraud thing, thieves are infamous for entering Mickey Mouse or Atlantic City at first on the WHOIS...)


Draggar, I know all three are good options (inc the PO Box) but... 1) The domain owner's name, or LLC name, or Admin contact I believe has to be a real person, so at best you gotta find someone to let you use his name if you insist on not using your own..... 2) $60 is right for a USPS PO Box, maybe even less..... but isn't adding privacy with the registrar (especially if cheap or free) much easier, and effective since buyers CAN contact you if they can add 2 + 2..... 3) Showing your city is no big deal, OK.....


But if you add that the name of the owner entity cannot be made up (person or company), that they can look up the org docs for that LLC and stuff, plus it matches your city (unless we do a Delaware as they call it but that costs)...dunno, it seems to me like all this should not be necessary, I wish all domainers saw eye to eye with me and so many others on this, but ultimately it's a matter of you being comfortable with any of your info being public... (people who've been victims of fraud like me, or even ID theft, would probably favor my position IMO...)

 

[amplify]

If you make a lot of revenue, a shelf corporation would be your best option whether in Delaware or Nevada as it would provide you with the anonymity you want and provide you a nice tax shelter. My LLC. is in Washington, State and taxes are outrageous... so I claim it as personal earnings up until $92,000 (tax exempt overseas) and the rest could go into the company (most likely put losses in to not pay taxes as well).

I had a good business ethics teacher who worked for the IRS for 22 years.

Although this isn't ethical, what he taught allowed me to obtain information on how to be unethical. I suppose forcing people to take business ethics classes in order to get their degrees work 50/50... you can do the right thing and pay Uncle Sam (ethical) or flip the book upside down and read it backwards to find unethical business practices.

 

[draggar]

Draggar, I know all three are good options (inc the PO Box) but... 1) The domain owner's name, or LLC name, or Admin contact I believe has to be a real person, so at best you gotta find someone to let you use his name if you insist on not using your own..... 2) $60 is right for a USPS PO Box, maybe even less..... but isn't adding privacy with the registrar (especially if cheap or free) much easier, and effective since buyers CAN contact you if they can add 2 + 2..... 3) Showing your city is no big deal, OK.....


But if you add that the name of the owner entity cannot be made up (person or company), that they can look up the org docs for that LLC and stuff, plus it matches your city (unless we do a Delaware as they call it but that costs)...dunno, it seems to me like all this should not be necessary, I wish all domainers saw eye to eye with me and so many others on this, but ultimately it's a matter of you being comfortable with any of your info being public... (people who've been victims of fraud like me, or even ID theft, would probably favor my position IMO...)

I've seen WhoIs information in the past where the domain was the registrant and it was not a corporation (legal or not, it's done and will only be scrutinized if it is reported) . BUT - you can also use your initials, first name / last initial, etc.

 

[webdom]

I never get privacy unless it is a personal project. How will people find you if they want your domain name? What did you end up doing by the way?

Dave

 

[angel69]

draggar is right, i guess privacy might just be a bit overrated and people like me could look at other options, i've always thought it was much simpler to add privacy for free or cheap instead of creating all those other things to protect yourself, and i've always felt it adds an extra security layer, at least with gd it sure does....but many here including pros are dead set against it, so it's a matter of taste and opinions and what your experiences with it have been like, i for one get contacted all the time thru the privacy email address for names that have privacy, and many of our names haven't had privacy for a long time because of the cost, especially at gd

i had already made a point imho it's a huge stretch to conclude a person will be confused when he sees private ownership and email address for the registrant, but maybe i've lost a few enquiries (and potential sales) due to that, others use links on pages or find names on marketplaces, if someone wants your domain they'll find you... some have even contact the registrar and they email me the request for info w/o revealing my own data, that was namecheap btw, 1st rate support.....mx and .com.mx domains for example, they do not allow one's email address to appear anywhere in the whois, and you cannot have privacy with nic.mx domains so there's a case where a public whois wouldn't do you any good...

I've seen WhoIs information in the past where the domain was the registrant and it was not a corporation (legal or not, it's done and will only be scrutinized if it is reported) BUT - you can also use your initials, first name / last initial, etc

maxwell, like i said many of us need/want privacy for a thousand different reasons (porn, politically-sensitive, blogs using your domain, valuable domains being magnets for thieves, you just don't want the world to know you own some domain lol, etc) but i agree w/your worst case scenario, you might lose a sale now and then...

Ask yourself why you want WHOIS privacy. What is the worst that can happen to you ? In my opinion, the worst that can happen is a potential buyer might be discouraged to get in touch with you; undermining your whole business model as a domainer