Did I Make a Huge Mistake?

[JayDee123]

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

I plan to sell the ones without privacy - I haven't made any changes yet. GoDaddy won't let me change my name to initials (for my account) and I don't think I want to pay an additional $500+ to make the ones that are public, private. I have some really good (I know you've heard that before) domain names - just not sure where or how to sell them. I've been sitting on some (with privacy) since 2009.

I really appreciate all the responses; I might do an address change to UPS store (street location) with the P.O. Box.

 

[NorthwestRegisteredAgent]

Here's what you need to do. Form an anonymous Limited Liability Company in a state like New Mexico or Wyoming to hold your domains. That way the LLC's name, not your name, is on the whois. The cost for a New Mexico LLC is reasonable ($50) and you don't have alot of red tape, like annual reports. Here is some more information about "invisible" or "anonymous" LLCs: http://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/asset-protection.html

 

[dynadot]

I work as a support rep for Dynadot and whenever people ask I do recommend the privacy service. This is not because we make a lot of money off of it, we're actually thinking of not charging for it at all anymore, but because I think it is a wise idea to avoid leaving your personal contact info on the internet whenever possible. All correspondence is forwarded, as long as the sender includes a domain name for us, so I don't think it would inhibit the sale of domains. I suppose that would be a big concern were that not the case. If you're just registering for yourself though, I really do think it's worth it.

--Dynadot Sam

 

[accurate]

I'd recommend transferring out to another registrar that doesn't charge for privacy, if you want it for some domains. The price that GoDaddy charges you can basically get another free 1-year of registration with most registrars since most transfer fees are lower than reg fees.

 

[EM @MAJ.com]

If you're buying and selling domains, you don't need ID Privacy.

 

[vcr330]

I've used privacy for one domain, and then only once. This was when I was registering domain names for a business project. I think the privacy concerns for the average individual, whether in business or personally, are exaggerated in terms of addresses and contact info. As a seller of anything, I would imagine we want to be found in connection with what we sell.

 

[angel69]

What's exaggerated is the notion adding privacy results in buyers not being able to contact you. I'm always told, sometimes by experienced members, a WhoIs showing a private email address is confusing to people, ie that when they check the WhoIs and see "[email protected]" they'll run away concluding that's not a legit email address and/or that the owner will never get the email. My answer to them is yes, some newbs may conclude that and perhaps the sale was lost (or the owner won't be getting a "How much for this domain ?" that normally leads to no sale or no response after the owner replies, or a "I want to buy BigGreenHats.com for $10", which is what I normally get) But this newb is already looking at the WhoIs, is he not ? So....if he was knowledgeable or smart enough to know what the WhoIs is and how to do a registrant search..... isn't he likely to conclude that address may just work, even if it reads 13?5&y%[email protected], the type using a random code for the protected domain not including the actual domain

Privacy is used by different people, noobs or pros, for different reasons, I feel like I'm the sole advocate for domain privacy on DNF. I know of DNF members using it but the consensus is that it's not "needed" or you "shouldn't" be using it. It may not be "needed" according to many, but whether you should or should not use it is a matter of preference, and I have yet to find other DNF users who agree with me in that when privacy is free (or cheap enough) they'll use it for ALL domains, I don't think there are any lol. The other side, those opposing privacy, is vocal and has strong views on this. I won't get into the various reasons why privacy is preferable IMO. Also, while I'm often contacted thru the WhoIs, private or public (many of my GD names ARE public btw as those crooks want $7.99-9.99 for adding privacy which can't even be turned off/on like others), I'm contacted more often through the link/text on the webpage for that domain, at marketplaces, on forums, etc

 

[vcr330]

What's exaggerated is the notion adding privacy results in buyers not being able to contact you.

My comment about exaggeration is this concern for privacy generally, which may include domains registration. At the end of the day, as you say, it is a personal preference. For me, not being a celebrity or someone who has come across a stalker personally, it seems exaggerated overall--in all respects.

It isn't so much that I don't prefer privacy (which I do). I don't agree with the ubiquitous self-disclosure in our society (at least in the US), where we go into an uproar over the violation of our privacy, only to post our most intimate (and many times, stupid) details on places like FB.

GD charges up the wazoo, as you mentioned, which is one reason I chose not to get it after I tried it on 1 domain. For me, after that, what was the point?

At the end of the day, if someone wants what you have (a domain) (or you) bad enough, privacy or no privacy, they will find you.

Again, each person has to make their own decision. If you (generally speaking) are going to flog yourself over having made the wrong choice, then go back and change it.

I've ran out of my 2 cents on this.

 

[angel69]

VCR330, some of what I tried to say gave the wrong impression, that I was totally disagreeing with your earlier post, I actually wasn't. The concerns for privacy the avg guy has are indeed overblown (as you pointed out, we go up in arms to protect our "privacy", yet we tell the whole world what car we own, even our kids' real names when we mention them) I'm rather against forced disclosure as mandated by law sometimes such as listing homeowners' names for ANYBODY to see and thus make all r/e transactions public, for instance. There you actually see what one bought a house for and what one sold it for. At least in domaining you get a choice unless for most ccTLDs or some boutique extensions which forbid privacy

Street address and other data aren't hard to find for anyone. After a bad deal or if the domainer is seen as having screwed someone, or simply made too much money according to some nutcase, others knowing your info is not a good idea. It's ownership of a digital asset, it's virtual real estate, domains can be as valuable as houses so owners of meganames should view privacy as a must. And although I'll probably never have the problem of getting too rich in domaining, some resent profitable domaining, ie "he made thousands just sitting on a name a couple of months", some see domaining with contempt, as an underground circle like hacking, so few people know of this space and how much work it can involve

You made an excellent point w/the obligatory self-disclosure thing now prevalent in the US. It helps at times but it can also be an undesirable thing. Even I agree (lol) privacy can be too expensive for its limited benefits, but when it's free and the registrars are decent ones people like me flock to them. And what you said is so true: if someone wants your domain (or you lol) they WILL find you, 1000% agreed. I happen to prefer people not knowing I own a name, but many here brag about owning X name, a matter of preference. Even I've concluded having privacy can be a hassle since Sedo and others will simply NOT list your domains until you disable privacy, and with some registrars if you do that you lose it for good (I know your 2 cents are over about this lol, just wanted to comment on the good points you made, and clarify...)

 

[vcr330]

Hi angel69,

I think I found $.002 of a cent to post a quick reply--mostly because I think it's rude not to do so.

I only found out about that privacy thing on one of my doamins when I tried to sell an old domain through Sedo and they couldn't list it, which you mentioned as well. The worse part is that I didn't even keep all that info. So, I've spent the better part of my Sunday morning rummaging around Domains by Proxy and my email to get that info and see if I can relist the thing. Found out I had 3 other domains with privacy. They are all gone now.

Lack of privacy in real estate is a good thing: imagine if your property was sold to someone else who couldn't check whether the bogus seller really owned it. (I could bore you with the legal history of it, but will save you from that). But, I think that the purchase price can be easily omitted. .If you're concerned about that, please check your property appraiser or land registry in your county, as many are now providing the option to opt-out of providing that information online in certain instances.

Have a great weekend!

Vivian

 

[Axis]

Last time I subscribed to Discount Domain Club, I didn't see any discount in private registrations. Even Years ago, GoDaddy allowed free private registration for 5 or more new registration at one go. Still they offer some coupons for free/lowered price privacy occasionally.

Do they provide discounted private registration with DDC subscription now a days ?

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...

 

[quadxnet]

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.

If you are going to be selling the domain its better to not use the privacy, it makes it easier for end users to find you if they are interested in purchasing it.

 

[angel69]

Axis, just subscribing to the Domain Disc Club and paying that $89.99/y doesn't guarantee discounted privacy, that's right. And it should. But I'm sometimes offered $3.99 privacy and while it's better than the nominal cost of privacy to anyone ($9.99) it is still preposterous to pay $8.47 + $3.99 per domain ($12.46) And if you disable it to show someone you own the domain you then kiss it goodbye, it's gone forever and $4 down the drain. So $12.46 would be acceptable to some here (including privacy) IF they did not charge that $89.99/yr to even get that $8.47 reg/ren/tran fee, it is too much. I do it for some valuable domains if I'm offered that $3.99 rate but it's off/on, I'm not even sure it's cuz I pay for the DDC, the system probably offers it to everybody at given times. One good thing, it's now prorated so if you only have 3 mos of reg left on the domain you only pay pvcy for 3 mos, not a whole yr

As pissed as I've been at GD for over a yr I still think the DDC is a good deal simply because it lowers the reg/ren/trans fee to $8.47 for .com (and it's less for .net) AND it gives you at least a 5% disc on ANY ext, namely the expensive ccTLDs, the same goes for .info, .biz and other useless boutique exts like .me. In many exts the disc is 20-35% for ex. So the rule of thumb is: Do you have 45 or more domains w/YoDaddy ? If you do then the DDC is needed, it's a no-brainer cuz it'll lower your .com fee by at least $2, sometimes more, so 45 X $2=$90, it quickly pays for itself and it continues to offer the lowest rates available to anyone, even Premier customers need the DDC to get those those lowest fees. Sometimes there's a 10% promo code for when you pay for the DDC so it's $80.99 if the promo is on

A drawback: It'll nullify any other disc codes you enter on the cart, you get the DDC rates but you cannot use promos. Ever. I've tried so many times. I read sometimes here that coupons work for non-DDC customers but it can't possibly always be the case. You don't want to get caught with a 25-name renewal only to see $17.99 in your cart for each domain and no promo on earth will work. It happened to me once when I let the DDC expire and tried promos. Not a good idea if you still have a sizable portfolio w/them. In August 2012 GD ended the policy of free privacy when you regged or transferred 5 or more names to them. Now it's never free for anyone and even the new Premier dept won't offer you many free things even if you're a big domain trader w/them. Private equity runs NoDaddy now and it's as cut-throat as Wall Street :tsk:

Last time I subscribed to Discount Domain Club, I didn't see any discount in private registrations. Even Years ago, GoDaddy allowed free private registration for 5 or more new registration at one go. Still they offer some coupons for free/lowered price privacy occasionally. Do they provide discounted private registration with DDC subscription now a days ?

 

[grace5]

Is there not tools on the net (paid) that can see inside of the privacy,and such as another registrar can too correct?