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Domains By Proxy review: Identity Theft 12

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3:56 am EST
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Please, please protect yourself from this godaddy group scam company. When you register a domain, they tell you you need private registration to keep from getting spam. They never disclose that it is a scam. Domains by proxy locks your account, and it is on auto renew. The only way to unlock is to send in government issued photo id, tax documents, etc. Why? So they can hold you and your domains and credit card information hostage! Beware!

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The complaint has been investigated and resolved to the customer’s satisfaction.

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Domains By Proxy - Fraud
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12 comments
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Heather1975
, US
Oct 29, 2021 3:32 pm EDT

Everyone involved in this scam should do some research on ip addresses and dns! it appears this dbp company along with other web hosting companies like cloudflare, network solutions, web.com, and many, many more, are all connected somehow. there is also the iana website that is possibly a scam also. I do not know much about networking but it seems as if these companies and servers are not only connected but there may be an entire internet takeover allowing criminals to communicate under the radar. the other problem is the government seems to possibly have a hand in the shady business dealings. i’m there have been numerous countries contacted through this means. there is possibly children being exploited through loop holes of these “highjacked”domains. maybe the reasoning for the auto-renewal is so they can use that domain for a year or two and then onto a new domain. rotating schedule as to not alert anyone and no one is using the domains because they are “locked”
This criminal activity has peoples lives at risk! please research and report your findings! you may help protect innocent children from harm!

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anxie
, IE
Mar 31, 2015 1:53 pm EDT

Hi guys, like a number of you I had all of the same issues. I resent having to send my personal identification to these people.
I pay the freaking bill, you'd imagine proving who I am proves I have the right to edit my own DNS!

That said, I have to say credit to Go Daddy this week.
I called explaining that I am three months back and forth with the red tape robot that is Domains By Proxy and I don't want to renew the domain with this 'service' any more E.V.E.R.
Once I had proven my GD credentials the guy taking my call confirmed to me that an old email was used originally for the private registration (a number of years ago).
They sent us a password reset, suddenly after almost 4 months of frustration I am in, and I am able to REMOVE this service.
Delighted. I would never use it again. The GD rep was very helpful and no nonsense.

p.s. for anyone who is thinking something along the lines of 'well it shows that they would stick to their guns and protect your domain' That is a fair point, but insisting that I provide identification items that the government would not require and passing of as not acceptable legally valid documents and identification and using NO REASON ... that's not customer service.

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DBP Sucks
Dayton, US
Jan 09, 2015 1:20 pm EST

DBP has been nothing but a huge pain. There is no phone number to be found, only electronic communication. I have never had to provide my driver's license, or copy of my business corporation to reset and email address to receive my password. Such crap. Finally, after calling GoDaddy with no help, and becoming a real, someone magically new where to find my login info for Domains By Proxy.

Login to your GoDaddy Account
Click your shopping Cart in the upper right corner (yes, there are items in there you didn't add)
There will a random domain name listed in your cart
Click the button under PROTECT MY PERSONAL INFORMATION that says MAKE MY DOMAIN PRIVATE

Once you click that option your DomainsByProxy account number will come up. That coupled with the GoDaddy password set when the account was created will log you in to the DBP site.

Best of luck with this terrible company!

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stelmaj
salem, US
Jul 14, 2014 9:51 am EDT

I am in this battle now (July 2014) with Domains By Proxy. Trying to move my domains and hosting to another provider because of the walls DBP put up, it's become a legal issue. I have "THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS" is scanned images of my original business license and drivers license on an old hard drive backup. These are the docs sent to DBP when I opened the account with them. I sent them as proof if identity to remove the protection and privacy on the domain. . They kept rejecting that but would not offer any text as to "why". Godaddy customer support looked and said they might watn a drivers license that has not expired, so I sent a scanned copy of my current drivers license. Now DBP wants me to sign a document stating they can do whatever they want with any/all of the domains I have registered at godaddy. If it will fit, I'll attach text here. I try contacting their legal department but it is a perpetual ring-no answer and back to the main menu.. DO NOT USE GODADDY! I've been a customer of GoDaddy since thelate 90's and have recommended my customers to them. Can't describe how much I regret that. -copy of doc they want me to sign follows ---
I __________________________declare that the company listed in the registrant
(Print Name)
field ___________________________________ for domain(s) _______________________,
(Company Name) (Domain Name)
is not a valid company. As consideration for Domain Services fulfilling my request, I
agree that Go Daddy shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to pursue any course of
action with respect to any domain name(s) registered to the registrant listed above,
including, but not limited to, (1) placing any domain name(s) registered to the registrant
listed above on hold, and/or (2) changing the registrant of record or any other account information for any such domain name(s) registered to the registrant listed above. I agree that neither Go Daddy nor any of its affiliates shall be liable to me or any other party in any amount for any actions taken pursuant to this request. I hereby waive and release any and all claims related to this request asserted against Go Daddy or any of its affiliates. Additionally, I agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Go Daddy and its affiliates for any loss, liability, damages or expense, including reasonable attorney’s fees, resulting from any third party claim, action or demand related to this request, this authorization, or any actions taken by Go Daddy in connection therewith.
Signed:_______________________________________________Date:______________
(Registrant’s signature)
Printed Name:_______________________________________________

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Scammedbygodaddy
Jacksonville Beach, US
Apr 21, 2014 2:51 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Domains by Proxy (DBP) GoDaddy Scam
You think you are checking a box for a free year of domain privacy and you get a nightmare. People go to jail for fraud but GoDaddy makes millions of dollars defrauding customers and gets away with it. This is nothing but a shell game and GoDaddy burned me good using it they do not care that I have been a good customer for over 10 years.
Once they have you good luck trying to get free

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sam Kahn
New York, US
Oct 03, 2013 8:01 pm EDT

I agree 100%
Domain by proxy is a scam and they try their best no not let you get out of their service or cancel account.They are criminals ;never use their service;I am trying for 1 week to make them change my email address (b/c original email address is not valid) and they keep asking me to prodcue wierd govt documents which I have never heard of.
I am the domain owner and I pay Godaddy for the service and this is what you get in return.

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G-G
Melbourne, US
Apr 26, 2013 9:59 am EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Domains by Proxy (DBP) as the Registered through: GoDaddy.com, LLC (http://www.godaddy.com) started knockoff websites intentionally taking our U.S. trademarked registered name. What is it with the people they make headlines for porno type sales ads and under the radar want to create fictitious hoax sites, well we already have our website and some mom and dad porno shop isn’t going to convince people other than their porn customers. Where is it that a pornmaster U.S. Company gets off trying to rip off Trademarks and what do they think they are doing other than being a public nuisance, the real business already warned their consumers about these types of multiple site web hoax scams. If Porn groups of GoDaddy didn’t like my unpornographic company then they should of took it up during the Reg. Number 4208499 Trademark process they were sure there phishing.

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Sean8877
Atlanta, US
Mar 25, 2013 11:03 pm EDT

The comments above are 100% true. I am running into the same issue with these dirtbags. They won't unlock my domain until I provide "official" government documents for my business. The problem is my "business" is a stupid local band with no paperwork so I am stuck with these idiots. It's supposed to auto-renew for the next 2 years and charge my credit card. All I wanted to do is cancel the stupid domain. If anyone has any suggestions how to deal with this scam please post here. thx

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Effect
, US
Mar 25, 2013 7:47 pm EDT
Verified customer This comment was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

Do not use this company and when I say, "Do not use this company", I mean DO NOT USE this company. They are absolutely worthless and trying to recover account information is close to impossible. If this isn't a scam I don't know what is. I'm getting close to making threats to their company so I can at least get some type of response. I hate to lower myself to their CRIMINAL mentality, but seriously? You can't even cancel the service with their billing department by verifying the credit card number used to make the purchase, you have to cancel by logging in. Yeah you idiots, that's 10 times more secure then verifying the purchasers already confidential information. I PAY them to provide a service, unfortunately their service is blocking our ability to function and we continue to lose revenue while we wait for them to get back to us... If I am EVER able to recover the login information my company used 3 ITO's ago, you will be damn sure that I never used their services again and if this is a GoDaddy subsidiary, then I hope GoDaddy burns to the ground. No company that makes me feel spit on and worthless deserves my money. 100% SCAM, DO NOT USE, VERY BAD NEWS!

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Nick232323
Hoboken, US
Jan 06, 2013 10:32 pm EST

This SCAM is designed brilliantly. First, they claim that the privacy feature is a useful tool - it's not. My host (IXWebhosting) let's its customers manually change the registrar FOR FREE. A monkey could do it. It takes 3 seconds. You could put the hosting company's phone number, you could use a random email you never use to avoid spam.
So they are charging $15/year or whatever for a useless feature that most companies give for free. Since it's a scam, they set up a "subsidiary", probably for indemnification purposes, and make the login different, or do not furnish the credentials to the customer. Reason being, of course, that when someone want to cancel the account, guess what? You can't cancel it because you can't log in.
You call Godaddy, they WILL NOT renew the registration unless you include the fee, however when you ask them to cancel it, they tell you to go to domains by proxy to cancel it. Funny though, they have all of you information from DBP right in front of them, but mysteriously they can't cancel it unless you show them legal documents, licenses, and give all the information from years ago you don't know or remember.
I have clients who don't even know their old street address, let alone an old password, old customer #, etc. This is why the scam succeeds. The previous poster hit the nail on the head when he said "jumped though hoops".
Godaddy is the ultimate in monetizing their website. Everywhere on their site is a banner ad for a useless add-on feature.
I feel bad for people who have been ripped off. I feel bad for my clients. I feel bad that they have to keep paying because they do not want to lose their domain. I explain to them I can get them a new domain without losing the content, but they have magnets and flyers, business cards already made up that have the domain on it. This one guy is fighting the charge and won't renew unless DBP cancels, but in the meantime his domain has lapsed and Godaddy wants him to pay a $80 reinstatement fee. You can't make this stuff up! CRIMINAL

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DomainByProxy Hater
Las Vegas, US
Mar 09, 2012 5:20 pm EST

This company needs to be investigated. I had no idea that by simply selecting "Private Registration" while checkout at GoDaddy I would be tied to this company DomainsByProxy. When I registered this certain domain for future use Godaddy used my web design company name with it. Well that company no longer exists. You are also screwed if you do not remember your original password from Godaddy. You are be forced to purchase a this product and they are holding my domain hostage. I have faxed, scanned, and jumped through hoops for no resolution. Maybe it is time for a change.org petition.

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Rhonda E Simpson
Arlington, US
May 27, 2011 3:08 am EDT

I'm currently in this battle. I'm LOCKED into DomainsbyProxy. They can't "verify" my identity because 1) my names didn't match - so I added photo id AND a PDF of my marriage license. Then 2) the addresses didn't match - I have my billings go to a PO Box there is no GOVERNMENT ID for that. Because they are linked to the domain registration AND YOU CANNOT TAKE IT OFF EVEN IN RENEWAL - I'm stuck with GoDaddy until something gives. My new webhost can't transfer my website. They are PAID from my credit card information at GoDaddy but won't go by the account information at GoDaddy, even though THEY ARE OWNED by GoDaddy. I'm being FORCED to buy their product that I DO NOT WANT because there's no way to turn it off without getting the login information from them that they won't give me until I PROVE MY IDENTITY further than I already have.