20100608

Beware! GoDaddy domain stealing SCAM - true??

Is it true that GoDaddy - the giant web hosting service - "steals" your domains? I.e., if you search for a domain without buying it, then comeback to buy it tomorrow, will you find it for sale at a high price because they detected that your interest and therefore are trying to rake you for whatever cash they can?

Here's my quicktake, followed by more in-depth info, including examples:

Bullet Point Breakdown:


  • Many people have said that they searched for a domain with godaddy or a related site and then came back to find their domains for sale at an higher/exorbitant price. [Complaints below]
  • GoDaddy has had numerous complaints surrounding their domain name services - registration, transfer, etc - with all saying that GoDaddy is using less than scrupulous tactics to make money.[Quotes below]
  • Bottom line: while its possible that any one complainant is wrong, there are too many people saying the same thing
The ScamFerret FurrrDict: Do Not Do any Domain name search with GoDaddy or a related site - listed below - you will live to regret it!!!!


So, exactly how does this work?

Here's how it works: They operate sites under different names to "help" you search
for a domain name. People who have searched and found their domain name available, when they come back to buy it - a short time later - they discover that it has been registered to godaddy just after they searched for it. Huh!

I can't speak for the veracity of the people who post their complaints online; however, it's an unusual complaint, and it has been repeated online against GoDaddy too many times for it to be just coincidence. Furthermore, there are numerous other domain name related complaints against godaddy - most involving godaddy trying to scrape customers for a few bucks.
This would indicate to me a shortsighted corporate culture focused on squeezing out every penny from the customer, and would fit the profile of a company that would try to pull off such a domain stealing scam.
I would say possibly losing your domain name ideas is not worth going to godaddy or a related site.

Anyway, here's what the victims of this and other GoDaddy frauds are saying:

"took my domain after typing it"
"Steals your domain name ideas"
"wild west domains is sister company of godaddy, they cheat off each other"
"criminals" "fraud company" "avoid at all costs"
"avoid like the plague" "take your money and domains"

To check a domain, go here [whois.net], the closest thing to an official domain name search site.
If you need hosting, try this host.[page. com] They are top rated - with an anytime moneyback guarantee - but they also have the most [free] features, and currently the best
price of any legitimate host [don't know how long this will be, though].

Please alert others to this scam, because GoDaddy uses search engine
techniques that make it difficult to find their complaints online.

And remember, until next time, Ferrrets Up!


24 comments:

  1. Really and it's unbelievable !Website Hosting

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is true. It happened to me this weekend. I was so angry. While it can't really be called stealing, it's pretty underhanded and unethical. Pretending to provide a helpful domain searchl service with the hidden intent on buying up those domains before the individual does is fraud. I guess that's how they became #1, by lying and cheating their way to the top.

    ReplyDelete
  4. This recently happened to me a couple of times.. Yes, a couple of times..

    I only became more suspicious of it today because it happened again. So, I did some research online and it seems that it is a pretty common problem.. Hence, the reason to why I am now on this blog...

    This is insane. I feel ripped off knowing that I must now pay "way more" money than what I was suppose to for a domain I had my business planned around.

    Very unfair - shame on these companies.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I found expired domains, checked Godaddy, shut the page for 30s to think, check links and come back - GONE!!!! What conclusions must I draw after this happens 5 or 6 times? I cannot accuse them of anything for obvious reasons and I won't leave myself open to legal action - I simply identify a pattern. Maybe there's an explanation?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Absolutely true. I registered one name, and then searched for another. It was available. Hours later it was registered. Godaddy obviously steals your domain names if they like them if you use them to search. Criminals in my book.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yep it just happened to me!!! Screw go daddy, Shame on them!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. yeah thats right!! It happened to me too, i searched for a domain on godaddy last night saw that it was available for $3 (2 years contract), when I searched again in the morning its priced at $2000. BIG CHEAT GODADDY

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is TRUE, and I am furious. It has now happened twice, two days running. The domain we really wanted we searched for on GoDaddy--and were told was available--was then not available 24 hours later. When we did a WHOIS search we saw the domain was created in 2005, expired Jan 2015 ...but magically has an 'Updated Date' a couple days ago when we searched for it. We are now being told by GoDaddy to bid on it (for a $69.99 fee) and would likely pay "between $250 and $2,500" for it. So not only have they 'stolen' our domain idea, they are double-dipping us if we want to buy it (we don't anymore out of principal). This HAS to be fraud, surely?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Godaddy stole my credit card information. You Payment information is not safe with them. I have explained my whole nightmare here. Do not compromise your payment information with those crooks!!
    http://godaddythieves.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yup has happened to me multiple times. Twice today in fact. Absolute thieving scumbags. Thanks for the advice.

    ReplyDelete
  12. yes happened to me today. Surprised to see that. shame on godaddy.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This happened to me today too, on two domain names. Godaddy is definitely scamming users. I'm moving all my services on their site elsewhere

    ReplyDelete
  14. Get daily ideas and guides for generating $1,000s per day ONLINE totally FREE.
    GET FREE ACCESS INSTANLY

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks for sharing such informative on web hosting keep updating.
    Hit on keywords to know more about our services.
    Web Hosting India | Domain Name Registration India | Web Hosting Companies in India

    ReplyDelete
  16. Just happened to me... found an available name (roadwise.com) for $15 a couple weeks ago. Went to purchase it today, now a "premium" domain with a price of $46,800.

    ReplyDelete
  17. This world is influenced by huge corporate scammers. this is the darkest time than ever. I searched a domain name, my Searched domain has put for sale after few hours for fee of 15000$+. story is not over here, I checked the register.com to find when it was registered. they showed, it was registered 10years ago by godaddy. I am not 100& sure, it is hard to believe multilevel big corporate scam supporting by state. Searching and buying domains from low profile companies is safer than those biggies. May Lord help us to fulfill our purpose of life.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Go Daddy is doing this scam and nobody can get enough information to bring forth a lawsuit? It happened to me. I called Go Daddy 2 days after a domain name expired that I wanted. I was told the domain name had been renewed. I had back ordered it. Then in a few weeks I received an email from them that the same domain name was for sale so I called was told just to call in every day to see if anybody else had bid on it. Then I received an email that it was paid again and not for sale. So I called and the Go Daddy rep told me "That domain name was renewed. It's not available at all. Then I received an email that I had been outbid by someone else. I made my next call and was told that yes, indeed it had been for sale but I was outbid and they would look into this erroneous deed. Keep in mind, I had planned my business around this domain name as I had it back ordered for 2 years. What a bunch of liars.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yes, Godaddy still has their domain brokers "steal" the domain.
    You can buy from Godaddy but need to also pay the large brokers fee.
    But, you can buy the domain for normal low price from another domain reseller/registrar.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I read your blog frequently and I just thought I’d say keep up the amazing work! https://youstable.com/cpanel-hosting

    ReplyDelete