I just got an email from my registrar (bulk registrar) saying someone informed them my contact information is invaild. Which is untrue other then my phone number. Due to the fact that I run a home business I do not wish to list my home number (for my privacy). All support is handled via the web. Can they really force me to have to list my home number for the world to see? This is ridiculous to say the least... does anyone know of any other registrars that allow you the change the IP's of name servers if needed (so if I setup a nameserver such as ns1.domain.com once and I need to change that nameservesr IP I can do so). Thanks guys!

If the registrars TOS say that you must put valid contact information in the whois information, then yes you must.

If you do not want your phone number to be seen, get a toll free number from ureach.com, free for one with an extenstion $7/month for your own personal number

I just sent an email out to a customer like you, it was for web hosting though, they provided the wrong number giving us confusion. We would call the client several times and the people that picked up say that the person we asked for doesn't exist there. That right there will put us on alert and we may think the account may be fraud. Since the phone number was false the home address may also be false. So its better off to suspend the account until the client puts in their real information.

If you do not want your number to be seen you should contact the company and let them know, i'm sure they will cooperate with you. Don't ever provide false information.

Hey, is that customer paying via credit card? If so that's a major sign of a stolen CC, I would validate the order if that's the case. Chargebacks suck.

I don't think that he was speaking of web hosting information, that isn't publicly published info. The WHOIS information from the domain registration is.

I know godaddy and DirectNic both allow nameserver changes/set ups without any further charges or verified contact information.

That doesn't sound right to me, forcing a customer to publicly publish their home address and phone number for domain registration.

My .02

It is right because it is icann's rules. Most registrars don't have time to check up on peoples domains, so a lot of people with fake info don't get noticed. Somebody can (and probably did) send them an email tipping them off, and now they have to do something about it. Be glad they are allowing you to change the contact info to reflect the correct information, instead of just yanking it from you.
What makes you own the domain in the first place is registering it using your identification. If you don't, then it isn't yours.
You wouldn't register your vehicle or house in someone elses name would you?

We allow some of our customers to use our phone number for their domains provided that: 1) We have the correct contact information for the customer, and 2) the domain is registered through us. That way, if somebody were to call us about the domain, we can simply relay the message.

I could see the name/address being accurate but not the phone number. My phone number isnt on the Title or registration to my car or boat, nor is it on the deed to my house. If you live in the US then your phone number isn't likely on your registration either

I still think that forcing someone to publicly publish their phone number is wrong.

You wouldn't register your vehicle or house in someone elses name would you?No, but vehicle registration isn't readily available by spiders on the web either... you know how many spam emails I get because of my data in WHOIS?? I know it's because of that b/c some of my domains I setup special email addy's specifically for domain registration information.

Can they really force me to have to list my home number for the world to see?
Do you have a celphone or something?

On my whois listing for my domain it doesn't have phone number for registrant. Only for Administrative, Technical contacts.

I still think that forcing someone to publicly publish their phone number is wrong.


Ok...no one is forcing you to purchase a domain.

ICANN rules state that WHOIS information must be made public. If you do not like the rules, then don't by a domain.

Don't mean to sound mean, but that's the way it is, live with it.

Why not hide your whois info by using godaddy's private domain service only 9.95/yr

I guess if you don't have a phone you can't register a domain?

The more I think about their requirements the more ridiculous they sound. Some Registrars have an option at additional cost to remain anonymous on the WHOIS.

That would be the very reason I will never use ICANN and tell any who would ask to avoid them. They can live with that....;)

Go to DirecNic or GoDaddy and tell ICANN where to put the phone number....

I guess if you don't have a phone you can't register a domain?
No phone yet you have a credit card which REQUIRES a phone #?
ICANN assumes that everyone who will be registering a domain has access to a phone. I'd say this is true for 99.9% of the people that register domains.

No phone yet you have a credit card which REQUIRES a phone #? Who said anything about a credit card? PayPal works with a CheckCard and you dont need a phone number for a CheckCard.

Like I said earlier, I will never use them because they think so poorly of my privacy. I don't have to worry about my credit card company publicly posting my phone number I know they won't so I don't mind giving it to them.

It's poor business to make public a client's personal information if they don't want it public and it certainly isn't a legal requirement.

I register my domains with NameCheap.com (http://www.namecheap.com/) and the only valid info listed is my first name, e-mail address, city and state, that's it.

Here's what it shows:
Ross MAN
123 Main Street
Portland, OR 90210
503-111-1111
503-111-1111

and my valid e-mail

Even if I were forced to list my valid info, I can still evade the average joe since I have a PO Box and pay AVM (http://www.americanvoicemail.com/) $9.95 per month for a voicemail only box ... after someone leaves me a voicemail message, my cell phone is paged.

You can never be too paranoid.

Maybe register using your valid name, address and phone then change it to bogus info after your domain has been verified and setup?

Who said anything about a credit card? PayPal works with a CheckCard and you dont need a phone number for a CheckCard.

Don't you need one for PayPal and/or the checking account?


It's poor business to make public a client's personal information if they don't want it public and it certainly isn't a legal requirement.

There's a big difference between putting fake information and information belonging to someone else. What would happen if there were a dispute for the domain? How would you settle that if you were the registrar?

Don't you need one for PayPal and/or the checking account? No you do not.

There's a big difference between putting fake information and information belonging to someone else. What would happen if there were a dispute for the domain? How would you settle that if you were the registrar? I'd send a certified letter to the address I have, if there is no response then I covered my responsibilities and contacted the individual by the method they provided. They certainly cannot complain about not receiving a phone call if they don't provide a phone number.

This isn't really rocket science here....

I'd send a certified letter to the address I have, if there is no response then I covered my responsibilities and contacted the individual by the method they provided. They certainly cannot complain about not receiving a phone call if they don't provide a phone number.

This isn't really rocket science here....

Hypthetical situation: let's say you owned trademarkeddomain.com. there is no informaton on the website as it is just sitting there and the whois info is fake.

trademarkedcompany contacts your registrar and informs them that the domain should be rightfully their's. how would registrar contact you? if they couldn't, do you have the right to complain to the registrar about the loss of your domain?

BTW, Paypal DOES require a telephone number (home at least)https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_registration-run

not providing a correct one will freeze your account

trademarkedcompany contacts your registrar and informs them that the domain should be rightfully their's. how would registrar contact you? if they couldn't, do you have the right to complain to the registrar about the loss of your domain? Like I already said once:
I'd send a certified letter to the address I have, if there is no response then I covered my responsibilities and contacted the individual by the method they provided. They certainly cannot complain about not receiving a phone call if they don't provide a phone number. They do not have a right to complain if they don't provide valid contact information. It's not all that hard to comprehend.
BTW, Paypal DOES require a telephone number (home at least)https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webs...egistration-run They will freeze your account PENDING Additional Verification. Please note the following:

Additional Verification
If we cannot verify the information that you provide, or if you request a withdrawal by check to an address other than your verified credit card billing address, we ask you to send us additional information by fax (such as your drivers’ license, credit card statement, and/or a recent utility bill or other information linking you to the applicable address), or to answer additional questions online to help verify your information.

As I said before, I would not use any company that thinks so poorly of my privacy. I don't have to, there are options, it is not a legal requirement.

End of story...:)

ok...........good enough for me :D

LCHwebHost, didn't read all the replies, but here is what you just might be looking for:

GoDaddy.com domain registrar has launched its new service: PRIVATE registration, which means for a very low fee you will be able to hide ALL (or optional) data from the whois information.

Here, you can check the details:
https://registrar.godaddy.com/dbp.asp?isc=&se=%2B&from%5Fapp=

Hope this helps.

Good luck,

You don't want to mess with akash in this situation; he is real picky about domain whois information :D ;)

Originally posted by Artashes
LCHwebHost, didn't read all the replies, but here is what you just might be looking for:

GoDaddy.com domain registrar has launched its new service: PRIVATE registration, which means for a very low fee you will be able to hide ALL (or optional) data from the whois information.

Here, you can check the details:
https://registrar.godaddy.com/dbp.asp?isc=&se=%2B&from%5Fapp=

Hope this helps.

Good luck,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Thats what I was talking about

We all asume that the registrar is in the same country as the one who need to call them. I wonder how many would actually call someone on the other side of the world who only listed a cellphone number?

As far as I know, it isn't illegal to only have a cellphone. With prepayed cards you can have one real number for registering the domain, and another for your normal dealings. Just check the answeringsevice on the prepayed card once a week or something, and that's it. No false info, just some privacy.

I don't know how this works in other parts of the world, but at least in some european countries you can purchase a cell phone card that you add money to for your calls and you also get a regular number on this card. I have one of those for all my internet activities. That number is completely untraceable, not even the phone company will know who owns it.

/ Jonas G

That number is completely untraceable, not even the phone company will know who owns it. That would be cool for sending spam SMS :cool:

About the domain situation..

I hate to have people calling me all the time, so I had my old web host register my domain.. so I used his. (You'd see Billing phone number and regstrant is the same) I hope that's legal, because I haven't been emailed by Godaddy saying I'd have to use my own.

I always insert my correct phone number in the WHOSIT record.

I don't want to miss any movie roles from Hollywood producers and if the White House needs me for a secret diplomatic mission, I think it's my duty to be available.

:D