I had a question for those of you that are using a private whois, and that don't display any contact info on your website. Do any of you receive any mail / email / phone calls from people trying to contact you, that get forwarded to you from your registrar? I was curious, and wanted to know who usually contacts you this way, and how often......

I don't use it, but have clients that do. Typically the only emails they get are from people trying to buy their name. If you're in business through your web site, and dont put contact details there, you're shooting yourself in the foot. You won't be trusted as much, if at all.

Some registrars filter the emails sent your privacy addresses for spam, some seem to junk everthing. I don't think you can rely much on receiving any email if you have privacy invoked on your domain.

I have no problems receiving mail to my NameCheap whoisguard account. I had tremendous problems with RegisterFly - their mailservers seemed to be down every time I checked. I am not using private whois at other registrars I use...

I must agree with Stu's and bear's comments above.

Normally people do not contact you by the domain whois.

But ive had people send hatefull feedback via email and voicemail (no postal yet) to my whois contacts because ive upset them.

It all depends how knowledgable (and pissed off) the end user is the majority of internet users wouldent have a clue about whois records.