Many people don't think much about choosing a registrar, and simply pick one they have heard of. This often leads them to GoDaddy, who may be the leader in money spent on marketing and advertising (on the Super Bowl and elsewhere). Unfortunately GoDaddy doesn't seem to focus much on stability, security, or customer service. Instead that have devised innovative ways to overcharge customers and thwart customer attempts to transfer to superior registrars.

This site was created by Gordon Lyon (AKA Fyodor) after GoDaddy intentionally shut down one of my most important sites (SecLists.Org) without even giving me a reason. When GoDaddy noticed their blunder and reporters started calling them on it, they resorted to libeling me. A wired reporter even caught them in a lie as their General Counsel Christine Jones contradicted herself in a single interview. Since this site isn't just about my story, I've moved the full details here.

I created this site to document instances of customer abuse at GoDaddy. The goal is for GoDaddy to either improve their policies and customer service, or suffer continued loss of market share to their customer-focused competition.

While I gave this site its bare skeleton, it has become a community effort. As noted in the acknowledgments section, the site logo, some HTML work, the forums, and legal help have all been donated by volunteers. Even this domain name itself was donated by someone with his own horror stories about GoDaddy!

This section describes some of the most serious problems with the GoDaddy service (news reports and first-hand accounts):

GoDaddy suspends accounts without due cause. They often even levy an arbitrary "fines" and hold your domain name ransom until you pay it. GoDaddy stores your credit card number when you make a purchase, allowing them to levy "fines" without your consent (example1, example2, example3).

For example, when Nick Berlette exposed a serious security hole in the website of DynaDot.Com, they apparently responded by persuading GoDaddy to shut down his blog rather than fixing their pathetic security [agiorlando.com]. GoDaddy of course complied immediately, and sent him this shutdown notice. Note that GoDaddy used the ransom approach here, saying he had two options: Pay a "$199 non-refundable reactivation fee" and GD will put his web site back up, or "if you choose to transfer the berlettefx.com domain name to another registrar, we first require that you pay a $75 administration fee ... to cover the costs of responding to or "cleaning up" the situation caused by your web site.

The author of this web page had a similar experience.

GoDaddy loses customer domains. Tim Ziegler learned this the hard way. He founded the site FamilyAlbum.com. Someone filed a complaint that his whois data was invalid. GoDaddy responded by sending him an email asking him to confirm or correct his whois registration data. When he didn't respond in time, GoDaddy took the extraordinary step of deleting the domain name he had paid for and selling it to someone (possibly the same guy who filed the whois complaint) who had already placed a backorder on FamilyAlbum.Com. GoDaddy refused to return the domain name to its rightful owner. There is a good writeup at Domain Name Wire, along with a GoDaddy response where they disclaim responsibility. DomainNameWire also asked other registrars what they would have done. None of them had the GoDaddy policy of "send an email then delete the domain if no response comes in time". If you hold domains at GoDaddy, you better not go on any extended vacations, suffer hospitalization, or use a spam filter which might drop that critical email!

GoDaddy uses dirty tricks to block domain name transfers. If you make the mistake of becoming a GoDaddy customer, you may find it difficult to leave. ICANN is supposed to regulate registrars to ensure competition, but GoDaddy is constantly pushing the boundaries. For example, this section just discussed how GoDaddy may delete your domain if you don't keep your whois information up-to-date. But whenever you update the information, a checkbox pops up saying "For security purposes I authorize the rejection of all transfer requests for all selected domain names for a period of 60 days...". If you don't check that box, GoDaddy won't let you update your contact information. And if you do check the box, GoDaddy refuses to let you transfer the domain because they claim you "expressly and voluntarily objected through opt-in means" to the transfer. There is a thread about this on NoDaddy forums. GoDaddy imposes the 60-day transfer embargo in other cases too, such as when you transfer a domain name between accounts. If they make you wait long enough, you may have to renew the domain name so it doesn't expire. Renewals cause another 60-day transfer embargo.

GoDaddy knows they are violating ICANN rules with the whois-change-embargo, and will back down if they believe you will file an ICANN complaint. Detailed instructions for what to say have been posted at the forums.

GoDaddy charges extra for a privacy service, then gives up your contact information to anyone who threatens to sue. In News.Com's Private domains not so private?, Alan Cordle pays extra for GoDaddy's privacy service on his poetry contest review site (Foetry.Com), then is outed by GoDaddy at the first sign of trouble.

Want to read more horror stories or post one of your own? Check out the NoDaddy forums!

We have just launched the NoDaddy Forums at Forums.NoDaddy.Com. This is the best place to discuss your horror stories, alternative registrars, etc. Some of the best postings will be showcased on this page. Big thanks to Rohan Sheth for setting these up!

Remember to stay level-headed and professional in the forums! A reasoned argument is far more persuasive than an obscenity-laden tirade, even when GoDaddy really deserves the latter.

Nothing hurts GoDaddy worse than biting satire! Plus, everyone needs a good laugh. We're hoping you'll submit your own creative work mocking GoDaddy. Here are some ideas:

• NoDaddy Girls! GoDaddy has lately been bragging constantly about new "GoDaddy Girl" IndyCar star Danica Patrick. Can we do better? If you would like to be the official NoDaddy Girl™, please submit a picture. The only rule is that the picture must mock GoDaddy in some way. Oh, and you need to be a woman, or I suppose just have a feminine side (we can't be too picky!). For those who have never seen a "GoDaddy Girl", here are examples from GoDaddy's classy, tasteful commercials:
  

  You may think GoDaddy treats women (and midgets) in a degrading and disrespectful fashion, but customers get it even worse!

• Cartoon strip! After all, the PayPal Sucks site has a comic. Here is a great submission by Hennell:
  

You can post your creations to the NoDaddy Forums or mail them to Fyodor (or both) to be posted to this section.

We haven't performed any significant evaluation of these yet so please don't treat these as our recommendations. Do your own research. But we have heard at least some good things about each entry on this list, so it is a good place to start. And they can't be much worse than GoDaddy! We are only listing ICANN accredited registrars, not resellers. They are in alphabetical order.

• DirectNIC -- They were the registrar for NoDaddy.Com (before we owned it) and managed to keep it secure for years against GoDaddy's attempts to take it. On the other hand, DirectNIC has had its share of domain suspension controversies (example1, example2).
• Dotster -- Once they get you on their lists, they will send you "promotions" (spam) nonstop.
• enom
• Gandi -- Based in France, so might not be as quick to surrender to large US corporations like MySpace. They offer domain services to residents of all countries.
• Joker -- Based in Germany.
• Key Systems -- This German registrar has somehow managed to keep ThePirateBay.Org resolving despite sustained pressure from the copyright cartels.
• Moniker -- Many large domain owners have recommended these guys. Their prices are better than GoDaddy if you buy domains in bulk and request the "NamePros Discount", but many people have reported so-so support.
• Name.Com
• NameSecure

To read about other people's experiences with different registrars, or to share your own, check out the NoDaddy forums!

• Oregon Herald: GoDaddy.com/TDNam.com: Are they careless or just stupid?
• Domain Name Wire: GoDaddy Deletes Domain Name for Inaccurate Email Address
• Threadwatch: GoDaddy grabs a valuable domain name from their customer...
• InsideGoogle: Great, Now GoDaddy is Screwing Me!
• 8008135: Is GoDaddy Blackmailing Me?
• CNET News.Com: GoDaddy pulls security site after MySpace complaints
• Slashdot: MySpace and GoDaddy Shut Down Security Site
• Domain Name Wire: GoDaddy Faces PR Nightmare Over Domain Suspension
• Wired News #1: MySpace Allegedly Kills Computer Security Website
• Wired News #2: GoDaddy Defends SecLists Takedown
• Politech: MySpace, GoDaddy pull plug on computer security domain name without warning
• Digg: GoDaddy makes security site disappear after MySpace complains
• Securityfocus: MySpace tactics raise researcher's ire
• InfoWorld: MySpace, GoDaddy shutter popular hacker site
• Web Host Industry Review: GoDaddy Hits Bump on Road to Super Bowl
• San Francisco Bay Guardian: The self-appointed censors at GoDaddy
• SecurityPro News: MySpace Asked GoDaddy To Drop SecLists
• Digital MediaWire: GoDaddy Yanks Security Site Offline After MySpace Complaint
• SecuriTeam: Fyodor only gets 60 seconds warning?
• Tech Dirt: MySpace And GoDaddy Shut Down Huge Archive Of Security Mailing Lists
• P2PNet: GoDaddy trashes SecLists.org
• Windows IT Pro: GoDaddy.com Abuse Policy Takes SecLists.Org Offline
• Arizona Republic: Muslim wins $390,000 in GoDaddy bias case

For the very latest news on GoDaddy, try Google News Search. Whenever you see a new GoDaddy fiasco in the news, please post a link at the NoDaddy Forums.

While we don't accept donations, there are plenty of great organizations fighting for free speech who do. They also generally have tons of free information on their web sites. Examples are the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Public Citizen, and Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility. Also take a look at Chilling Effects, which archives content takedown attempts all over the Web.

We would like to thank the many people who made this site possible. Big thanks to:

• The donor of this perfect domain name. We offered to pay him for it, but he had been harassed by GoDaddy in the past and so he insisted on donating it to the cause. Thanks!
• Doug Karr, for creating the NoDaddy logo.
  
• Rohan Sheth, for setting up the NoDaddy forums.
• John F. Collins for rewriting the HTML so it actually validates. Here is the validator link to see if I've already broken it again :).

One thing GoDaddy has actually done right is that they haven't (yet?) threatened to shut this site down or sued us. Hopefully they won't stoop to that level, as their heavy-handed antics are what got them into this mess in the first place. But if we receive any threats or summonses from GoDaddy, we will post them here.

While we hope it doesn't come to this, several excellent attorneys with experience winning domain name cases very similar to this one have offered pro-bono assistance in case GoDaddy does attack. Big thanks to them!