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cabbagehead
Joined: Eons Ago
# Posts: 532
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Posted: 2004-Jun-30 04:59
I cannot believe what I was just told my my registrar GoDaddy! I am in the process of locating a better registrar and I suggest that any self-respecting SEO do the same, who uses their services. I was essentially told that Reciprical link emails are spam and they don't want to do business with me if I engage in Reciprical Linking emails. The they slapped a fine on me and won't release my domain access until I pay a hefty fine - a fine they say is suppose to be a "good faith indication of my willingness to comply"...what the?
Here's the whole story:
A month ago I sent out some emails requesting reciprical links. Apparently some guy had a problem with receiving my email (probably the straw that broke the camel's back or something) and went bolistic and contacted everyone he could to accuse me of being a spammer. Now, GoDaddy is telling me that they have a no spam policy and that I must pay them $200 to remain their customer or $50 to release my domain name so that I can transfer it elsewhere. What?!?!?! No first time warning? No cordial letter informing me of their draconian rule? I followed the CAN SPAM law to the letter and rarely send these sorts of recip emails ... I would have never thought this to be considered spam. Further, I've never had a single complaint before - ever.
Apparently GoDaddy has an internal policy that goes beyond the CAN SPAM policy that says that they dont allow people to write emails to others unless the emails are requested. I'm sure this is buried somewhere in their legal disclaimers. At any rate, in the case of my reciprical emails, I was told that I cannot send emails to anyone who doesn't first request my email. So in the case of reciprical linking, the person has to have a message on their site openly inviting link partners to write to them.
Ok, so I didn't know this and I begrudgingly agreed to follow their rules (even though this would balloon the effort 100 fold)... but they decide that they are still going to hold the fees against me even after a single offense, after years of using their service. As if that wasn't a big enough slap in the face, I was told they recommend that we part company because they don't want to to business with someone who "actively engages in those sort of marketing practices". They said it was my duty to know the SPAM laws of each registrar, ISP, ad hosting facility that I work with...and apparently they think I'm a bad apple.
I am getting SOOOO sick and tired of this anti-spam attitude out there. Yes, spam is getting to be a problem, but anyone other than me see a problem in the way this stuff is being handled? Anyone else here think it sounds like they're throwing the baby out with the bathwater...and slapping it around a little bit on the way out, just for fun?
Anyway, so GoDaddy is essentially stating that SEO folks are not welcome. Reciprical linking practices are forbidden at GoDaddy. Thus, I recommend anyone on this board who does business with GoDaddy seriously reconsider their business relationship with them.
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Wail
Joined: Feb 23, 2004
# Posts: 72
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Posted: 2004-Jul-01 10:14
Many reciprocal link emails are spam, but not all reciprocal link emails are. Essentially all reciprocal link emails are UCE - unsolicited commercial emails - and I bet lots of Terms & Conditions will get you for that.
I think your problem here is with the person who thought you spammed them and complained loudly enough. It really pays not to use any sort of template reciprocal link email approach; make sure it's a personal, friendly, email.
I'm not defending GoDaddy. If I was GoDaddy and thought you'd were a spammer then I'd kick you off straight away. If I didn't think you were a spammer then I'd not ransom your domain. The charges they are asking are tiny too, you might find that this is actually your first warning (the show of good faith) and that all hell breaks loose if you stay with them and something like this happens again.
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hans
Joined: Eons Ago
# Posts: 165
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Posted: 2004-Jul-02 15:08
cabbagehead, mate your screwed, hate to say it but you have been caught with your pants down.
Take a look at godaddy's terms and conditions and see what there policy is on catching people spamming (not saying you were but this time the game has slapped you in the face), they cant hold your domain to ransom etc just because they feel like it.
Also wail is right $50 isnt the end of the world, just be more careful in the future.
it really does give you the hump when things like that happen
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cabbagehead
Joined: Eons Ago
# Posts: 532
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Posted: 2004-Jul-02 17:16
Perhaps you guys are missing my points:
1. I never perceived this to be spam nor have I ever been accused of spam before. Still GoDaddy feels its in their right to fine me? Who the hell are they to do that? No friendly warning? No explanation of what *they* consider spam? And by the way this *UCE* definition of spam is complete bullshit. Do I need to call my mom to let her to recieve verbal permission to send an email in the future? Otherwise, isn't that an unsolcitied email as well? C'mon - Business nor reality works in such a way so that would be a valid basis for declaring something spam ... its a half-baked theoretical line some half-witted anti-spam advocate dreamed up and I know after talking with ppl about this now, that it is commonly site - but a very poorly drawn line with far too many flaws and unconsidered exceptions.
2. 0/ *IS* alot of money for something that you are still not convinced you did! And besides, I'm still not convinced it's in their right to charge me that money.
3. The part I'm just p****d about is that they have essentially locked up my domain and are not going to release it, even for transfer, until I pay them. Who the f**k do they think they are?
4. GoDaddy is a freaking registrar, not my host, nor my email provider. What business is it of their's anyway.
5. Has anyone considered the potential for waging war against your opponents with this? I mean, if I wanted to get rid of a few key competitors, apparently all I need to do is mask a few spam mails as being from them ... I can even look up their names on the whois dB and sign it from them, then report this to GoDaddy and have their domain name permanently taken away if I do a good enough job at it. Does this not scare anyone?!?!
...I guess more than anything I'm concerned by the precedence here ... it seems like a very slippery slope and I think everyone should be terrified by what this action of their against somebody as clearly unintending as myself could mean.
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hans
Joined: Eons Ago
# Posts: 165
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Posted: 2004-Jul-02 17:19
So who are they to you?
If they have nothing in their T&C's saying what you did will result in the penalty they are trying to impose they cannot essentially do it. If your that bothered about it sue them.
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