• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact
  • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy statement (CA)
    • Cookie policy (CA)
    • Privacy statement (UK)
    • Cookie policy (UK)
    • Privacy statement (US)
    • Cookie Policy (US)
    • Privacy statement (EU)
    • Cookie policy (EU)
    • Disclaimer

TechWalls

Technology News | Gadget Reviews | Tutorials

  • Reviews
  • Tech News
  • Tech Guide
  • Gadget & Apps

I Lost my Website and Godaddy Couldn’t Help Get It Back

Updated on Jul 24, 2013 by Tuan Do

I write this post after receiving responses from HostGator and Godaddy. I am a little disappointed as they can’t help me get my stolen site back.

2 weeks ago, I received an email from a blogger that I’ve known for a year. He showed interests in my new Android blog at DroidState and offered me a good price. After all agreements are set, he said his Paypal account was limited and he wanted to pay me with an Amazon gift card. Then, he forwarded me an email confirming that he sent the gift card to my email and I will receive it within a few hours. I totally believed him and this was my stupid mistake. The confirmation is fake and after I transfer the site, he disappeared forever.

I tried to contact both HostGator and Godaddy but my efforts were useless. HostGator said that they don’t take responsibility for website trading while Godaddy is not helpful at all. I called Goddaddy support and they guided me to send an email to [email protected] or [email protected] but I always received the same email:

Dear Mr. Do,

Thank you for your message. If you have any questions and/or concerns regarding the domain name droidstate.com, please contact the current registrant directly.

If the current registrant is not willing to assist you, any dispute over the registration of the domain name will need to be sent either to the registrant, through an ICANN-approved arbitration provider (http://www.icann.org/dndr/udrp/approved-providers.htm) or the court system.

Please note that per ICANN’s UDRP, registrars cannot make any changes to a domain name without direction from a court or arbitration forum.

It is never necessary to name GoDaddy.com, LLC in a dispute. We will abide by any decision from an ICANN-approved arbitration forum or a court of competent jurisdiction.

Please be assured that if we receive notice of a pending legal dispute we will lock the name so it cannot be transferred or otherwise modified. Likewise, when we receive a decision we will update the name accordingly. If you file a dispute concerning the domain name, please forward a copy of the filed legal documentation to [email protected]

If I follow their instructions, I will lose more money than the value of this website. So, I decided to stop.

godaddy-help

I don’t blame them because this is my fault and the transferring process looks normal. This post is just intended to warn bloggers of scams in website trading. If you receive a private offer like this, be sure to receive your money before transferring your site. It is difficult to know who are good people on the Internet. I am also disclosing name and email of the guy who stole my website. He is Ashley Clarke, email is [email protected] (I’m not sure if he will continue using this email). Anyways, be sure to avoid this guy in case he contacts you to buy your website. Another mistake I made is not using Escrow to transfer the site. Escrow is the safe way to protect both buyers and sellers as it is government-licensed site to sell domains in the US. When we sell a website, we get protected and guaranteed form payment. When dispute appears, the resolution process will also be solved much faster.

Do you have any experience in website trading? Could you suggest us a safe way for both buyers and sellers?

Disclosure: We might earn commission from qualifying purchases. The commission help keep the rest of my content free, so thank you!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ivin says

    Jun 22, 2012 at 2:50 am

    I’m sorry for what happened, Tuan. You clearly learned a very valuable lesson here and we nee heed this one as it happens all the time. Good luck for the future.

    Reply
    • Tuan Do says

      Jun 22, 2012 at 11:12 am

      Thanks Ivin,
      I was so subjective because I think I and this scammer had a good online relationship. Fortunately I lost just a small site and I have a great lesson after the incident. :)

      Reply
  2. Abdul Qoyyuum says

    Jun 22, 2012 at 3:01 am

    I guess the next time you do any website trading, use Flippa. They keep a record of each trade. Escrow included. Or at the very least, have a contract. Everything in business should be in black and white. But for this issue you have, I’m so sorry but there is now way to get it back without a track record of the trade.

    Reply
    • Tuan Do says

      Jun 22, 2012 at 10:57 am

      Yeah the problem is that buyer didn’t want to use Escrow or even Paypal. I should have been more doubtful at that time. Anyways, this is a valuable lesson and thanks for your suggestion.

      Reply
  3. [email protected] says

    Jun 22, 2012 at 11:03 am

    Thank for sharing your real story,Hereafter every blogger will be alert.Ya in this world we can’t trust anyone.let’s we all pray to get back the Droidstate.com

    Reply
    • Tuan Do says

      Jun 22, 2012 at 11:18 am

      Thanks Shree,
      I can’t get it back anymore because we didn’t have a contract. We should be very careful with those scammers on the Internet.

      Reply
  4. Sanjeev says

    Jun 22, 2012 at 11:59 am

    Tuan really a bad experience, Hope you will take it as a lifetime experience, which helps you in future dealing.

    Reply
    • Tuan Do says

      Jun 22, 2012 at 5:35 pm

      Yeah for sure, Sanjeev
      Actually I’ve found some important information for future trading to protect us from losing money again.
      Thanks for your comment.

      Reply
  5. Alex Shaikh says

    Jun 22, 2012 at 12:28 pm

    This is a great article, and i will surely aware all my friends about “Ashley Clarke”. I think one of the best website to sell domain is the flippa. I have been using them for many years and never had any complain about it. You should never trust anybody online when it comes to money. I’m sorry you went through an issue with GoDaddy but for some reason i don’t click with them. That’s why i use HostGator for about 2 years now, i transfer all my domain names to HostGator. They are the best and the customer service is just magnificent. Thanks for sharing your article with us. It is helpful to those who needed to be alert by these low lives.

    Reply
    • Tuan Do says

      Jun 22, 2012 at 5:43 pm

      Yeah maybe I will consider moving in the near future.
      It is amazing that Godaddy can help in case you are moving your domain to another domain registrar but they can’t do it if the domain is pushed to another Godaddy account.
      There is nothing to believe on the Internet and we need to protect ourselves from scams.
      Thanks for your comment.

      Reply
  6. Main Uddin says

    Jun 23, 2012 at 7:22 am

    Taun Do @ I think you have to follow the DAAGMAR effect process to sell website or blog then it will clearly come out the real identification of the buyer ans seller which is done by Flippa very easily.As it is mentioned that even you have finalized the deal personally though you should go through the Flippa.

    Reply
    • Tuan Do says

      Jun 23, 2012 at 11:33 am

      Thanks for sharing your information,
      I didn’t know about that process before. We didn’t go through Flippa because I didn’t intend to list the site and the buyer didn’t want to pay more fees. I will not accept private offers anymore.

      Reply
  7. PrIyAnGsHu says

    Jun 23, 2012 at 9:25 am

    Oh shit, that’s really sad :( … The same scammer had also contacted me once and fortunately I did not sell my site to him :) …

    Reply
  8. JamesW says

    Jun 26, 2012 at 12:39 pm

    Thank you for informing us Tuan and sharing your story, now we’ll be more careful too, sorry for your lost. I had similar case, I payed for the project on digital point forum but never got it or my money back. I was lucky that it wasn’t some big bucks, but again, like you said, you never know who’s who in this online world.

    Reply
    • Tuan Do says

      Jun 26, 2012 at 4:23 pm

      Thanks for sharing your experience.
      Yeah, that’s right. Transactions on forums like DigitalPoint is not safe for both buyers and sellers. I will stick to Flippa and Escrow when I sell another site next time.

      Reply
  9. Raj says

    Jul 2, 2012 at 12:23 am

    Any recent update or luck that you got your domain back..?

    Reply
    • Tuan Do says

      Jul 2, 2012 at 3:06 am

      No, Raj.
      I totally lost it, there is no hope to get it back unfortunately.

      Reply
      • Raj says

        Jul 13, 2012 at 4:17 am

        Really sad to hear that..

  10. Peter Lee says

    Jun 6, 2013 at 5:40 am

    Came to know this article from BlogHelpDesk, I feel sorry for what had happened to you, Tuan. Honestly, I couldn’t even trust a real friend let alone an online friend that’s never been met. Just remember, when it comes to business, the only true friend is MONEY! Make sure you received the amount agreed before handing over your goods. Another expensive lesson learned I guess? Appreciate you share your experience here in your blog. Thanks!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Footer

New iDPRT Printers – SP450, SP420, and Zeva 1966 Photo Printer Reviewed

Munbyn P44S Wireless Thermal Label Printer Review

Master & Dynamic MW75 Wireless Headphones Review – Get Lost in the Music

3DMakerPro Mole 3D Scanner Review – Affordable, Portable, and Easy To Use

Follow TechWalls

YoutubeFacebookTwitterInstagram

Recent Posts

  • New iDPRT Printers – SP450, SP420, and Zeva 1966 Photo Printer Reviewed
  • Munbyn P44S Wireless Thermal Label Printer Review
  • POLYWOOD Classic Folding Adirondack vs Member’s Mark Adirondack Chair – Which Is Better?
  • BLUETTI’s New Expandable Outdoor Solar Generator AC60 & B80

Copyright © 2023 ยท All Rights Reserved

Manage Cookie Consent
We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. We do this to improve browsing experience and to show personalized ads. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional cookies Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}