For your advanced warning, I am not connected to GDI in any way further than the original poster and was not in any way asked or compensated for writing this review. I did it on my own volition after seeing the review and its remarks. I also don't stand to benefit, as it is unlikely that the same person who reads this will later end up joining my team.
GDI's primary website (literally website.ws) sells only their web domain services. In fact, the name alone (Global Domains International) pretty much says it all: their main business is selling domain names (.com, .ws, etc). Their main selling point is their exclusive ownership of the .ws (“.website”) which allows people to get very personalized domain names for their websites.
Their marketing some may take issue with, but it is intelligent. Essentially, give people the incentive and let people do the promoting with you. It is intelligent. That does not make it a scam. It is much like Avon, Amway, or another similar company. If I owned the company, I would do the same.
A typical scam involves fooling people into giving you money without any opportunity to make any. GDI certainly does not fit into that category. In addition, almost every aspect of their businesses is introduced upfront in their video presentation (ie, my example at (((Redacted)))). That includes extremely detailed and specific explanations of their compensation policy. Their website is even more fair than, for example, Avon, which can, at times, let Representatives do the promotions, then let customers simply order products at their main website online without the representatives getting a cent.
The personal issues described by the initial poster are very questionable: (“I signed up to sell the domains and website service on a 7 day free trial. I tried for days to get an affiliate link to the website/domain name product. I was given the run around and finally told that there was no such affililate link.”)
GDI almost immediately sent me tons of information on how to activate and start my website. First, the confirmation page (which explicitly says “STEP #1: PRINT THIS PAGE” - and under step three, “Set up your domain: Login to the member's area and choose your domain setting.” Instructions are then given again by email, and then within the member site (all you have to do is log on to their member site and click the “Build your Website” link and/or “My replicated links” on the first page, which it doesn't look like the initial poster attempted to do). In fact, the instructions were “dumbed down” and over-simplified. I am not sure how anyone could have had trouble setting up the easiest website design system I have ever used (FYI, I usually make my websites from scratch, but for this purpose I tried out their system).
The next statement, “GDI had no interest in selling the actual end -product but only wanted to sucker in more and more and more multi-level marketing tiers. This is a pyramid scheme which benefits them and them alone.” The initial poster mentioned their specific issues setting up their website, but obviously never even tried to use it. I remain highly skeptical of the original poster's ability to follow the simple training readily accessible in the member's section, through the member's forum, or through the upline. The concept that the company would not want you to sell their product is rather questionable.
Another issue to address is the statement that “Their independent contractors post heavily on Craigslist and Backpage and promote a great business opportunity of marketing domains ending with an ws. to individuals and businesses.” These “independent contractors” are really people who have signed up to promote GDI (in other words, people like the independent poster, you and I). This is one way these people chose to promote their business. However, simply clicking on to the member's forum, the original poster could clearly see that there are tons of offline methods people regularly use. I suspect those who put actual offline effort into it are more successful. And GDI has a strict non-spam policy.
I haven't cancelled my membership, so I unfortunately can't speak to the issues he had at cancellation. The only thing I could mention is that it simply seems that he was planning to cancel from the beginning.
I am not saying that MLM is for everyone. To be honest, I don't think most people have the drive to own a business, which is not easy. However, to call it a scam goes too far. They offer a great product (websites) and an intelligent system. I personally consider them the first legitimate MLM system I have found online – particularly with the long-term instead of one-time system. Also I admire their honesty - they are upfront that it is free for 7 days, and tell you about all costs (which are minor) upfront. That's something you really can't say about most companies. They are even transparent about what they make.
CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.