GoDaddy, Godaddy.com Screwed Me Scottsdale, Arizona

I just have a response regarding the Whois comment. They are not violating any ICANN rules with this. And GoDaddy is not the only domain registrar that offers privacy with the registration of a domain name. All of them do: Moniker, TuCows, etc. ICANN does require that all domain owners have valid contact information on file. Privacy registration masks this information in the Whois, kind of like an unlisted phone number. The actual contact information, however, is accessible by ICANN. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean the people that need to can't.

Also- yes, you are by law required to have all of this information when you send newsletters or emails to your 'subscribers'. GoDaddy isn't ripping you off, you're just breaking the law. They charge you that fee to clean up the mess because when you get reported as a spammer, they get reported as a company allowing spammers. I've looked into this as I have worked closely with internet companies in the past. If you don't feel like following the law or don't do your research, that's not GoDaddy's fault. Just by reading your complaint makes me want to do more business with GoDaddy because I know they're looking out for their customers and the visitors to your site.

GoDaddy is working within the confines of anti-spam regulation. Whether you receive 1 or 1000 spam complaints, per can-spam 2003, it is your responsibility to verify the person you spammed opted in. If you are not keeping logs of this, that's your fault.

Solution? Keep Logs. Alternate solution? Use their EEM program which will keep the logs for you.

I'm surprised alright!

Congress passed some anti-spam legislation a few years ago that DOES require a lot of what they are demanding from you.

What surprises me the most is that they're really pressing you for all of it, when IMO they violate ICANN rules on a continuing basis.  ICANN rules clearly delineate that WHOIS information MUST reflect the actual and correct information of the DOMAIN NAME OWNER, and yet they are making a fortune with their "domainbyproxy" service which is a clear violation of the rules.

BTW, the reason they (and others) have been able to get away with this is because the ICANN whois requirements have not been testing in U.S. courts.