Regarding my domain expiring - billing/contact info

[Atomic-Design]

Hello,

As I have read, you must keep the "Billing" section of your domain info up to date, so that PowWeb can contact me when I need to renew my domain. Now, heres my question:

What if I don't want to display any of my personal information on a domain? It is very easy to find out where I live, my full name, phone number etc just by doing a simple domain lookup. Lately I have filled it with bogus info, such as NAME: No real info is in here.

Do I need to change my info in order to renew properly?

[B&T]

Technically . . . if you do not have valid information in your domain info you can have your domain name cancelled. But I suppose someone would have to complain.

If you want to hide your information . . . some registrars offer a deal where THEY keep the name rather than you . . . if you trust them to give it back when you ask for it.

[stevel]

PowWeb's policy requires you to supply correct contact information for the domain. As B&T suggests, there are registrars who will "cloak" your contact info - that doesn't necessarily mean that they own the domain, but it does make things a bit harder if there is a dispute. registerfly.com and godaddy.com offer this service.

That said, I've had my home address and phone number in my whois records for years, and can think of only one time someone called me inappropriately (all the while insisting that my phone number was on the web site, which it isn't.)

[B&T]

Originally posted by stevel
As B&T suggests, there are registrars who will "cloak" your contact info - that doesn't necessarily mean that they own the domain, but it does make things a bit harder if there is a dispute. registerfly.com and godaddy.com offer this service.

If their name is on it . . . they own it. You are relying on their good business practices to give it back to you when you ask for it. You voluntarily transferred it to them. I am sure that is perfectly safe in MOST cases.

[mjp]

FYI - Over a year ago, ICANN sent out an advisory regarding whois database accuracy, and now they are beginning to require domain registrars to insure that contact information is correct. They may, at some point, actually suspend domains that contain false or incorrect information.

You may have received email from your domain registrar recently advising you to double check your contact information to insure that it is correct, which I assume is the first step of the verification process.

It remains to be seen how or if this will affect the "privacy" or "cloaking" services.

See: http://www.icann.org/announcements/advisory-10may02.htm

[Atomic-Design]

Alright. I'll change it. Thanks.