Keep Away from GoDaddy! Forced ID Verification After Domain Purchase

Rant
1

Hey everyone, here’s another story about GoDaddy, similar to many I’ve seen here.

I recently bought a domain through them, and everything seemed fine… until after the purchase. Suddenly, I was locked out of my account and now they’re requiring a government ID for verification before I can access the domain I already paid for. This request for ID came after they took my payment – not before, when I could’ve chosen to decline.

Now it feels like I have to give up my privacy just to access something I already bought. Does this seem unreasonable to anyone else? Why wouldn’t they verify before the transaction, so customers know upfront?

Any advice on handling this? Has anyone else faced something similar with GoDaddy or other companies? Thanks for any help!

2

I left GoDaddy years ago. They’re terrible and always doing shady stuff.

3

This is normal. Did you use a VPN when ordering, or are you currently abroad? Anti-fraud tools can sometimes flag purchases that way.

4

Gracie said:
This is normal. Did you use a VPN when ordering, or are you currently abroad? Anti-fraud tools can sometimes flag purchases that way.

It’s not normal at all.

5

Flippa said:

Gracie said:
This is normal. Did you use a VPN when ordering, or are you currently abroad? Anti-fraud tools can sometimes flag purchases that way.

It’s not normal at all.

Many registrars now require verification; it’s part of KYC (Know Your Customer) policies. Not like it was back in 2000.

6

@Parker
I’ve registered several domains with Cloudflare (great choice, they offer them at cost) and never had to provide ID. Are they not a serious registrar?

7

I actually support ID verification by registrars for domain registration to combat scams and malicious sites, but I agree this should happen before they take payment.

You might want to check if the TLD you bought has ID requirements. If not, consider asking GoDaddy to allow a transfer to another registrar and refund your payment.

8

@Vera
They likely flagged it with anti-fraud software. Funds usually aren’t fully captured until ID verification is completed, and if it’s not, the charge often falls off after a few days.

9

DomainForge said:
@Vera
They likely flagged it with anti-fraud software. Funds usually aren’t fully captured until ID verification is completed, and if it’s not, the charge often falls off after a few days.

The real issue isn’t the money but ownership of the domain. If GoDaddy cancels, they could release the domain back, allowing someone else to grab it.

10

It’s a standard security measure for fraud prevention when adding a payment card. You can remove the card after the purchase if you prefer.

11

ID verification for WHOIS info is common. Namecheap did this for me too. They just want to confirm that the WHOIS info matches up and isn’t false.

12

What’s the TLD? Some TLDs have ID and residency rules. I once owned a .ru domain but gave it up after their rules changed.

13

Samuel said:
What’s the TLD? Some TLDs have ID and residency rules. I once owned a .ru domain but gave it up after their rules changed.

It’s just a .com, so I don’t think there are ID requirements for this TLD.

14

There are a lot of reasons to avoid GoDaddy, but this is a pretty standard practice for registrars nowadays.

15

You might want to contact your card provider and see if you can dispute the charge.

16

Expecting to stay anonymous while registering a domain is unrealistic in today’s internet landscape. A legit registrar will require accurate information.

17

Registrars might ask for ID if details seem inaccurate. They use checks to confirm info and avoid fraud. ICANN rules support this. Did you provide correct info? Just wondering if that might be why they’re asking.

18

Might want to review their terms and conditions; it could be something you agreed to during the registration.

19

It’s normal here in Australia. To get a .com.au, you need an ABN (Australian Business Number).

20

Left GoDaddy a decade ago. They offer too many unnecessary services to less experienced users.