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Gave false details for netim on .uk domain and now they ask for verification, what to do?
user3028938
Member
in Help
I just gave false details as another layer of anonymity on top of private whois but now they email me demanding ID which of course I can't provide.
So what to do?
Can I change to the correct information giving my real ID?
Will all registrars ask for ID if it is a uk domain? I don't recall ever having to provide ID for other uk domains I bought in the past but that was over 5 years ago, more like 10 probably so not sure if things changed in the meantime?
Thanked by 1zed
Comments
cry
I fear netim is using unclear language in regards to .uk terms. From what i've read Nominet doesn't allow proxy registrations (at least Namecheap won't do it: https://namecheap.com/support/knowledgebase/article.aspx/281/37/do-you-provide-privacy-protection-for-uk-domains/). I figure what they are calling whois privacy is simply the fact that .uk whois won't display registrant data and Nominet is known to try cross checking registrant data. If their checks come up negative they'll request documents. Just check google. It seems to be kinda common.
As far as your problem is concerned i can't really help you but there's nothing much you can do besides talking to netim anyways. If the request comes from Nominet they might not have much to say about the further proceedings though and there's obviously a fair chance that they'll not want to further work with you in general.
To be honest i don't really get why you'd want a second layer of whois protection. Do you host some kind of high risk website? In any case losing a domain that has been registered on junk data should have been a calculated risk.
Rig the docs, continue game, win.
Redundancy really. It is a totally innocent site, but it is more that I don't trust whois to actually protect your information.
I just have vague recollections of reading some instances where your whois data can be revealed despite having private whois.
I don't necessarily disagree but sometimes it's just better to have some actual recourse in case something goes wrong. I mean, i'd rather have a chance to get my account back if i'm locked out for whatever reason than use fake data. Won't help you now, i know.
As long as it's an actual proxy registration (i.e. not the we-don't-display-your-data shit that Nominet does) and the registrar doesn't fuck up big time (basically sends the wrong set of data) there's never anything in the whois database that could be revealed.
Can you explain this? I noticed you mention proxies in the other comment as well and seems I am not understand the reference here, as I just know proxies as in vpns/proxies but seems you are using the term differently here? I know what the proxy, as in not in proxy server sense, but not sure what it means in the context of whois which you are using it here?
As per the other comment too:
Proxy doesn't refer to the networking term here but rather the more generic doing something by proxy. In the case of classic whois privacy services some entity acts as a proxy when registering the domain at the registry (read: the entity registers the domain on behalf of the actual registrant). With this process there's never any direct contact between the person registering the domain (or their data) and the registry. The registry strictly only deals with the entity acting as a proxy. All data the registry sees is that of the proxy entity.
Besides that there were always some registries that didn't make whois data publicly available (regularly by not running a whois server at all) but they were rather rare (like Tonga's .to) or generally unobtainable. Lately there's a bunch of more or less common extensions that offer various ways to hide registrant data to this or that degree (most prominently extensions of EU countries when registered by private individuals due to GDPR). In those cases the registry actually has the data (assuming there wasn't a proxy registrant used on top of whatever the registry offers voluntarily) but just doesn't display it.
Going by what Namecheap states it looks like Nominet (the registry responsible for .uk) doesn't allow proxy registrations (not that exceptional - there have historically always been registries that banned the practice), which makes it seem like whatever whois privacy netim is referring to must be the one provided by Nominet themself. I'm not 100% sure. Their site isn't overly clear on this but it very much seems to be the case.
All accredited registrars would. Try proxy registrations services like prq.se, its just 375 SEK/year
Trying to correct the false info after being caught red handed is not how kyc works lmao. Rip the domain...
man i feel bad for you but it's really entertaining keeping up with your adventures as you learn all these lessons. never give up!
Nothing to lose by trying, right?
This is a steady trend for country-level domains. In some zones, you can only register or renew a domain if you have verified and confirmed the domain owner's information in accordance with the country's requirements.
I believe there is a small chance that the registrar or even the registry will correct the incorrect information and replace it with the correct information upon your request, provided you have confirmed the new information with real documents.
You did not use that domain to do anything illegal or against the rules did you?
Then submit a correction to the data. If you gave false details with no bad intention and caused no harm why should it be a problem?
Nominet verifies registrant data against 3rd party data sources.
The accredited registrar gets a flag from Nominet whenever they are unable to complete their verification. This is what happened most likely in this situation.
If the domain is not yet blocked, you should be able to change the details to your real details. This should satisfy Nominet, but you still broke the contract with your registrar - they may not play the ball.
Lesson for the future is not to feed false information, especially for services you care about.
Accept your fate like a real man or woman
And try to amend
provided fake details, shocked when system flags said fake details
A PO box helps a lot with privacy, especially when you can't use the standard whois privacy services... You could even register a business/etc if you want to take it a step further but your name can still be found if someone was determined (no clue if UK is the same, just assuming it's close enough)
Business registration is sadly regularly just an extra hurdle for nosy people due to ownership records being public. Assuming he's in the UK there's a lot of companies offering to provide proxies for filling the public positions though and i vaguely remember the UK tax system (disclaimer: i'm not an accountant and i might be 100% wrong here) not caring about non-UK business, so he could start something in Wyoming or whereever without much hassle at all (convenience of such tricks starts dropping rapidly once you have to file a ton of paperwork with your local tax authorities...).
NETIM automatically sends out verifications emails approx 1 month after registration for all their tld extensions and customers. It's not a system flag. It's in their policies. You have the right to get an auth code and transfer the domain elsewhere once 60 days has passed.
You fucked.
"I just gave false details as another layer of anonymity"
as for the rest, on what can you do?
Fucked around and finding out.
Too many people above eagerly accepting KYC nonsense.
Honestly, fair. I've heard plenty of horror stories from people who had their details leaked from 'private' whois (usually due to some exposure when transferring domains between registrars).
And even if you trust the whois privacy service works correctly, you also have to trust the registrar not to just sell your data for data sales -- and there are a couple that I would definitely not trust.
On most TLDs, you can register a Wyoming LLC and use that as the owner info -- then you get the privacy benefits and theoretically should be in compliance. (UK is a surveillance/privacy hellscape though, so maybe not for .uk. You might want to think about transitioning those older .uk sites to more privacy-friendly jurisdictions/TLDs if privacy is important to you.)
I'd ask the registrar if they'd accept an articles of incorporation, and if so, go get yourself a wyoming LLC registered. Also find out where the requirement is coming from so you know whether you need to boycott the registrar or the TLD. Make it clear to the registrar they're going to lose money over dumb KYC nonsense. UK big brother can go pound sand.
Edit - as Hostcay says above, and is backed up by netim's 1-star trustpilot reviews, it looks like netim is one of the KYC registrars. I'd avoid using them for anything and transfer all your domains out ASAP!
Well that worked in the past with internetbs, they just told me to update to real ones.
I don't care about this domain though really, was a new one and wasn't getting any traffic. What happens to it though? can I release it and rebuy with 'real' info?
Also can I avoid these issues by just buying a none uk domain? It it not a big deal to not have a uk domain, and could still build community around the uk, just without the uk tld.
I don't remember having any requests like this for my none uk domains.
Ok this answers my previous question and the latter was my experience too but still I would prefer not give it and so would just buy a .com or .org or whatever instead if that avoids the issue. Ironically I had been considering making the domain global anyway, rather than targeting just my country.
I am non binary. how dare you
Yes and also there can be legit reasons/excuses, such as 'I was using the information of a client who no longer wishes to maintain the domain' or suchlike.
Well I been doing online shits since 2010 and always gave false data and only ran into this issue once or twice, and on those occasions it was due to uk domain - which are very rare I buy them so that is probably why I have been used to using false data without issues as none uk doesn't seem to have the same scrutiny.
So what happens to the domain now? since I only registered it a couple of months ago? is it then locked until the whole year passes until renewal or does it get sent back to the pool soon if I don't give the right info?
It is not really a big deal to me either way - give the real info and keep the domain, or refuse and don't keep the domain. Don't give too much of a shit either way but might to just keep the work I did already on it, which is not that much.
I have the site backed up so could start again on a new domain but I don't know. I have little motivation either way, lol.
Ye but it is nothing to do with tax as this was not a money making site, just a small hobby related/information site, so don't see what tax would have to do with it.
It is just from a privacy standpoint of preferring not to post my real address data online in case some disgruntled forum member might try and doxx at some stage, something like that.
Oh that is useful information. So they will do it for all domains, not just .uk ones?
The domain will be locked for 60 days then I have to register it again or it is still mine to transfer elsewhere?
Which ones do not ask this?