It is my belief that it should become industry standard to get a copy of identification from people to cut down on the fraud element but not only that i believe that if the industry goes down this road we will see a lot less of the 14 year old kids using their pocket money to buy a cheap reseller/master/alpha plan and sell on to all the ppl on forums like this claiming to own several servers and basically running off with everyones money. It is also my belief that only accepting from verified paypal accounts etc would be another way of reducing the fraud element and yet another way to reduce in the 14 year old kids selling hosting. Let Me Know Your Thoughts On This P.S 14 YR OLD KIDS NEED NOT REPLY
lol.. yes.. I myself have seen many 14-16 year old kids just wandering around the forum, buying cheap resellers, sell hosting, take money and run away lol.. They need to get a life !! I think, verified PP should solve the problem maybe ??
Most established companies already have MaxMind or Varilogix or any other basic fraud checks and if the amount is bigger, you can even opt for verification by automated or you can call the client to verify. We use MaxMind for fraud check and even call the new client if we still have any suspicion. I already think most of the established hosts follow the same trend and may even go for more stringent checks if need be as in case of selling dedicated servers. Only if the client requires SSH access, we require ID proof else it may not be required but each host has its own policies and I don't think this can become a standard anytime soon when there are a number of hosts appearing out of nowhere and closing down equally quicker. If a 14 year old is hyper active or if he or she is really interested and has knowledge & good with communication, you may never know he is 14 yrs. And regarding 16 year olds, in some countries, its legal for them to do their own business if their parent gives the consent / security.
verified paypal is not a solution. In our country ever hosting company must have a licance for doing that job.. it shoul be worldwide...
I do agree with you. Though many have sympathy for kids as they're trying. And also, there are many "teens" (15-18) out there running a business well. I think it's the few who are scamming mainly around DP(who keep making new companies). But the problem is many people buy because of the cheap rates they offer. I think the DP members should investigate into the web hosting companies, look at reviews which are OLD...rather than new etc. There are many things a buyer should consider, though they fail to consider these options. It's a tough one. But yes, i do agree some sort of security needs to be enforced into the industry. Ultralite.
Basically its up to the client to realize they get what they pay for, only then will they stop getting scammed from these $10 a year hosts with huge allowances.
Verification will not solve the problem. Nowadays there are lot of VCC sellers and anyone can verify paypal for just $5 to $10 with VCC Buyers need to check the host and their office address first.
I think if the dedicated server owners stop giving the overselling feature, it can reduce some of these kids coming up with AMAZING offers.
/Sign There are absolutely too many of these kiddie hosts on DP/WHT, etc. At least on WHT, they make them submit their info, and verify it's them before they can make an Ad. That way they scam, they know who they are Please get this implemented soon DP, it's BADLY needed!
I Voted "No" Reason: Taking identification proof from every client is a big hassle or clients as well as hosting companies. reason we get customers from around the world, so physical verification is not possible. but yeah, we sometimes do ask client coming from high-risk counties to submit photo-id. from a clients prospective its a big no-no reason: #first he has to get xerox copy his photo ID(requires a photocopier) #second, he has to sign on it and then scan it back, so it could be send via e-mail(requires scanner) Most clients either don't have a photocopier or scanner or sometimes both. so they have arrange it from somewhere. which is cumbersome. Even after Photo ID verification. frauds can't be fully stopped as ID can be easily forged. many kids are proficient with advanced photo editing tool to make fake ids. Conclusion, It isn't worth the hassle it generates
We're talking about the companies, not individual customers. Though there are companies, like HiVelocity who are EXTREMELY successful, and also make you fax in a copy of your state issued ID.
I think the final idea of all this is: The scammers take advance of the ignorance of the customer. So, we can educate and give more information to the future web hosting client =). I propose in a post too to create a code of ethics here in DP, but, is too troublesome, no? =S
I agree with this thread, however; Maxmind has proven to help handle a lot of fraudulent orders. Up to this day we have not seen a single chargeback or fraudulent claim since we implemented Maxmind.
Ah, sorry, but its already industry standard. Any legitimate company that has a merchant account and insurance is already required to collect this type of information. We are required to, and have obtained the following from those that host with us: A copy of their CC, front and back. A copy of their License. A Signed Signature on file and authorization form allowing us to bill their CC. A signed copy of our TOS/AUP. A signed copy of our contract. A signed and properly filled out IP Justification form when /29 or higher is allocated. If you are not collecting this information I'd be a bit more concerned about the legitimacy of your own business than that of your customers. Check with your bank and your liability carrier, you are missing something here. EEKS, my bad... I read this wrong. However I will leave it as the same applies in both directions. How to spot a fraud or non-legitimate/shady host? http://forums.digitalpoint.com/reputation.php?p=11433375 Seriously people its not that hard. Ever heard of the Better Business Bureau, Dunn and Bradstreet? Simply doing a little research and looking to see if they are INCORPORATED???? We've been in this business for over 12 years now. Its pretty easy to spot the "shady" fly by nights using my simple 12 step program above. The biggest thing to remember is, if it sounds too good to be true in terms of price; IT IS!!!!