How GoDaddy and AUDA Betrayed a Paying Customer: The Story Behind cloudbackup.com.au

By Mahendra Pratap Singh | Originally documented 2019–2020 | Updated July 2025

TL;DR: I lost a paid .com.au domain through a silent process enabled by registrar and regulator failures. Here's how it happened, why it matters, and what other founders must learn from it.

In today’s world, a domain name is more than just a URL — it’s a digital asset, a trust signal, and the foundation of business identity. But what happens when that identity is taken from you — not by hackers or competitors — but by the very custodians entrusted to protect it?

This is the story of how GoDaddy, one of the world’s largest domain registrars, and AUDA, the Australian domain authority, together failed me — and perhaps many others — in the most unaccountable way.

2008–2019: The Birth of a Vision

On December 1st, 2008, I registered the domain cloudbackup.com.au under my company, INFO 77 Pty Ltd, shortly after completing my Master of Science in Internetworking from UTS Sydney. The idea was simple and ahead of its time: provide reliable cloud storage and backup services for businesses.

The domain remained in my control, renewed well in advance — including a two-year renewal paid in full in 2018 — and was eventually transferred to GoDaddy in 2014 for better management. Or so I thought.

April 2019: A Domain Silently Taken

On April 18, 2019, I received an unexpected email from GoDaddy stating that AUDA had flagged my domain as "in breach of policy" and that it would be deleted. No specifics were given. No complaint document shared. No phone call — even though GoDaddy had all my working contact details and regularly called for upselling services.

I was dealing with a serious family crisis — my mother was fighting advanced breast cancer. I missed the short window GoDaddy gave for response. When I followed up a few weeks later, I found the domain had already been deleted and reassigned to a new owner — while it was still paid up and active in my account.

I was never shown:

• The nature of the alleged breach

• The complaint or its origin

• A final notice or appeals process

2019–2020: The Cover-Up and the Discovery

In the months that followed, I reached out repeatedly to GoDaddy, AUDA, the ACCC, and even lodged Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. No one shared the original complaint. No one showed what clause I had breached.

But during this period — late 2019 — while transferring other domains and verifying registry data, I made a disturbing discovery:

I stayed silent.

At the time, I believed that truth would prevail. I believed that someone at AUDA or GoDaddy would investigate. I believed that raising my voice could wait.

But I was wrong.

2020–2024: The Toll of Silence

I buried the pain for years.
I rebuilt my business under new domains.
I launched new ventures.
But the moral wound never healed.

The truth is:

AUDA’s conduct was especially galling.
When I tried to pursue accountability, I was told I’d need to pay a $3,000 non-refundable fee — just to complain.
Yes, even as the victim.
Justice, it turns out, comes with a price tag in Australia’s domain governance.

2025: Enough Is Enough

After six years, I can no longer carry the weight of this silently.
This is not about revenge.
It’s about reform.
It’s about warning others.

When registrars like GoDaddy can:

• Remove a paid domain without due process

• Falsify registry data

• Ignore FOI and legal inquiries

And when regulators like AUDA:

• Refuse to disclose the complaint that triggered deletion

• Enforce a pay-to-complain model that punishes victims

• Remain silent for years despite follow-ups

Then the system is broken — and must be called out.

Final Words

To GoDaddy:
You failed your customer, not just in service but in ethics.

To AUDA:
You’ve turned justice into a tollbooth. Your $3,000 complaint fee is a barrier to justice — not a path to it.

To others reading this:
If you rely on a domain name, don’t just trust your registrar. Demand transparency. Verify your registry data. And back it up.

To myself:
You did nothing wrong. You were robbed. And now, you’ve spoken.

Signed,

Mahendra Pratap Singh

Note: Since Nov 14, 2019, there is no response whatsoever to my tens of email(s) to AuDa. ACCC & Department of Communications and the Arts both are bouncing the ball around.

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Thank you for reading. Mahendra’s exclusive purpose in writing these articles is to make people think and not get people to agree with his perspective, which one would call the stuff of mind control. However, he doesn’t brainwash his audience. We hope this helps.

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Disclaimer: This article is for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be considered Business, Financial or Legal Advice. Consult a financial professional before making any significant financial decisions, if any.