For about two years now, my domains: combeatz.com and randykatana.com have been blocked by Facebook for being: Spammy or Unsafe. After researching the web I came to realize that the term Spammy or Unsafe has become the nightmare of numerous websites on the web, and even effected Google at some point. the crazy thing is, no one could find out what the reason was for this classification.
In my case, at first I assumed this had to do with my first ever upload on the web when I was studying internet. To test how FTP uploads work, I used a free host so I would not compromise my own server. After the upload I directed the two domains to the free host, to see how it works. After I was confident I knew what I was doing, I then deleted the sites on the free host, uploaded on my own server, and redirected the domains. Shortly after that, I got the first love letter from Facebook. Blocked for being: Spammy or Unsafe
In 2012 I just learned how to build static websites with Adobe Muse. A software that makes websites without the use of code. In other words, I do not write any code, and do not have any knowledge of it. Further more, after one year I had a link to “Your Mailing List Provider”, in order to send out company mailings.
For the last two years, I have tried numerous times to contact Facebook for information, and just like you would expect it. No answer. After a while I learned to work around it because I was not using Facebook for intensive marketing. Unfortunately that is no longer the case. To make matters worst, Facebook has now blocked not only the two domains, but all of them on my server.
The red ones are all blacklisted, because they all lead to the same website. ComBeatz is a Record Company that markets the four labels: DucthBeatz, SilverBeatz, KatanaBeatz and LambdaBeatz. Facebook is blocking everything.
ComBeatz.com
DutchBeatz.com
SilverBeatz.com
KatanaBeatz.com
LambdaBeatz.com
PremiumBizz.com
RandyKatana.com
RubernVitalis.com
Sandervanderburg.com
Dariancode.com
So why did Facebook decide to block these domains?
The answer to that came to me by chance.
Currently I’m preparing a Facebook marketing campaign for a new event called Synergy. The website for this event uses the domain ComBeatz.com: www.synergy.combeatz.com. Of course Facebook is blocking this domain, so for Facebook I decided to use the new domain registered two months ago: LambdaBeatz.com, only to find out this one is now blocked as well. That was the end of my campaign.
I then did some research on Facebook to find out what it is they need to link to my domains, and came to the conclusion it was an HTTPS connection. In other words an SSL certificate, even though I do not store any personal information, or any other information for that matter, anywhere on the server. I then contact my Host Lithium Hosting, for support, and that is when it all became clear to me.
It is not Facebook that is blocking the domains.
The journey to enlightenment begins with this link: http://sitecheck.sucuri.net/
This website apparently provides information on the security status of all websites online. The link was given to me by my host, in order to check if my Wordpress website: virtualdancemusic.com. which is where I’m learning how to make Wordpress websites, has been compromised. This was not the case, so I took the opportunity to check all the domains. That is when I found out that all the domains that are directed to ComBeatz.com, are BLACKLISTED.
So who is blacklisting the domains?
The same website Sucuri also provides information from several important other websites, that provide security information:
Google Safe Brouwsing
Norton Safe Web
Phish tank
Opera Browser
SiteAdvisor
Sucuri Malware Labs
Yandex (Via Sopos)
Eset
Non of them are listing any website or domains on the server as threatening, however when entering the domains that are directed to ComBeatz.com, a RED FLAG pops up from none other than:
Of course Sucuri will try to sell you their services with a security software in order to remove the blacklist, but I just looked past it, and went on to McAfee for clarification. Using the Reference link I arrived at the McAfee website so called: Siteadvisor. Apparently here you would be able to find out why your website is being blocked. Anxiously I began looking for issues I would have to resolve, and to my great surprise, and then again not, THERE WAS NOTHING.
Other than a big red, or white in red X, there was nothing found by the McAfee software that would consider the website to be categorized as a: Malicious site
NO DOWNLOADS
NO LINKS
NO NOTHING
Better yet, this same page includes a Feedback section where it clearly states that there is nothing with the domain and is 100% safe.
I then tried to Request A Review on this same page, and believe me if I tell you, it took me two days to get the document submitted. I was taking screenshots for this blog to show that it was not working, when suddenly it did.
Well, here it comes. To change this status, you will need to become a member of McAfee. You could send them an email, but you will get an answer stating that it could take weeks before you get an answer. Signing up will speed up the process. Yehh right...Anyway, I did not have a choice, so I did.
When you signup with McAfee, they consider you to be a customer. In other words, you signed up and have their software running somewhere. If you try to fill in any documents, it will always ask you which McAfee software you are using. To be honest, not even if my life was depending on it, I would never purchase anything from McAfee, because of this. To me it only looks like a very cheap marketing campaign in order to get scared website owners to buy their software for protection.
Imagine it’s 1960, New York city, and you are the owner of a dry cleaning shop downtown. One day you get robbed by two tugs, and the next day, this guy walks in and offers you protection…..for a fee…;-)
Carlo Gambino
Is that what McAfee is doing? You judge for yourself. All I can say is that, it surprised me to see that they support Yahoo, which lately has been terrorizing all my Google accounts by installing itself and a bunch of other stuff, I did not give any permission for. Removing Yahoo from my accounts have also proven to be quite a challenge.
McAfee Gambino?
So what’s wrong with McAfee?
To start with, on their website they have a very long list of topics that can cause their software to automatically give your domains / website, a bad name. As expected, install the McAfee software would prevent that. So that would be Extortion in my book. But the most damaging of all would be the fact that McAfee does not take the responsibility to inform domain / website owners, about the status of their property. They are not informed of the fact that McAfee is damaging the good name of their company... Well I’m not exactly a lawyer, but if I’m not mistaken, that would be Defamation.
Now I’m not in the position to accuse McAfee of anything. How they conduct their business is their problem. I have bombarded their website with submissions from all sides and am awaiting their answer. However if the ban is not lifted soon, I will miss the opportunity to promote my event on the 21 June 2014, which is based on Facebook marketing.
Unless McAfee comes with a genuine reason for this Blacklisting, which I’m pretty sure will not be the case, then I would have to hold them accountable for damages, due to their negligence for providing proper information in order to prevent damaging my company name, causing the Facebook block, and directly interfere with my marketing.
Now software is written by people, and people make mistakes. Although a mistake is what it is, and can be damaging in some cases, it’s the how you go about correcting the mistake, that counts. Therefore I strongly suggest McAfee to provide me with the proper information in order to clear the domains, or just clear them at once. Don’t make me wait 6 weeks for anything……..
Facebook is blocking your domain for being spammy or unsafe? Check your domain here. Probably McAfee is blacklisting it, and Facebook is taking their word for it.
Good luck..
Randy
Unless McAfee comes with a genuine reason for this Blacklisting, which I’m pretty sure will not be the case, then I would have to hold them accountable for damages, due to their negligence for providing proper information in order to prevent damaging my company name, causing the Facebook block, and directly interfere with my marketing.
Now software is written by people, and people make mistakes. Although a mistake is what it is, and can be damaging in some cases, it’s the how you go about correcting the mistake, that counts. Therefore I strongly suggest McAfee to provide me with the proper information in order to clear the domains, or just clear them at once. Don’t make me wait 6 weeks for anything……..
Recap:
Facebook is blocking your domain for being spammy or unsafe? Check your domain here. Probably McAfee is blacklisting it, and Facebook is taking their word for it.
Good luck..
Randy
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