Is GDI Global Domains International A Scam?

Jay & Robert recently asked my opinion about GDI aka Global Domains International. So I decided to write a review since it's a pretty well known opportunity that has been on the radar for a while.

After following the usual steps in my scam video, I was a bit frustrated. Most of the sites that came up in my research were clearly members of Global Domains International that were sugar coating the GDI income for life opportunity. Obviously it's in the members financial interest not to say anything negative about the company. But I think that puts everyone at a disadvantage on both ends. The reason is that people will find out about the down sides of the opportunity on their own after joining. That's never a good thing, because work at home seekers don't like surprises and your opportunity could be labeled a scam because you omitted facts that may concern them.

I've learned that the hard way. So that's why I try my best to disclose all the negative aspects of opportunities I review and are affiliated with. This way you know what you're getting yourself into beforehand. And if something you read isn't your cup of tea, at least you have the chance to avoid the opportunity all together.

So with that said, I had to really dig hard to find the complaints about GDI. Please note this wasn't because there weren't any complaints. It's just happens that the non-biased search results were buried under the folks that want you to join GDI blindly. Obviously these guys know their internet marketing and I can't really “hate” on that.

So What Exactly Is the Global Domains International Opportunity?

Well, it's sort of a mix of a traditional MLM & affiliate program. Anyone that has ever been involved in an MLM knows it usually involves over priced products with high pressure sales tactics and “confusing ass” compensation matrix. So my spider senses were going crazy. The fact that I saw a sports car on their main page didn't help matters. But I simmered down because their opportunity did exhibit some elements of an affiliate career which you all know I recommend highly for the right people.

In any event, the product that GDI is pushing wasn't some overpriced tooth paste or berry juice. (No offense to any of you pushing that stuff. To each their own.) Global Domains International offers domain names and related web services. Obviously you don't need Sherlock Holmes to figure that out based on the name of the company. In any event for the benefit of the technically challenged, let me break down some of the “GREEK” that will be used in the rest of the article. Domains are just another label for .com names. So for instance I own WorkAtHomeNoScams.com so that's my domain name. I purchased it using a domain name provider such as Hostgator or GoDaddy. Domain names cost anywhere from $3-$10 depending on where you get them. After acquiring your domain name you need something called hosting which can cost about $3-$10 as well. Hosting is basically where all your pages of your domain name are stored so that when someone visits your site they will find something to read there. It's like the space on your computer where you save files or pictures. But hosting is for your web pages that you create with some software.

Hopefully that made sense. As we all know, everyone is going online. So this means more and more companies and people need domain names and hosting. GDI claims you can earn large amounts of money by providing this valuable service to the masses. No objections here.

How Global Domains International Opportunity Works

1. You sign up for one of their domain and hosting packages which is $10 per month. This provides you with one of their .ws domain name, hosting and some other included web services. It's also allows you to be a rep for the company where you can refer other people to their services or opportunity. (There is also a free 7 day trial.)

2. Once you become a paid member you're provided with an application that can be used to send invitations through email campaigns, DVD invitations to send through the mail or hand out face-to-face, and a wealth of other marketing resources at your disposal. These marketing materials will link to your selling website which allegedly sells for you because of a very persuasive video.

3. For every direct referral you make, you earn a $1 in commissions. There is also a bonus program where if you refer 5 new customers within a week period you earn a $100 bonus. As long as the customers stay on, you'll make residual income of $1 per month for each customer. You also make money on your customers referrals.

Reasons Some Label Global Domains International A Scam

1. Apparently some have claimed that their credit card was charged even after canceling the trial. Folks have also claimed that they make you jump through hoops to cancel.

2. Some have also argued the GDI domain names and hosting are over priced and don't provide nearly as much value as hosting from well known companies like Godaddy or Hostgator.

3. GDI is offering a several tiered affiliate program at a price. In most cases parent companies never charge folks to be an affiliate of their organization. You're also never really required to purchase the product. Affiliate programs are usually totally free because it benefits the parent company to have an active sales force promoting their products. So why charge them? Someone can easily become an affiliate of some bigger name companies that offer a free affiliate program with better quality and services for lower prices.

4. From an internet marketing perspective most companies use .com for a reason. People remember .com domain names. Yes companies will buy other domain name extensions such as .net, .biz, etc. But they do this to protect their brand not because they feel those extensions will really catch on and replace .com names. So the fact that GDI only sells .ws domain names is very limiting because most people that come online will want a .com name. They claim that all .com names will eventually be snatched up. But that's ridiculous because people's domain expire all the time. Furthermore with the right marketing some enterprising soul can make up a word and become the next Google. Remember when none of us knew what the heck Google meant?

So that's what I've learned from my initial research. By no means is it totally complete or infallible. But at least you have an idea of what some of the complaints are about this opportunity.

I agree that domain names and hosting are a valuable service. Graphic and website designers offer it all the time along with their design services. But 99% of those professionals are affiliates of bigger domain and hosting companies. And they aren't paying to be an affiliate of these companies and they're making tons of money.

There is definitely value in the GDI marketing resources because getting people to refer is always going to be the tough part in affiliate marketing. So maybe that's worth the $10 per month. But the fact that they only sell .ws domains is what would put the breaks on this opportunity for me or my recommendation of it to others.

So based on some of the factors I've discovered, I would pass on this opportunity. Not so much because I think it's a scam, it's more because i feel you're limited with the .ws domain name. The other thing that one has to keep in mind is that you can become an affiliate of other domain and hosting companies for free. However in defense of GDI, you're not really paying to be an associate of their company. You're actually paying for hosting and domain services. But as a paying customer, GDI gives you the perk of making money referring people to GDI. But again, you can do this for free with other companies. So with that said, I just don't see it being worth the investment.

However if you're willing to invest in a home opportunity and want my personal recommendation, my vote is still with Wealthy Affiliate. I think you would get more value with that opportunity if you have the right commitment level and work ethic. Any good home business opportunity is going to take work on your end. Marketing material, videos etc are only as good as the people that use them. So don't let anyone tell you differently. Because chances are they're selling you a pipe dream.

For the folks that only want traditional jobs, please be sure to visit our work at home jobs page by clicking here or our trusted partner HomeJobStop.com for pre-screened job leads without any ads to muck through.

In any event, I want to give another big “shout out” to Jay & Robert for bringing a new type of work at home opportunity to review. This year, I'm going to try to do more user requested reviews provided that it's not about data entry, typing, cash leveraging, rebate processing or survey opportunities. I've generically covered all those opportunities on our work at home questions page. If you haven't read that page in it's entirety, you're doing yourself a dis-service. But if you have a new type of work at home opportunity that doesn't fit material I've already covered, please post your review request in our ask page or down below. But chances are you can probably get an answer quickly by following the steps in our scam video by clicking here.

Let me know what you guys think about GDI. I am sure we may see a few of the GDI folks posting and we welcome their comments.