There may of course be a perfectly innocent explanation for his silence.
It isn't hacking, it is someone refusing to co-operate with a domain name transfer for some unknown reason. Either he or the hosting/registration company need to be made to react.
Have sent you an email Barbara
Does anyone here know if Barbara reports this "squatting " thing to the hosting provider it will resolve the problem? It looks like a "Hacking " . It is very similar to that! The chap just took over her site and ... who knows what he does with that! The contact form seems to me to be forwarded to his email and not to Barbara's email that's why she does not receive any messages.
Also if she ever decides to create a new website for her business then this "squatted" website must be disappeared from the net , for sure, otherwise her new site will rank bad on the search engines. Also, potential customers will search online for her business and they might eventually find the "squatted" site ......Well , this is not good for her!
Barbara. I feel you have got hung up on this website when what you should be doing is maybe starting again.
You are not the first person in this position and you will not be the last.
Pick another domain name and start over. If and when the old one becomes available, you can buy it and switch over to it. Google allows this nowadays.
I'm sure somebody here can throw together a perfectly nice site with your help and the problem will be fixed.
yes he is squatting in a way.
Maybe I will just give up and sell this lovely property.
Too many strange folk around!
Thanks everyone.
I take it it's too new for any real law of squatting or whatever to exist in the internet world of france. I can only bar room guess that as the title of the property is Barbara's then they have no right to use it if the owner doesn't wish it so is that any kind of leverage? I suppose it's the transcript of the emails that holds the key.
I have had no more fresh ideas other than what I have already suggested Barbara. I think it is nasty letter time.
Any more ideas anyone?
It is ok I understand John I know that lots of people expect something for nothing.
TBH John I have not looked at the current site or it's ranking yet.
If it were a zero (with Google) I would possibly just start again with a new domain name.
EDIT
OK, I just looked and it is a big fat zero after what looks like 4 or 5 years
Maybe Carl, how far on google rankings is the site? might be worrying over something that doesn't matter, it's not a big business compared to the 1,000,000 of sites out there that really are ranked
Similar content, there must be bit's Barbara would improve on an now is the ideal time, what Google and Bing really like and dislike is anyone's guess. They do like adverts!
Agreed have to get the original site closed or transferred
I have always understood that Google frowns upon multiple sites flogging the same thing for the same person.
(the above is a massive over-simplification of what they say but you get my drift)
Sorry Barbara, don't take my comments the wrong way but in life there is always the what's in it for him. Hours of work etc all for nowt. I couldn't run my life like that so unless they are a registered charity or part of your commune and trying to boost the local economy i would be dubious is what I meant
It's having the same content on 2 sites that causes the problem, firstly Barbara isn't getting the email enquiries at the moment and secondly Google/Bing may not like the duplicated content. Even if she doesn't get the domain name back, the site cannot be left online in current state.
I certainly never ever ask or want free.
Please understand this.
This chap came along with a request and his site is appealing.
I have experienced some very odd episodes with web builders before
and this last situation is just part of the soap opera.
As he wanted no money we asked if he would like to come and spend a
few days here as our guest with his wife/girlfriend.
When he requested money I paid promptly.
Well done Steve, understood but why not have two domain names for similar, might that not catch business too, I have 3 and it's surprising what comes by.
I see Buzzcreations is a blind alley to, can you see the code Steve and see where emails are being directed to?
John
I have already started to copy the site, am just waiting for Barbara to try and get the domain name issue sorted. We don't want to have two identical looking sites on-line at same time.
Honest and sincere and free? you'll struggle.
It is a simple site to produce, with help from someone on here you could, if you have the photos have a new website up and running in just a few hours. Chasing this person down and trying to get agreement could take some time meanwhile you are losing valuable business?
yes I am trying this and await attention from the provider.
This is several days ago so, perhaps I will try again today.
Everything is simple when you know how.
I would love to find honest and sincere people but I struggle.