How to delete site without proof of ownership (lost details)

  • adamfalmouthfti · Member ·

    Hello,

    I work for a university and some time ago, someone created a site for our department.
    My boss wants to delete this site as it hasn’t been updated for about five years.
    I’ve contacted the person that I think set it up and she doesn’t have any of these details. We’re not interested in carrying on with the blog, and would just like to delete it, so is this something that can be done. I have emails etc corroborating this being setup a while ago, but don’t have any other proof of ownership. I can verify my ID etc.

    The site I am referring to is not the site details that I’ve logged in with (it’s another MUCH older one)

    Thanks,
    Adam AF

    The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

  • fstat · Staff ·

    Hi there,

    If the site is hosted here on WordPress.com, we would need a proof of ownership, as mentioned in our Account Recovery guide. Any other proof such as IDs and emails cannot be accepted.

    Please understand that we have a strict policy to protect our users from third parties who might try to use our support system to gain access to other users’ accounts.

  • adamfalmouthfti · Member ·

    Thanks for the quick response.

    I read the guide and I do understand why the policy is in place – there is obviously a danger of a naughty person asking to delete someone else’s site but there must be edge cases – what if someone died leaving defamatory stuff online – are you saying it’s impossible to remove a site like that?

    I appreciate you have to give this answer because there is obviously a policy but I have to ask because my boss has asked me.

    This was last controlled by an employee of our company that now doesn’t work for us and I can’t contact them. At the moment it’s making us look bad because the information is so out of date. Is there a person or department that looks at specific cases like this?

    Thanks, Adam

  • staartmees · Member ·

    You can report defamatory stuff on a wordpress.com website, https://wordpress.com/support/report-blogs/

  • adamfalmouthfti · Member ·

    Hi staartmees.

    It’s not actually defamatory. That was an example I gave as an edge case (which you have answered – thank you). It just makes us look bad because it is so out of date and I’m surprised that there is not a mechanism to delete sites like this. There must be quite a few.

    Adam

  • staff-ozmodiar · Staff ·

    When someone dies, we also have this process:

    https://wordpress.com/support/deceased-user/

    Do you have access to the email address that was used to set up the site? The setup emails could give you a clue about what it is. If it was through the university, you may actually have access to that email even if you think you don’t.

  • adamfalmouthfti · Member ·

    It’s not something I would have access to unfortunately.

    Thanks anyway though rootjosh.

    Maybe when the member of staff dies, then it can be taken down. Hopefully that’s something that won’t happen soon. Seems a bit extreme, but I suppose rules are rules.

    Adam

  • rawalplawit · Member ·

    I suppose you can request to make it private if you can verify you are from the university and is hosted here at wordpress.com.

  • adamfalmouthfti · Member ·

    I’d definitely like to do that if possible, but I can’t find any mechanisms (or contact details) to do that.

  • staff-heroponriki · Staff ·

    Please send an email to passwordhelp (at) wordpress (dot) com explaining the situation, and we’ll see if there’s anything we can do for you.

  • adamfalmouthfti · Member ·

    Thank you csonneck!

  • adamfalmouthfti · Member ·

    Thank you, this has now been made private. I appreciate everyone’s input.

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