verbster

Has anyone had any luck using GoDaddy's backorder service?

I bought the service a long time ago, but haven't been able to capture any dropped domains. Every time it fails to capture a domain, it reverts back to a domain backorder crdit for the next attempt. Missed out on another one today. At this rate, I'll never get rid of it.

Just wondering if there are any places or times their service works well enough to pick up a domain.

Incidentally, how does the backorder service work with their own domains when they put any domain worth anything in their auction?

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Albert

Use GoDaddy backorder only on expiring domain nobody want.

verbster

LOL, so I've learned. Turns out the domain I wanted was snatched up by the domain vacuum cleaner, Andrew Reberry . . . I don't think he sells anything for under $xxxx.

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c4smok

You can beat the service on a hand reg pretty much everyday..

Only secured 3 from my WW reseller BO service/reg GD in the last year. They might have been names I thought more of then others lol.

Ratio favored my reseller 3:0 over reg godaddy. Godaddy did catch around 5 names, but they all went to auction and went to prices I would not pay.

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Fonzie

Unless they've changed, Godaddy doesn't employ a dynamic drop-catching process like the specialist outfits (Pool/Snap), who employ multiple shell registrars to increase their verisign query allotment.

I believe GDs "backorder" process is to simply send out automated requests at intervals that aren't very fast.

You can beat it with a hand registry, but it's not too bad for that weird class of pendingdelete domains that might not get caught on the drop, but might not last the day, in a situation where you aren't going to be available to desktop snap it yourself.

stub

GoDaddy employs a large number of registers they own, GoCanadaDomains et al. They do operate dynamically, like SnapNames/NameJet.

Fonzies last paragraph is very true. I use it exactly for that because usually I'm tucked up in bed fast asleep when domains usually drop. It's only for maybe the third tier of desirable domains. The ones the likes of Andrew Reberry doesn't backorder, or not backordered on the drop-catchers. Personally, I use them occasionally for domains I think will drop and not get picked up on the drop. They have their place in the dropping foodchain. But they will never beat SnapNames/NameJet/Pool or Andrew Reberry.

A GoDaddy backorder will always beat a WildWestDomains or BlueRazor backorder, because the latter two don't use all GoDaddy's Registrars (GoCanadaDomains etc).

Any dropping domain at any registrar is a free for all. GoDaddy don't have anything special about capturing their dropping domains.

If you backorder a domain in the auction but before it goes to the bargain bin, you will get the domain before it goes to the bargain bin. A kind of silent bid. A kinda risky strategy, if you ask me.

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Fonzie

If so, they're terrible at it.
I have a Backorder credit with them that I run in conjunction with my desktop API dropcatcher, and they've NEVER- I mean NEVER- beaten it.
My automated query rate with the desktop program isn't that significant. Not in the same universe as someone using dedicated registrars like Reberry.

I don't know... With the 3 minute lead time, there are names where I've been waiting for them to drop into the bin, hoping that no bids = no attention = no chance of getting run up so I can snatch it for $11 as soon as it hits closeout. If a backorder takes priority over release into the bargain bin, I could see that having strategic use in weird situations.

The few times I've tried to 'snipe', I've gotten burned with 'sudden' competition who arrive like magic in the 3 minute extension and run me up.

cdboard

what would total cost be? backorder fee only? or backorder fee plus auction fee?

verbster

Yeah, I've been trying to use this GD backorder for some time with no success. I don't even remember when or why I got it, but wish i could pick up something decent and be done with it.

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stub

You're placing a backorder, so you just pay the backorder fee.

---------- Post added at 07:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:36 AM ----------

Well you know you are going for a valuable domain (as opposed to all the crap there) then. Many people using the auctions will wait for the last few minutes before placing their bids. I don't think they are necessarily targeting domains that get bids in the last few minutes. They were already watching the domain the same as you were.

I still think it's a risky strategy to place a backorder on a domain in the GoDaddy Auctions. It is rendered useless with just one bid. For the split seconds it will take for you to capture the domain at $11. I usually bid the $12 rather than try to save a dollar. If you are going to be sniped, it's probably not going to go into the bargain bin anyway.

I think GoDaddy Auctions have become way more competitive than they were only a year ago. It's probably something to do with the fact that they are the largest registrar (so lot's of expiring domains) and much cheaper prices than SnapNames/NameJet.

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Fonzie

I've resold names I purchased as $11, $9, $5 closeouts for significant profit- meaning, they went through the entire auction process, seen by presumably thousands of different domainers, without a single one being interested.

There is no implicit 'wisdom' in that market whatsoever. It's gotten a bit more efficient over the years at identifying the 'less obvious' good domains, but it's still no where near there.

Where's the risk?
It's not like you lose the backorder.
You get to reallocate the credit (unless that's changed since I last did it) and if a bid pops up, you then get to decide whether you want to dance and if so, for how much. With the 3 minute time buffer, it's not like sniping is a relevant factor (unless you're using a 386 with dial up).

On more times than I can count with all my fingers, I've lost names that were snatched the instant they transitioned from open auction to the $11 fixed price closeout bin. Whoever beat me to them was employing precisely the same strategy that I was, but just got to it faster. There's no doubt I've played the role of 'snatcher' more than my fair share of times... Had either one of us bid, it would've taken a lot more than $11 to win that name.

This is why bids can be dicey on certain names. Yes, 'obvious' strong domains will get bid on regardless- on them, its simply deciding how much you want to pay- but there is a class of names that aren't obvious. Bidding will attract the attention of monkeys, who will then bid because monkey see, monkey do.

The vast majority of people are responsive and associative rather than analytical.
The behavior of others is hugely influential to what they in turn decide to do. It's easy to become an 'inadvertent leader' in certain situations, which is not beneficial in a competitive marketplace.

Domainate.com

They are nice for not having to be around while the domain drops, but I've seen on many occasions a hand-regger beating the backorder.

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stub

Steve. We were discussing backorders placed whilst the domain was in auction, not backorders for domains that drop.

Fonzie. The risk is you are not watching the auction at the time it closes and somebody bids on the domain. You lose the domain, but still keep the backorder, so financial risk is only what you would potentially have made on selling the domain.

I too have picked up names at all the price points in the bargain bin. I will think of you next time I wait for a domain to drop to the bargain bin and is snatched up at $11. From my casual observation a lot of the bidders are judging the domains based on their reported traffic.

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verbster

Wish this domain would have been in the auction. Would have gone for it. Unfortunately, it dropped through another registrar. Speaking of GD's auction, it's annoying to see domains I'm dropping in the auction, especially when my whois is still on it and the expiration appears a year off.

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stub

Yeah. Your details remain on the domain until it is deleted by the Registrar on Day 45 after expiry. I started amending the whois for domains I was dropping, but it got to be too much work, and I couldn't then transfer out, if I changed my mind.

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Krane65

I hate to break it to you, but my ghetto script that uses an api every 1.5 seconds was able to beat a Godaddy backorder. I made the mistake of using Godaddy backorder once, never will again.

verbster

Yeah, GD isn't the powerhouse it could be. Does your script hold up against other drop-catchers with more muscle? Like the assault Andrew Redberry/hugedomains/com mount when they want a domain?

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stub

Every 1.5 seconds is a lifetime in the drop-catching business. That would never beat Reberry.

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