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HugeDomains.com is Buying 50%+ of Expiring Domains at GoDaddy.com

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I've been wondering about the competition in auctions for expiring domains over at GoDaddy.com, because somebody is paying hundreds for seemingly every domain that gets a few bidders.

I’ve also noticed a clear pattern, with the last bidder (or one of the last bidders) entering the auction winning most of the time, which made me think that there is one large corporate buyer piggybacking of whatever domains other people find and bid on. Turns out that is the case: HugeDomains.com is buying most domains over at GoDaddy.com expired auctions. I looked up the WHOIS of the past 150 auctions I have lost at GoDaddy.com, and 84 of those are now owned by HugeDomains.com and listed for sale on HugeDomains.com.

While 50%+ may not be representative of overall domains bought at GoDaddy, they do seem to buy far more domains than anyone else. The 66 names not bought by HugeDomains.com were bought by a number of different individuals and companies (BuyDomains.com bought 6 of those 66, for example), so 50%+ were taken by HugeDomains, while "the rest" of the auction wins were by a number of different individual domainers and companies.

This might not be news to some, but I've never seen anyone mention that HugeDomains is this active over at GD expired auctions, so I thought it might be interesting for some people to know who is outbidding everyone in the lower range over at GoDaddy. I've read people mentioning that HugeDomains buy names in close-out status over at GoDaddy, but never that they buy most of the domains in auctions too.

HugeDomains absolutely dominates all auctions below $5XX, and they only picked up a single name above $5XX (cakemart.com) in my sample of 150 names, so $5XX seems to be a self-imposed limit for them. If I only checked domains sold below $5XX, the percentage bought by them would be even higher. I've been the second highest bidder in lots of auctions that HugeDomains.com won, and in my experience they will keep bidding until you give up or until the price passes $5XX. By outbidding most bidders in the lower end, and acquiring more than half of the domains other people also have interest, it leaves a far smaller pool of names for the rest of the domainers to compete for, so I guess that's part of the reason why the reseller prices for names keep increasing so much for names in this range.

The only way to buy cheap domains at GoDaddy auctions now seems to be to let domains expire with 0 bids, so that they go to close-out status, and then try to snipe them as soon as that happens. However, some domainers seem to think it's smart to bid $12 on any decent name when there is 1-15 minutes left, hoping that nobody else is going to place a bid, so fewer and fewer decent names are let to expire with 0 bids. However, that strategy never seems to work (I've tried it myself lots of names, and it did not work even one time), because there are always other people watching and waiting for the name to go to close-out, and they jump in and bid if you make a $12 bid, and most of those names are eventually won by HugeDomains.com. What experiences do other people have at GD recently? Anyone else have any good strategies for buying expiring domains @ GoDaddy.com these days?

Some examples of expired domains bought at GoDaddy.com auctions by HugeDomains:
Domain: skillsharing.com
Purchase price (at GoDaddy): $540
Asking price (at HugeDomains): $2995

Domain: ledmaster.com
Purchase price (at GoDaddy): $537
BIN price (at HugeDomains): $2195

Domain: cyberstrategies.com
Purchase price (at GoDaddy): $262
Asking price (at HugeDomains): $2895

Domain: crablab.com
Purchase price (at GoDaddy): $320
Asking price (at HugeDomains): $1895

Domain: dailyportal.com
Purchase price (at GoDaddy): $560
Asking price (at HugeDomains): $2895

Domain: fivesecondrule.com
Purchase price (at GoDaddy): $42
Asking price (at HugeDomains): $2695

Domain: deltacloud.com
Purchase price (at GoDaddy): $365
BIN price (at HugeDomains): $1795

Domain: itace.com
Purchase price (at GoDaddy): $499
BIN price (at HugeDomains): $2595

Domain: sunnykitchen.com
Purchase price (at GoDaddy): $200
BIN price (at HugeDomains): $2595

Domain: baristaschool.com
Purchase price (at GoDaddy): $449
BIN price (at HugeDomains): $2895

Domain: cakemart.com
Purchase price (at GoDaddy): $695
BIN price (at HugeDomains): $3495

Domain: visuala.com
Purchase price (at GoDaddy): $315
BIN price (at HugeDomains): $2795

Domain: massanalytics.com
Purchase price (at GoDaddy): $130
BIN price (at HugeDomains): $2095

Domain: edusport.com
Purchase price (at GoDaddy): $535
BIN price (at HugeDomains): $2995

Domain: acneguru.com
Purchase price (at GoDaddy): $52
Asking price (at HugeDomains): $2495

Domain: stylefolio.com
Purchase price (at GoDaddy): $195
Asking price (at HugeDomains): $1995



Related: HUGE DOMAINS SNIPING GODADDY CLOSEOUTS
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
Just an FYI to all... not all of the domains listed on their webite are currently registered. (I have a few domains registered that they still have on their website. I obtained them through hand reg.)

Looking at their FAQ: "HugeDomains is the legal owner of every domain listed for sale on our website." WRONG!
 
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Just an FYI to all... not all of the domains listed on their webite are currently registered. (I have a few domains registered that they still have on their website. I obtained them through hand reg.)

I've had a few like that too!
 
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Just an FYI to all... not all of the domains listed on their webite are currently registered. (I have a few domains registered that they still have on their website. I obtained them through hand reg.)

Looking at their FAQ: "HugeDomains is the legal owner of every domain listed for sale on our website." WRONG!

most likely they owned them before and let them drop. forgetting to update the site
 
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i wonder who ended up with Takes.com (from the GD auction yesterday)
 
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Takes.com is a $1m + domain i'd have thought
 
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Takes.com is a $1m + domain i'd have thought

No it is not, not even close.

Just because it is a one word domain does not mean it is automatically worth 1m.
 
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laugh lol - i thought i would just check my renewal date for privacybarrister as i own the best version for the uk
but thought i owned the .com as well
but it turns out that huge domains own the .com

their asking price is approx $2095?

But if .com privacy attorney would appear better as privacy barrister is ideal in .co.uk but not bad for £$10 reg fee?
 
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Poor eric, i hope he's doing better
 
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It just seems like such a crazy business strategy. I don't see how it could be profitable, or sustainable. They have to sell roughly 20% of their inventory to cover their acquisition costs. My guess is they sell around 2%, like everyone else (though maybe not even that with all those crappy domains - who would ever spend $2700 for fivesecondrule.com?!)

The only way it really makes any sense is as a very long term strategy. It's a big number but there is a finite number of aftermarket domains (ones that have any conceivable enduser market). Perhaps they plan to buy them all up (or as many as become available through GD auctions). After that, they just have holding costs, which are manageable on a ~2% sell through.

Another thought is that it is in fact a strategy to put the little domainers - ie, us - out of business.

You don't know the Five Second Rule? Mike Mann would ask 10k+ for that name!

It's seems like there are using bots to automatically bid on a domain once their a bid at last minute.

I used to place a bid 5 minute before the auction ends so anyone who wants the domain name has 5 minutes to find out that there is a bid. Well, it used to work about 3-4 months ago. Now I get auctomatically outbided.

My success rate is now 90%+ if I let a domain go to closeout... Strange!

Don't play the bidding war game, I have over paid for Mind1ty .com, Almost $100!!

1=i
 
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You don't know the Five Second Rule? Mike Mann would ask 10k+ for that name!

It's seems like there are using bots to automatically bid on a domain once their a bid at last minute.

I used to place a bid 5 minute before the auction ends so anyone who wants the domain name has 5 minutes to find out that there is a bid. Well, it used to work about 3-4 months ago. Now I get auctomatically outbided.

My success rate is now 90%+ if I let a domain go to closeout... Strange!

Don't play the bidding war game, I have over paid for Mind1ty .com, Almost $100!!

1=i
Noob here. Where can I get the reference of the Five Second Rule?
 
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that's close to full retail. IMHO.

I agree. I figure there must be a tie-in to something I am unaware of. maybe a non-english word or sound, or a name.

or a video site? a gambling site?

interesting to think that at least two people were willing to spend over 7700 for that domain. (winner and the person he outbid)
 
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Newb here...

At GoDaddy, a ton of people (or maybe just one guy, we'll never know until they implement bidding aliases) place a $12 bid 3 days, or even 6 days ahead of the auction ending time. So instead of putting the name on their watchlist, they use bidding as a way of putting the name on their watchlist, so apparently they don't understand that bidding is alerting everyone to the fact that they intend to buy the name.

GD auction interface does not let you see how much domain was sold for at the end of auction unless you place a bid. I think some people does not bother keeping records and place a bid earlier just in case, mostly see the how much domains were sold for if they did not win.
 
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Newb here...



GD auction interface does not let you see how much domain was sold for at the end of auction unless you place a bid. I think some people does not bother keeping records and place a bid earlier just in case, mostly see the how much domains were sold for if they did not win.
Sales prices are recorded by dnpric.es and namebio.com.
 
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Update: HugeDomains continue to bid aggressively on names while they are below $600 (a lot of names I have been bidding on closed above $600 too, but HD never persisted with their aggressive bidding style subsequent to the auction price passing their ceiling).

Below is a list of domains recently won by HugeDomains at GD auctions. I have included the number of bidders, and when HD entered the auction. They are always the last or one of the last bidders to enter the auction. None of these names have been listed on HugeDomains.com yet, so I have not been able to include their list prices for these.

Domain: firespace.com
Sold for: $515
Note: 13 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #13 (last bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: multistat.com
Sold for: $78
Note: 5 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #5 (last bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: freshspirit.com
Sold for: $206
Note: 6 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #6 (last bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: webosphere.com
Sold for: $370
Note: 7 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #6 (second last bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: blazingdeals.com
Sold for: $62
Note: 3 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #3 (last bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: pushingthelimits.com
Sold for: $330
Note: 10 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #9 (second last bidder to enter the auction).

Domain: sdmarketing.com
Sold for: $525
Note: 11 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #11 (last bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: hairwellness.com
Sold for: $306
Note: 9 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder # 9 (last bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: bitbunker.com
Sold for: $103
Note: 4 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #4 (last bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: leadthefuture.com
Sold for: $478
Note: 5 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #3 (third bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: photopick.com
Sold for: $293
Note: 4 Bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #4 (last bidder to enter the auction)
 
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Great OP and recent update.

I've suspected at least one big Company was piggybacking on others hard work and research and jumping in and bidding like crazy but never properly followed through unlike the OP has. (fireplace.com was a name I was interested in buying but not at $500+ levels).

Many of the above names would be hard to sell to most end users for real ROI, no doubt if they keep this up they will price most domainers out of the market or be left to feed off the scraps/hope some names fall through the cracks or go to closeouts.

This is a major issue and if they here to stay bidding at these sort of levels buying/bidding strategies will have to change to give a chance in the aftermarket of domainers buying the under 4 figure type domains to make ROI. A game changer if this carries on for a while.
 
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Update: HugeDomains continue to bid aggressively on names while they are below $600 (a lot of names I have been bidding on closed above $600 too, but HD never persisted with their aggressive bidding style subsequent to the auction price passing their ceiling).

Below is a list of domains recently won by HugeDomains at GD auctions. I have included the number of bidders, and when HD entered the auction. They are always the last or one of the last bidders to enter the auction. None of these names have been listed on HugeDomains.com yet, so I have not been able to include their list prices for these.

Domain: firespace.com
Sold for: $515
Note: 13 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #13 (last bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: multistat.com
Sold for: $78
Note: 5 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #5 (last bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: freshspirit.com
Sold for: $206
Note: 6 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #6 (last bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: webosphere.com
Sold for: $370
Note: 7 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #6 (second last bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: blazingdeals.com
Sold for: $62
Note: 3 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #3 (last bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: pushingthelimits.com
Sold for: $330
Note: 10 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #9 (second last bidder to enter the auction).

Domain: sdmarketing.com
Sold for: $525
Note: 11 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #11 (last bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: hairwellness.com
Sold for: $306
Note: 9 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder # 9 (last bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: bitbunker.com
Sold for: $103
Note: 4 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #4 (last bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: leadthefuture.com
Sold for: $478
Note: 5 bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #3 (third bidder to enter the auction)

Domain: photopick.com
Sold for: $293
Note: 4 Bidders. HugeDomains were bidder #4 (last bidder to enter the auction)


They are spending into the thousands

qmetrics.com $1623 they were aggressive in bidding

They are using profits made from you, to compete against you.
 
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HugeDomains working against all of the market players and domainers, HugeDomains want to take possession over the secondary (include reseller) market for make a one huge domain supermarket and become the absolute monopoly, where others domainers/resellers, registrars and brokers would be have little chance to earn. If Godaddy will miss them, HugeDom can to acquire GD too.
 
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I ran a few queries at dynadot and all the premium alternatives were from hugedomains even when they were not too similar with the original domain.

It's clear hugedomains have an agreement with either dynadot or the afternic network to have their domains suggested, often at the expense of better alternatives.
 
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