Afternic Closed Their Marketplace

[scithe]

When you go to Afternic.com there's no option to search for domains. There is a link to GoDaddy where you can search but it doesn't show every name that's available on Afternic.

Interesting.

 

[domains12345]

When you go to Afternic.com there's no option to search for domains. There is a link to GoDaddy where you can search but it doesn't show every name that's available on Afternic.

Interesting.

Also noticed if you list on Dan.com and change nameservers, your domain is also discoverable on GD, and afternic.

 

[Garet]

Marketplace without a search function and other filters. This is very bad.

Correct. Afternic is no longer a marketplace. It is now simply GoDaddy's listing service. Trust them when they say this is intentional.

 

[internext]

For anyone separately looking to take a deeper dive into Afternic's inventory, Domain Academy's toolkit contains an advanced search tool to connect you with inventory.

What an arrogant, pompous answer! "Hey guys, PAY US to do a search that should be free!!" I wish I could say a real big, hearty "F You" to GoDaddy and get away with it on here, but since I probably can't I will let them keep their side of the street and I'll keep mine.

I just wish GD would stop buying good companies and destroying innovation and OUR opportunities as domain investors who want better options than the geniuses at GD can possibly ever muster, left to their own devices.

GD, to me, died when Bob Parsons was shown the door.

 

[Domainkingpal]

Maybe , I should redirect all Nameservers to Dan , Squadhelp or Sedo.

 

[internext]

Where? When I click that link and log in I am taken to ..... and nothing on the page.

thats because it's not free!!

PAY THE MAN!! More, more, more!!

lol... PA,,,is... is ...is it?

 

[GoDaddy]

Same here.

Show attachment 253122

Thanks for sharing, @411domains and @Dane. We'll take a look at what's causing this error.

 

[Bannen]

Hi everyone,
We appreciate the feedback on Afternic search. As Afternic mentioned on X, we're transitioning search from Afternic.com to GoDaddy. The strong buyer connection to GoDaddy, along with the multi-currency, global checkout process, and the trusted brand name mean that we chose to direct Afternic searches to GoDaddy.

This move allows Afternic to remain focused on giving sellers the best tools and resources to sell their domain names through Afternic's vast distribution network (85 million searches/month across 100+ partners and resellers for the Premium Network), and the range of optimized landers, all backed by an expert team of brokers. This consistent work will continue to help sellers at Afternic to produce a high sales velocity through the entire network.

For anyone separately looking to take a deeper dive into Afternic's inventory, Domain Academy's toolkit contains an advanced search tool to connect you with inventory.

Again, we thank you all for your feedback on Afternic.com's search directing to GoDaddy.

Thanks; I'm trying to wrap my head around this in simple terms, because you're double-speaking what you say.

When you mention that you are transitioning search from Afternic over to Godaddy, that's not accurate;

Afternic visitors come to Afternic to LOOK FOR AN AFTERMARKET DOMAIN ON THE MARKETPLACE. That's been the entire business plan behind Afternic, for as long as it's been operating. That's what the Afternic search field was for.

The Godaddy search isn't a search for aftermarket domains on the marketplace; it's a simple search field to show whether a domain is registered or not. It's the same search field all visitors who are looking for a NEW domain to register, see when they go to any registrar. It's not a marketplace search.

So those are two different search fields.

Now, instead of letting every single visitor do what they came to Afternic to do, which is search through the inventory, each visitor is being sent to TWO DIFFERENT THINGS THEY DO NOT WANT TO USE:

1 - to a different site, from Afternic (marketplace) over to its parent Godaddy (registrar);

and:

2 - straight to Godaddy's search field, which does not show keyword inventory at Afternic, rather it - tadaah - just searches to see if that domain is available. Just like every other registrar.

In other words: it looks like you're phasing out any need for Afternic, other than using it to send all traffic to Godaddy's domain search field?

And in future, we probably won't even need Afternic anymore?

This seems to be an obvious conclusion, since the inventory has been entirely removed from easy access -- you've made it so difficult to access, now it's just a random link that doesn't even work, on a website most visitors have never even heard of and do not want to visit - Domain Academy - and, even worse, it's on a vague link that's even hidden somewhere on that site. On the main page of Afternic, it does not even give any directions to find the Afternic domain inventory... which is what the visitors came there looking for in the first place!

So GD does not want visitors to easily access the Afternic marketplace inventory. And, since Afternic is a marketplace, its entire reason for being is now useless. The only conclusion can be: GD now only wants to use Afternic as a traffic-forwarding tool to the Godaddy new-domain search field.

GD does not even need for people to list at Afternic anymore; you can set it up so we list all domains for sale at GD (this is already done, when we list them on Afternic), have GD landing pages (this is already done, all my landing pages - made through Afternic - show only Godaddy, no mention of Afternic on them), and complete the payments through GD services (which is already done, all my 'Afternic' payments for domains sold actually come from Godaddy).

Clear question: looks like Godaddy's plan is to entirely let go of Afternic's marketplace - and 'marketplace' is the entire word that describes what Afternic is - and now just use Afternic's traffic to steer visitors to Godaddy's search;

Is that an accurate assessment of what Godaddy intends? -- I know that it's an accurate assessment of what has already happened; I was just asking if you know whether that is GD's intent.

Thanks for any honest answer you feel you can provide...

 

[rh2000]

Maybe , I should redirect all Nameservers to Dan , Squadhelp or Sedo.

I am trying to find out who has the best conversion rates on these marketplaces. I will keep researching until I find a marketplace I am happy with. They haven't been looking good lately.

 

[internext]

any honest answer you feel you can provide

Here's one... and it's about as honest as it gets!!
Look where this domain name takes you >>>> GoDaddySucks.com

22 years old. Registered at GD.
If they own this name it's a very accurate admission and refreshing truth-in-advertising!

 

[411domains]

Thanks for sharing, @411domains and @Dane. We'll take a look at what's causing this error.

@GoDaddy - I sent it up earlier today. The developers are working on it.

 

[johnn]

Just changed my DNS.
I can't afford losing a sale because GD playing games.

 

[LoveCatchyDomains]

Do any of these changes have anything to do with the alleged ban of Afternic in India? Or is it completely unrelated?

 

[Jim Holleran]

Hi everyone,
We appreciate the feedback on Afternic search. As Afternic mentioned on X, we're transitioning search from Afternic.com to GoDaddy. The strong buyer connection to GoDaddy, along with the multi-currency, global checkout process, and the trusted brand name mean that we chose to direct Afternic searches to GoDaddy.

This move allows Afternic to remain focused on giving sellers the best tools and resources to sell their domain names through Afternic's vast distribution network (85 million searches/month across 100+ partners and resellers for the Premium Network), and the range of optimized landers, all backed by an expert team of brokers. This consistent work will continue to help sellers at Afternic to produce a high sales velocity through the entire network.

For anyone separately looking to take a deeper dive into Afternic's inventory, Domain Academy's toolkit contains an advanced search tool to connect you with inventory.

Again, we thank you all for your feedback on Afternic.com's search directing to GoDaddy.

lol

 

[hawkeye]

@GoDaddy
Would love to hear your justification/response to this -

Thanks; I'm trying to wrap my head around this in simple terms, because you're double-speaking what you say.

When you mention that you are transitioning search from Afternic over to Godaddy, that's not accurate;

Afternic visitors come to Afternic to LOOK FOR AN AFTERMARKET DOMAIN ON THE MARKETPLACE. That's been the entire business plan behind Afternic, for as long as it's been operating. That's what the Afternic search field was for.

The Godaddy search isn't a search for aftermarket domains on the marketplace; it's a simple search field to show whether a domain is registered or not. It's the same search field all visitors who are looking for a NEW domain to register, see when they go to any registrar. It's not a marketplace search.

So those are two different search fields.

Now, instead of letting every single visitor do what they came to Afternic to do, which is search through the inventory, each visitor is being sent to TWO DIFFERENT THINGS THEY DO NOT WANT TO USE:

1 - to a different site, from Afternic (marketplace) over to its parent Godaddy (registrar);

and:

2 - straight to Godaddy's search field, which does not show keyword inventory at Afternic, rather it - tadaah - just searches to see if that domain is available. Just like every other registrar.

In other words: it looks like you're phasing out any need for Afternic, other than using it to send all traffic to Godaddy's domain search field?

And in future, we probably won't even need Afternic anymore?

This seems to be an obvious conclusion, since the inventory has been entirely removed from easy access -- you've made it so difficult to access, now it's just a random link that doesn't even work, on a website most visitors have never even heard of and do not want to visit - Domain Academy - and, even worse, it's on a vague link that's even hidden somewhere on that site. On the main page of Afternic, it does not even give any directions to find the Afternic domain inventory... which is what the visitors came there looking for in the first place!

So GD does not want visitors to easily access the Afternic marketplace inventory. And, since Afternic is a marketplace, its entire reason for being is now useless. The only conclusion can be: GD now only wants to use Afternic as a traffic-forwarding tool to the Godaddy new-domain search field.

GD does not even need for people to list at Afternic anymore; you can set it up so we list all domains for sale at GD (this is already done, when we list them on Afternic), have GD landing pages (this is already done, all my landing pages - made through Afternic - show only Godaddy, no mention of Afternic on them), and complete the payments through GD services (which is already done, all my 'Afternic' payments for domains sold actually come from Godaddy).

Clear question: looks like Godaddy's plan is to entirely let go of Afternic's marketplace - and 'marketplace' is the entire word that describes what Afternic is - and now just use Afternic's traffic to steer visitors to Godaddy's search;

Is that an accurate assessment of what Godaddy intends? -- I know that it's an accurate assessment of what has already happened; I was just asking if you know whether that is GD's intent.

Thanks for any honest answer you feel you can provide...

 

[Jim Holleran]

Godaddy went downhill as soon as Bob Parson left. I moved all my names out of Godaddy that I had there over 20 years. Greed and incompetence will be there downfall.

 

[hawkeye]

Godaddy went downhill as soon as Bob Parson left. I moved all my names out of Godaddy that I had there over 20 years. Greed and incompetence will be there downfall.

Once they went public, customers or quality service were/are no longer important to them. The only thing that matters to GD now is their stock price and how to just increase it. smh.

 

[LoveCatchyDomains]

The Godaddy search isn't a search for aftermarket domains on the marketplace; it's a simple search field to show whether a domain is registered or not.

If they are propagatingAfternc and Dan listings to the Godaddy search, can we even be reassured that the domains presented fo sale at the higher prices are even registered?

Last year, I found 10-20% of .com Afternic domain listings were unregistered, doing various spot checks. Dan was even more shocking, with up to 60% of the .coms not registered. On my last spot checks this month , Afternic had no unregistered domains, but Dan was down to 1%.

So, is it clear that, at a minimum, that Godaddy is verifying that the domain prices being presented are actually legitimate, and not falsely elevated by some seller who didn't even bother with registering or renewiing it?

 

[DrJacoby]

Here's the link for searching Afternic: https://www.godaddy.com/domain-academy/tools/afternic-advanced-search

 

[LoveCatchyDomains]

Here's the link for searching Afternic: https://www.godaddy.com/domain-academy/tools/afternic-advanced-search

If someone is not a Domain Academy customer, would they really want to an online training site to search for domain names? Is the focus here really to expand enrollment in their "academy?"

But thank you for sharing that information.

 

[rh2000]

Hi everyone,
We appreciate the feedback on Afternic search. As Afternic mentioned on X, we're transitioning search from Afternic.com to GoDaddy. The strong buyer connection to GoDaddy, along with the multi-currency, global checkout process, and the trusted brand name mean that we chose to direct Afternic searches to GoDaddy.

This move allows Afternic to remain focused on giving sellers the best tools and resources to sell their domain names through Afternic's vast distribution network (85 million searches/month across 100+ partners and resellers for the Premium Network), and the range of optimized landers, all backed by an expert team of brokers. This consistent work will continue to help sellers at Afternic to produce a high sales velocity through the entire network.

For anyone separately looking to take a deeper dive into Afternic's inventory, Domain Academy's toolkit contains an advanced search tool to connect you with inventory.

Again, we thank you all for your feedback on Afternic.com's search directing to GoDaddy.

Since Afternic is shutdown are there any other changes coming? I need a heads up so I can plan accordingly.