Afternic - Official Thread

[GoDaddy]

Hello NamePros!
By popular demand, we have launched a dedicated feedback thread for Afternic, the GoDaddy-owned domain name marketplace.

We have created this thread as a way for you to tell us what works, what doesn't work, and what features you'd like to see at Afternic (please be constructive with your feedback). We're looking forward to hearing from the domain investment community to help us shape the future of Afternic.

We will also be sharing Afternic product updates in this thread.

Please note that this thread is not meant for support. Please email our support team at [email protected] for assistance.

 

[Webmail]

I am also noticing a lot of my domains have been listed by someone else fraudulently on Afternic for prices much higher then what I am selling it for in other market places.

What I don't understand is how a company as large as GoDaddy would let such widespread fraud happen. A simple fix for this would be to implement nameserver verification prior to listing. This will eliminate this issue 100%.

Currently the way their system is setup is anyone can add any domain to their market place without any verification that they own the domain.

My theory is that a group of criminals are either manually or automatically listing a large number of other peoples domains they find in other market places for higher on Afternic. Their hope is that if a person buys the domain from their fake listing at a higher price @ Afternic they would then purchase the cheaper real listing domain and pocket the difference when they sell it. This would explain why the price they list it for at Afternic is always higher then the real listing at other places.

If you are reading this GoDaddy / Afternic please add some type of ownership verification prior to listing the domain instead of just when there is a conflict. This would stop fraudsters from listing other peoples domains.

This entire situation is very frustrating, hopefully Godaddy takes this issue seriously and does something about it.

 

[bmugford]

I was going through the Afternic advanced search tool and I noticed several of my domains listed, but not by me.

For instance I bought a real estate related .com a few months ago via Dan.

On the Afternic.com search I see it for sale for $2,999. It also shows up for the same price via the GoDaddy checkout path.

This is not my listing. I would not be willing to sell it for this price range.

There are several old, orphaned, and fake listings on these venues.

Between Afternic, Dan, and GoDaddy directly it is hard to tell where many of these listings are coming from.

How can I tell which of my domains are listed on GoDaddy, Dan, or Afternic that are not my own listings and have them removed? @GoDaddy

Brad

 

[Edukar]

@GoDaddy. hi! Many people here write that someone else posted their domains on Afternic. On the contrary, I have only one domain that is listed at Afternic. But my account was blocked on Godaddy on February 22 for no reason. But I am the true owner of my domain. I was promised to figure it out in three days, but it's already been 5 days. I sent a scan of my driver's license, in which the personal information matches the account data, But so far my account is still locked and I do not have access to my ONLY domain registered by Godaddy, Tell me, hatt is goin go on? Why is your team blocking the true domain owners and posting scam ads? Do you think this is the right way to do business? Please, get back access to my own domain!

 

[GoDaddy]

I just received 68 "opt-in" emails from Afternic.

Most, if not all, of these domains are already listed on Afternic.

Why am I receiving these emails @GoDaddy?

Brad

Hi @bmugford,
The only reason these should be firing if the domain's are listed on Afternic is if the domain names have recently exited the 60 day lock period at GoDaddy. If that's not the case, then that's something that needs investigating. Please could you DM some examples?

The contact form doesn't work on Safari and throws this error:

"Failed to load Captcha. Disable any Captcha blocker extension in the browser then reload the page."

I do not use any extension.

Hi @kor
Thanks for reporting this, we will ask the team to investigate.

I am also noticing a lot of my domains have been listed by someone else fraudulently on Afternic for prices much higher then what I am selling it for in other market places.

What I don't understand is how a company as large as GoDaddy would let such widespread fraud happen. A simple fix for this would be to implement nameserver verification prior to listing. This will eliminate this issue 100%.

Currently the way their system is setup is anyone can add any domain to their market place without any verification that they own the domain.

My theory is that a group of criminals are either manually or automatically listing a large number of other peoples domains they find in other market places for higher on Afternic. Their hope is that if a person buys the domain from their fake listing at a higher price @ Afternic they would then purchase the cheaper real listing domain and pocket the difference when they sell it. This would explain why the price they list it for at Afternic is always higher then the real listing at other places.

If you are reading this GoDaddy / Afternic please add some type of ownership verification prior to listing the domain instead of just when there is a conflict. This would stop fraudsters from listing other peoples domains.

This entire situation is very frustrating, hopefully Godaddy takes this issue seriously and does something about it.

Hi @Webmail
Afternic takes listing integrity very seriously. As we shared here, we have an automated review system that catches and blocks many erroneous listings before they are live. Domain names caught in our review system are placed in a “Block List,” which means they are not added to the Afternic network. The “Block List” prevents domain names from being added to the Afternic network without the listing party first performing additional ownership verification

This review system is gradually being rolled out to a wider proportion of the marketplace. We recommend that you add your domain names to Afternic and use the ownership verification process to move listings across into your account.

I was going through the Afternic advanced search tool and I noticed several of my domains listed, but not by me.

For instance I bought a real estate related .com a few months ago via Dan.

On the Afternic.com search I see it for sale for $2,999. It also shows up for the same price via the GoDaddy checkout path.

This is not my listing. I would not be willing to sell it for this price range.

There are several old, orphaned, and fake listings on these venues.

Between Afternic, Dan, and GoDaddy directly it is hard to tell where many of these listings are coming from.

How can I tell which of my domains are listed on GoDaddy, Dan, or Afternic that are not my own listings and have them removed? @GoDaddy

Brad

Hi @bmugford
Along with examples from your question above, please could you share some examples of these domains?

@GoDaddy. hi! Many people here write that someone else posted their domains on Afternic. On the contrary, I have only one domain that is listed at Afternic. But my account was blocked on Godaddy on February 22 for no reason. But I am the true owner of my domain. I was promised to figure it out in three days, but it's already been 5 days. I sent a scan of my driver's license, in which the personal information matches the account data, But so far my account is still locked and I do not have access to my ONLY domain registered by Godaddy, Tell me, hatt is goin go on? Why is your team blocking the true domain owners and posting scam ads? Do you think this is the right way to do business? Please, get back access to my own domain!

Hi @Edukar
Thanks for your message. As we previously said to you, you'll need to work with GoDaddy support directly to resolve this in order to access your Afternic listing. There is nothing we are able to do here at NamePros either publicly or via DM.

 

[Webmail]

Redacted for privacy.

 

[Edukar]

Hi @Edukar
Thanks for your message. As we previously said to you, you'll need to work with GoDaddy support directly to resolve this in order to access your Afternic listing. There is nothing we are able to do here at NamePros either publicly or via DM.

Are you kidding me? Do you represent the world's largest domain registrar here and write that there is nothing you can do to help? You urgently need to inform Godaddy's management that many domainers are unhappy with the company! You need to write to GD support too to help me resolve my issue. Otherwise, what are you doing here? If you can't do anything, that leave this forum! Or prove that you really represent Godaddy's company. You are here to solve operational issues and to acquaint your management with the opinion of the domainers. Please find out how long I need to wait for access to my domain and my GD account

 

[Webmail]

Redacted for privacy.

 

[Edukar]

In fairness to Godaddy there is only so much that can be said in a public forum post.

I am not sure what is going on in your situation but calling them fake and other things like that is uncalled for.

Is it appropriate to block an account without explaining the reasons? GD support is silent. I need help here and now. I want that @GoDaddy to contact his management to solve my problem. And remember that anyone can be in my place.

 

[Webmail]

Redacted for privacy.

 

[bmugford]

Hi @bmugford,
The only reason these should be firing if the domain's are listed on Afternic is if the domain names have recently exited the 60 day lock period at GoDaddy. If that's not the case, then that's something that needs investigating. Please could you DM some examples?

That isn't the case. I have owned all these domains for a long time.

I will send you some example domains from the many emails I received.

Hi @bmugford
Along with examples from your question above, please could you share some examples of these domains?

I will send you an example via DM.

In scenario one I privately bought a domain in October 2022. When I was searching Afternic I noticed the domain listed for sale in November 2023, but that same domain didn't show via the GoDaddy path. I messaged my account manager and had it removed.

In the current scenario I bought a domain via Dan in early November 2023. The domain is listed via the Afternic search tool and via the GoDaddy path.

It is hard to tell where some of these listings are coming from.

There needs to be a way to cross reference which domains in your GoDaddy account are listed in someone else's Afternic, Dan.com, or GoDaddy auctions account.

It's not feasible to manually check thousands of domains.

Brad

 

[Future Sensors]

That isn't the case. I have owned all these domains for a long time.

I will send you some example domains from the many emails I received.


I will send you an example via DM.

In scenario one I privately bought a domain in October 2022. When I was searching Afternic I noticed the domain listed for sale, but that same domain didn't show via the GoDaddy path. I messaged my account manager and had it removed.

In the current scenario I bought a domain via Dan in early November 2023. The domain is listed via the Afternic search tool and via the GoDaddy path.

It has hard to tell where some of these listings are coming from.

There needs to be a way to cross reference which domains in your GoDaddy account are listed in someone else's Afternic, Dan.com, or GoDaddy auctions account.

It's not feasible to just manually check thousands of domains.

I wholeheartedly concur that GoDaddy should improve its cross-platform checks. For instance, I frequently receive email notifications regarding the “Basic Auctions Listing Renewal” for domains that are no longer under my ownership and have, in some cases, already been sold through TDNAM and Afternic.

Even for a domain sold through TDNAM in 2007 (!) - I'm still getting these notifications in 2024.

 

[bmugford]

I sent the requested examples to @GoDaddy.

Also, this kind of illustrates the problem as well -

https://www.namepros.com/threads/godaddy-search-showing-incorrect-price.1321516/

The OP has the domain priced at $499 but GoDaddy search shows a much higher price, likely from an old listing.

Again, there needs to be an easy way for domain owners to find the listings that aren't their own and have them removed.

It's not feasible to search one by one, and even then try to figure out where the listing is coming from.

Brad

 

[LoveCatchyDomains]

Listing integrity is something we take seriously. We have an automated review system that flags domain names before they are listed for sale. We continue to refine our system. Once a domain is flagged, it is not listed. It is then added to a block list that requires a new lister to verify the ownership before it can be added.

Despite domain names being caught by our systems, the opt-in emails are being triggered simultaneously to registrants in this scenario, something that we’re working with our team to re-configure to not send until after it has cleared an active status

Can an domain owner request that their domains be placed on the automated review system and block list?

I've had to ask for removals and then verify my ownership first of my domains way too many times now, in order to have rogue domain sellers' listings removed. Why can't I ask for a block on my portfolio, so anyone subsequently trying to list needs to verify their ownership first. And apply that to GoDaddy, Afternic, and Dan?

 

[GoDaddy]

That isn't the case. I have owned all these domains for a long time.

I will send you some example domains from the many emails I received.


Brad

Hi Brad,
In this case with the emails you received, your account manager will discuss it with you on your scheduled call. You are welcome to update this thread after that.

Can an domain owner request that their domains be placed on the automated review system and block list?

I've had to ask for removals and then verify my ownership first of my domains way too many times now, in order to have rogue domain sellers' listings removed. Why can't I ask for a block on my portfolio, so anyone subsequently trying to list needs to verify their ownership first. And apply that to GoDaddy, Afternic, and Dan?

Hi @LoveCatchyDomains
If you would like to keep your domain names on-file at Afternic, but you do not want them to be listed for sale, you can select the domains from your portfolio page, and click "unlist" from the footer toolbar. The domains will remain in the system, but they won't be listed for sale.

Of course, we recommend keeping your domains actively listed at Afternic in order to benefit from the vast exposure of our distribution networks.

 

[LoveCatchyDomains]

Hi @LoveCatchyDomains
If you would like to keep your domain names on-file at Afternic, but you do not want them to be listed for sale, you can select the domains from your portfolio page, and click "unlist" from the footer toolbar. The domains will remain in the system, but they won't be listed for sale.

Thanks for the prompt response.

No, I really want at this point to have the rogue listings removed and the domain names blocked from further listings until verified by the owner.

I understand you have a "not for sale list." Why should this be necessary? The domains are for sale exclusively elsewhere. If "not for sale" is the message provided when someone types in the domain name, that's inaccurate and misleading. The domain is for sale, only on a different platform.

Note that the only reason I had not closed my Afternic account yet was for accounting purposes. Note though that I am still grateful for the sales Afternic did do.

Hopefully, at some point in the future, you will have mandatory upfront and ongoing verification.

 

[Jannes]

I just noticed, before unlisting my names, that traffic to my domains has pretty much dried up. So I'm abandoning a sinking ship, makes the decision so much easier.

Btw, ublock is still blocking AN landers...

 

[MasterOfMyDomains]

Hi @LoveCatchyDomains
.

Of course, we recommend keeping your domains actively listed at Afternic in order to benefit from the vast exposure of our distribution networks.

To make that comment you should be ashamed. Stop thinking about yourself.
Thats not fixing the problem thats telling these people that listing others name is fine and dandy.

Sorry people are taking advantage of you and listing your names fraudulently.
The best way to solve the problem is to list them at daddys marketplace.
Mono poly

 

[LoveCatchyDomains]

To make that comment you should be ashamed. Stop thinking about yourself.
Thats not fixing the problem thats telling these people that listing others name is fine and dandy.

Damn right!

Sorry people are taking advantage of you and listing your names fraudulently.
The best way to solve the problem is to list them at daddys marketplace.
Mono poly

You are kidding, I hope?! No way Jose.

I had mistakenly rejoined them last year when I believed the announcement here on Namepros about the verification system. I didn't realize it was only voluntary, not mandatory.

But at this point I've also seen the GoDaddy searches that come with the listed domains. It's hard for me to believe that those type of search results help sell the actual listings.

If anything, are now the sponsored registry domains the priority? And why the high visibility of your ".sucks" extension offerings in those searches? At least the Dynadot marketplace domain search reesults didn't seem to do thart.

 

[Vivere]

@GoDaddy , your platforms/systems have been riddled with so many bugs and issues. And it seems like little to nothing is being done about them.

Just a few examples of the BS:

• Landers don’t resolve correctly, if at all
• L-Pages load o-h s-o s-l-o-w-l-y
• Newly added domains often go straight into review and stay there till eternity or until one reaches out to Afternic
• Regular listings arbitrarily go from being “active” to being “in review” i.e., even when no DNS, registration, or listing changes have been made
• New listings don’t propagate fast enough to some or all of Afternic’s standard or premium network partners… sometimes, even after 48 hours or more
• Existing listings randomly stop being visible at some or all standard/premium partner registrars including GoDaddy… again, even when no DNS, reg, or listing changes have been made
• Existing listings randomly start showing up at some partner registrars with crazy different prices (not talking marginal registrar markups here)
• Updated prices don’t propagate, fast enough or at all, to partner registrars… even after 48 hours or more
• Integrated listings (DAN-to-Afternic, BIN price included) never show up or randomly stop showing up at GoDaddy, other partners, or even Afternic itself (integration failures)
• Sporadic check-out problems at GoDaddy (dead clicks, error messages, etc.)

These (and many other things) have been happening for months—some frequently; others, not so… I’ve experienced all of the above, and I’ve seen some reported by others here and elsewhere.

Besides causing frustration for sellers, I can’t see how these issues aren’t causing friction for buyers and hampering sales on some level... And I can’t understand why you guys just won’t or can’t tackle them decisively. Rather, you’ve gone ahead and ramped up the friction and frustration by nuking Afternic’s marketplace search.

This is beyond crazy. Please do something.

 

[Edukar]

I support my colleague Vivere.
@GoDaddy I have already written that if you have bought several trading platforms, then develop one of them, and close the others. Let there be one effective error-free domain marketplace! If GD chooses Afternic as the main domain marketplace, make the interface convenient for people with poor eyesight it is difficult to navigate there. If domain verification is needed, let it correlate with all your sites - Godaddy and Dan. You have a lot of money, hire educated people to support you. I've had my account on Godaddy blocked for 10 days now, and no one is solving my problem. And I have more than 500 domains listed at Afternic! All these domains are registered with other registrars. I only had one domain per Godaddy! Drum roll... and GD blocked it! I am now seriously thinking about removing all my domains from Afternic. More precisely, I need to leave them in my account, but make a note 'not for sale'. Because lot of scammers walking around Afternic and you can't or don't want to do anything about it.