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.

 

[zomainhacks]

Afternic lead center seems closed... Two new leads still in qualifying status, a broker has been assigned, but no contact has been attempted after 3-4 days.. Not that I worry much, 99% of leads turn out to be worthless, but it's not professional..

Probably Thanksgiving holidays

 

[D Haynes]

Probably Thanksgiving holidays

Yeah but in the real world there are no holidays in business anymore. Even the smallest of businesses are open 7 days a week with only Christmas day off. A Company as large as AN or GD should be contactable 24/7, 364 days of the year.

 

[DomainRecap]

2 new leads in the lead center, two agents have been assigned, but no contact has been made after 50 hours or so..

Shoot, I have domain listings with offers from at least November 26 with no customer contact or any other updates. I also have a counter from the same date that has not been forwarded to the client.

It's probably due to the Thanksgiving holiday and a lot of people taking the Friday off to get a 4-day weekend, but that's the big problem with this "man behind the curtain" Afternic system - potential customers of mine have been waiting 5 days to hear something back and that's not good practice in any business.

P.S. I kinda forgot about them, as they had slipped way down the list near the very bottom.

P.P.S. Two of them are at the same broker, and right now I'm certain that not 'everyone loves" this guy.

 

[411domains]

@GoDaddy I still have sold names appearing at godaddy. Sold one on October 15 that still appears. Also found 2 more.

This is 100% not cool.

@Bearded Goat - Not cool indeed.

@GoDaddy believes it to be "some domains." However, just about every single domain sold through Afternic from 10/11/2024 to present still appears at Godaddy.

This is a massive fail on their part.

 

[phaethon]

Shoot, I have domain listings with offers from at least November 26 with no customer contact or any other updates. I also have a counter from the same date that has not been forwarded to the client.

It's probably due to the Thanksgiving holiday and a lot of people taking the Friday off to get a 4-day weekend, but that's the big problem with this "man behind the curtain" Afternic system - potential customers of mine have been waiting 5 days to hear something back and that's not good practice in any business.

P.S. I kinda forgot about them, as they had slipped way down the list near the very bottom.

P.P.S. Two of them are at the same broker, and right now I'm certain that not 'everyone loves" this guy.

I like building anticipation, it leads to higher conversion rates, but here it looks more like indifference.

 

[Recons.Com]

I like building anticipation, it leads to higher conversion rates, but here it looks more like indifference.

It doesn't work that way. According ti godaddy own info they shared few years back, not acting in first 24 hours (preferably getting a client on the phone) reduces the chance of closing by over a third.

But godaddy has chosen cost cutting over revenue maximizing. They also have elected myopic strategy of going for low hanging fruits like pushing hand reg .ai over selling .coms.

That will all backfire within 3-5 years, but the ceo will be long gone to another target large company that needs 5 years of stellar quarters, even at the sacrifice of the long term future.

 

[D Haynes]

It doesn't work that way. According ti godaddy own info they shared few years back, not acting in first 24 hours (preferably getting a client on the phone) reduces the chance of closing by over a third.

But godaddy has chosen cost cutting over revenue maximizing. They also have elected myopic strategy of going for low hanging fruits like pushing hand reg .ai over selling .coms.

That will all backfire within 3-5 years, but the ceo will be long gone to another target large company that needs 5 years of stellar quarters, even at the sacrifice of the long term future.

It amazes me these companies don't realise chasing cost cutting as opposed to the boosting of revenue will always stifle future growth.

Someone once told me everyone gets promoted to their level of incompetence. That always stuck in my head. The reality is somewhat scarier even as once they get to a certain level they can't just be dropped so usually get promoted above that level just so they're someone else's problem.

Over the years I've learned never to assume someone is in the position they are because they've earned it or because they deserve to be there whether that's a position of authority, power or destitution.

 

[DomainRecap]

It amazes me these companies don't realise chasing cost cutting as opposed to the boosting of revenue will always stifle future growth.

Everyone realizes this, but it's the best interest of the CEO and his executive team to produce the best short-term results (even if these produce long-term losses), while the corporation itself is only interested in short-term goals that fuel long-term growth.

This is THE biggest issue in US business right now - how to get executives to actually care about the long-term health of the corporations they steward.

 

[DomainRecap]

It doesn't work that way. According ti godaddy own info they shared few years back, not acting in first 24 hours (preferably getting a client on the phone) reduces the chance of closing by over a third.

The core issue is that GD closed Dan too early, before Afternic had the features necessary (like a seller brokerage tool) to make the transition.

So, because the CEO or some other bigwig at GD decided to etch a closing date in stone (in order to "hit his targets"), rather than be a true leader and first making sure Afternic could handle it before closing Dan, we're all stuck in limbo.

GD is still developing a brokerage tool, so they don't want to hire a pile of new brokers they'll end up letting go of in 2025, or whenever the self-brokerage tool arrives. So we're helplessly watching overworked Afternic brokers take 3-5 days to forward our asking price to customers.

All because someone at GD wanted to "hit his date" for closing Dan.

Someone with a backbone should have bucked up and kept Dan open 4-5 months more and GD would have a lot happier customers when they moved to Afternic.

 

[Dane]

The core issue is that GD closed Dan too early

End of story.

 

[Recons.Com]

The core issue is that GD closed Dan too early, before Afternic had the features necessary (like a seller brokerage tool) to make the transition.

So, because the CEO or some other bigwig at GD decided to etch a closing date in stone (in order to "hit his targets"), rather than be a true leader and first making sure Afternic could handle it before closing Dan, we're all stuck in limbo.

GD is still developing a brokerage tool, so they don't want to hire a pile of new brokers they'll end up letting go of in 2025, or whenever the self-brokerage tool arrives. So we're helplessly watching overworked Afternic brokers take 3-5 days to forward our asking price to customers.

All because someone at GD wanted to "hit his date" for closing Dan.

Someone with a backbone should have bucked up and kept Dan open 4-5 months more and GD would have a lot happier customers when they moved to Afternic.

These all assumes that GD knows what they are doing (strategy), just got lost in the ways to get there (tactics).

IMO, GD is clueless about both. They don't know how to grow, develop, improve. They are going for the obvious "low hanging fruits", like cutting costs, killing the immediate threat (Uniregistry, Dan), making it harder for competition (15%/25%), squeezing their partners (boost), promoting things that right at this moment show the best IRR, even if it will come to bite them in the tail later (see the attached GD ad at facebook).

 

[Altetra]

The core issue is that GD closed Dan too early, before Afternic had the features necessary (like a seller brokerage tool) to make the transition.

So, because the CEO or some other bigwig at GD decided to etch a closing date in stone (in order to "hit his targets"), rather than be a true leader and first making sure Afternic could handle it before closing Dan, we're all stuck in limbo.

GD is still developing a brokerage tool, so they don't want to hire a pile of new brokers they'll end up letting go of in 2025, or whenever the self-brokerage tool arrives. So we're helplessly watching overworked Afternic brokers take 3-5 days to forward our asking price to customers.

All because someone at GD wanted to "hit his date" for closing Dan.

Someone with a backbone should have bucked up and kept Dan open 4-5 months more and GD would have a lot happier customers when they moved to Afternic.

Most people think that Godaddy is at fault that Dan is dead, but it is not GD but their users, if Dan users would not run, including me GD will have to keep it open, all depends on user base!

 

[DomainRecap]

Most people think that Godaddy is at fault that Dan is dead, but it is not GD but their users, if Dan users would not run, including me GD will have to keep it open, all depends on user base!

No, they were never going to keep Dan open long-term and that has been made clear by GD execs and contacts through various quotes relating to the acquisition. They didn't buy Dan, they bought the user base and planned all along to transition them to Afternic then close up shop. .

GD purchased Dan expressly to shut it down and steal their customers, the only question was when.

 

[AEProgram]

No, they were never going to keep Dan open long-term and that has been made clear by GD execs and contacts through various quotes relating to the acquisition. They didn't buy Dan, they bought the user base and planned all along to transition them to Afternic then close up shop. .

GD purchased Dan expressly to shut it down and steal their customers, the only question was when.

domainers are a small community and probably most that used Dan used AN. Dan worked because direct contact was possible so critical time was saved. Within 6 moths, regardless of the commission discount, most serious domainers will not be parking at AN. DomainEasy will probably have the same base Dan had. AN has a small window to enable direct contact with buyers, without that, they will lose until they buy DomainEasy lol

 

[DomainRecap]

AN has a small window to enable direct contact with buyers

I agree and I've said the same thing. I'm just sitting at Afternic waiting for them to release a self-brokerage tool.

If they don't deliver or their tool sucks, then I'm gone, as the 2-4 day "broker contact window" is (by GD's own admission) having an extremely detrimental effect on sales.

 

[November]

When you receive offers for your domains do you receive emails from Afternic?
I receive nothing. If I don't check the lead center, I don't know if there is an offer or a negotiation for my domain.

 

[Recons.Com]

@GoDaddy

The indirect signs are there showing that Afternic/GD is far from stabilizing from the latest technical issues.

The issues I have faced in past few hours:

- empty checkout page
- adding names to Afternic via GD resulted in all 3 going into pending sync, whatever that means (it will be stuck in that status indefinitely unless manually pushed over).
- GD control panel requires password every time, even if your last login was 5 minutes ago.
- Afternic panel shows other sync/loading issues, like switching in leads from "in progress" to "all" doesn't change the page unless you hit refresh (not every time).

I am just baffled why these simple technical issues are not resolved. Max it should have taken with a normal project manager, QA/QC specialist and qualified IT team should have been 24 hours.

 

[davidc1]

@GoDaddy

The indirect signs are there showing that Afternic/GD is far from stabilizing from the latest technical issues.

The issues I have faced in past few hours:

- empty checkout page
- adding names to Afternic via GD resulted in all 3 going into pending sync, whatever that means (it will be stuck in that status indefinitely unless manually pushed over).
- GD control panel requires password every time, even if your last login was 5 minutes ago.
- Afternic panel shows other sync/loading issues, like switching in leads from "in progress" to "all" doesn't change the page unless you hit refresh (not every time).

I am just baffled why these simple technical issues are not resolved. Max it should have taken with a normal project manager, QA/QC specialist and qualified IT team should have been 24 hours.

15 seconds to the cart now... much better than before lol

 

[Recons.Com]

15 seconds to the cart now... much better than before lol

It probably is temporary. If it was a result of proper normal work and process, it would have been in lower single digits.

 

[DrJacoby]

@Recons.Com Since you have a very large portfolio; have you noticed any decrease in Afternic sales since the launch of Boost?