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.

 

[DT13]

That's quite a long time unfortunately, I just want to accept the first offer and communicate that to the broker,

 

[DomainRecap]

That's quite a long time unfortunately, I just want to accept the first offer and communicate that to the broker, but there is no response yet. It is an xxxxx amount. The other party can still pull back so a little speed would be nice. Thanks for your response.

Well, I've also got a 5-figure offer that I accepted but has been sitting there like a turd (no updates or movement) since November 29, so there you go.

Afternic is like negotiating while you're in suspended animation while getting out of a cryogenic freeze.

Actually, it's a big slower.

 

[DT13]

Looks like false bids are being made.

 

[DomainRecap]

Looks like false bids are being made.

That has nothing to do with the response times, as I have plenty of real negotiations that literally take 2+ days per step. It's just absolutely inexorably slooooooooooooooooooooow to negotiate through Afternic brokers.

It's a Catch-22, as GD decided to kill off Dan early without the option of self-brokerage, and now that a new self-brokerage tool is anticipated in early-2025, GD doesn't want to go and hire a pile of new brokers to handle the extra Dan work, that they may eventually need to lay off.

So for the next 3-4 months, we're all stuck in a sort of slow-motion limbo of "not enough brokers" combined with "no self-brokerage tool".

 

[DN_Hunter]

It's not that straightforward, @DN_Hunter, but if you can provide those specific names as examples, we'll ask the team to investigate.

Regarding your second point, yes—once a name is sold, it should exit the negotiation status in the Lead Center. Please DM us that example as well, and we'll request the team to update it.

@GoDaddy
examples sent via DM that cover both scenarios

 

[HotKey]

This thread is a relief to those not getting inquires or sales through AF

 

[DomainRecap]

I have come to the determination that Afternic does not fulfill the most basic requirement of a domain marketplace, and that is:

Allow the buyer and seller to immediately accept and process an offer

I can somewhat understand the negotiation portion being out of our control, as this may take time and require thought on both sides of the equation, but not allowing either side to accept a viable offer clearly shows that the system does not work at the most basic level.

Instead of hitting Accept or Buy and moving on to other work, you are forced to relay your acceptance to a broker and then wait 2-3 days (or more) for them to send this acceptance to the buyer. This is like being tortured for weeks, then are told you're being released, but not just yet, so your tormentors beat on you for another 2-3 days.

Even on an archaic system designed in the dark ages by a team of drunken mountain gorillas, this is totally unacceptable and it just creates yet another level of problems that shouldn't even be there. No domain marketplace should exist without the ability for buyers and sellers to accept offers and immediately process the transaction.

When you really think about how Afternic is designed, it's pretty crazy stuff and certainly not a system you want to rely on in 2024.

If GD had an ounce of sense, all resources would be have been put into developing a self-brokerage tool and it would already be live. Instead, GD doesn't care and instead delayed it 3-5 months while they tinker with inconsequential new Afternic features that only cause more problems.

 

[MasterOfMyDomains]

Fastest way is to write them a letter on paper and send it via your local post office

That's quite a long time unfortunately, I just want to accept the first offer and communicate that to the broker,

Its on purpose dude(s)
Suck it up or split.
Joe joe’s replacement will continue to spoon feed you fecal matter, while daddy, your competition acquires a wealth of info and some .sucks registrations a long the way.
Quarter one is coming, then you can self broker

Godaddy has pound of sense. Your cents
208.15 USD+8.41 (4.21%)past 5 days

Daddys motto is if its broke and were making money, don’t fix it.

 

[Garet]

If GD has an ounce of sense, all resources would be have been put into developing a self-brokerage tool and it would already be live. Instead, GD doesn't care and instead delayed it 3-5 months while they tinker with inconsequential new Afternic features that only cause more problems.

What are the odds that the self-brokerage tool will actually be good when it is finally released?

It's GoDaddy. That tells me enough on the tech side.

Self-brokerage comes with an expectation of lower commission, right? If so, I'd guess that aspect alone is enough to keep GoDaddy from having any interest in accelerating that implementation.

 

[DomainRecap]

Quarter one is coming, then you can self broker

 

[DomainRecap]

What are the odds that the self-brokerage tool will actually be good when it is finally released?

Zero, and I have my own thoughts about that. I have a bad feeling that the Afternic brokers are still going to have their fingers in the pie and we won't have actual control over the negotiation, just the illusion of control.

So it will still take forever to complete a transaction, but users will have a shiny new dashboard to type prices in, while behind the curtain, Afternic will function just as it does today with brokers calling and emailing buyers, but now that's all hidden behind a very thin piece of veneer.

My fear is that nothing will really change.

 

[DomainRecap]

Ooops

 

[GoDaddy]

Hello everyone!

We recently made some updates to bulk uploads, including faster processing, CamelCasing support, and spreadsheet adjustments.

Today, we added an Upload History tab (above) to help you keep track of your recent file uploads. You can find a recap of these changes on the Afternic Blog.

 

[Bailian]

Could you add some useful features to the bulk upload Excel spreadsheet, such as an LTO switch, Sale Lander selection, and registrar selection (As I understand it, if a domain changes registrars, the Afternic system may still display outdated registrar information, which can result in not receiving the fast transfer confirmation emails.)

Hello everyone!

We recently made some updates to bulk uploads, including faster processing, CamelCasing support, and spreadsheet adjustments.

Show attachment 267252

Today, we added an Upload History tab (above) to help you keep track of your recent file uploads. You can find a recap of these changes on the Afternic Blog.

 

[DomainRecap]

 

[GoDaddy]

Could you add some useful features to the bulk upload Excel spreadsheet, such as an LTO switch, Sale Lander selection, and registrar selection (As I understand it, if a domain changes registrars, the Afternic system may still display outdated registrar information, which can result in not receiving the fast transfer confirmation emails.)

Hi @Bailian
Yes, we're planning to add Lease to Own, maximum LTO term limits, and lander selection controls to the spreadsheet. That's coming soon - we're currently testing that spreadsheet version out.

Registrar selection is one for us to explore.

 

[alcy]

Does anyone know how long it can take for a broker to respond? I ask questions in the lead center but there is no response. It is quite a high amount so would like to speak to someone.

they are busy or just slow.

my lst gd broker sale took a month only to get initial buyer offer.. tho 24k was super for me for older io reg

either way its ultra slow. but sometmes its not broker fault and all due to buyer delay. hard to say which when

keep in mind also obvious as maybe but I didnt ever know or consider that brokers work for lowest buyer price not best price for seller

 

[Bearded Goat]

@GoDaddy please fix the problem where SOLD domains are not being removed. They are piling up.

 

[Recons.Com]

I don't understand why @GoDaddy slash Afternic keep insisting that the sales are as usual and it is just individual portfolios that might be down, while others are fine and overall is fine. Anyone I have talked to that has any significant number of domains have seen huge dropoff in sales since about mid October, coincidentally when Dan closed.

Here is a poll at Godaddy where 82%+ people say their sales are suffering, yet Godaddy has hard time acknowledging it and finding the root cause of the issue.

 

[Future Sensors]

@GoDaddy Thanks for improving basic functionality, these things are important.

As for the default upload template, make sure you also provide a default CSV template. At the moment there is only a default XLS template available.

(btw, in that XLS file it states that the maximum BIN amount for Fast Transfer is $25,000. This information is outdated.)