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.

 

[silentg]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1939975972490518569

 

[Recons.Com]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1939975972490518569

Thanks, this definitely confirms it is not a one-off issue.

 

[AEProgram]

Thanks, this definitely confirms it is not a one-off issue.

maybe provide.ai has sold hundreds of more times in the past 24 hours and it took down their system?

 

[Springs77]

Afternic is having a major screw-up for me. They sold a name yesterday that I have owned since 2020, no lock, FT active status, removed it from my account and now ... are requesting auth code from me. Since they have removed it from my account, I cannot give it to them, not mentioning that they shouldn't be requesting anything for an FT name. I even thought that I might have not renewed it and had to look through my bills to see that it was renewed dec 2024 till dec 2025. I also checked my latest GD db downloads in May and June and the name is there.

I messaged TA and my account rep. While waiting for my rep get to office, TA already responded that ... I can still find auth code for a locked name ))) Had to remind again that the name is not locked and that they have taken it already.

I need to do a major audit of my names vs my older databases to see if anything else has been removed. If they can remove a name with a sale and act like I am supposed to have it, they can probably remove without a sale as well.

Even worse, this is another clear indicator that the smooth link between afternic FT, partners, shopping carts, names moving between accounts etc. is broken. My May/June sales have been very abnormal, with many sales coming in batches at certain days and no sales for few days in a row. Something like 50% of June sales coming in 5 days with the rest of the 25 days having the other half. The share of LTOs have been way higher than the norm as well, potentially showing that demand is there when manual process is involved and amounts are smaller, but the auto and larger amount transactions are broken. E.g. 5 out of 6 last transactions, before the one Afternic/GD took from my account while asking for Auth Code, were LTOs. Normally, LTOs are 1/4 to 1/3 of my sales, not 5/6.

Can confirm the same thing happening right now. Fast transfer name sold, moved out of account, but Afternic asking for auth code.

 

[DomainRecap]

Estimated values and similar domain sales have vanished on Afternic? (not that I miss them much)

The "Similar Domain Sales" section is incredibly bad, as some of those sales are a decade or more old.

 

[domainer8888]

The "Similar Domain Sales" section is incredibly bad, as some of those sales are a decade or more old.

And sometimes the similar Domain Sales show the exact domain name that sold before, for a much higher price than the current goValue estimate. And I'm not talking about outdated keywords but for innovated names or timeless keywords.

 

[Bearded Goat]

But they have Camel Casing.

 

[DrJacoby]

Is Afternic Cashparking broken? I just switched landers to Cashparking to try it it out for a week, but all landers are blank.

 

[Garet]

Is Afternic Cashparking broken? I just switched landers to Cashparking to try it it out for a week, but all landers are blank.

I tried very hard to get Cashparking to work for me. I could not do it and that was with "help" from GoDaddy. I had used SmartName but that was shuttered. SmartName was far from elegant but it was more or less functional. This has been a major time burn. Trust level is sub-zero.

My landers were not blank but I was not being credited properly for traffic or earnings.

 

[AEProgram]

Is Afternic Cashparking broken? I just switched landers to Cashparking to try it it out for a week, but all landers are blank.

if you have a adblocker it might be blocking it

 

[Recons.Com]

Afternic is having a major screw-up for me. They sold a name yesterday that I have owned since 2020, no lock, FT active status, removed it from my account and now ... are requesting auth code from me. Since they have removed it from my account, I cannot give it to them, not mentioning that they shouldn't be requesting anything for an FT name. I even thought that I might have not renewed it and had to look through my bills to see that it was renewed dec 2024 till dec 2025. I also checked my latest GD db downloads in May and June and the name is there.

I messaged TA and my account rep. While waiting for my rep get to office, TA already responded that ... I can still find auth code for a locked name ))) Had to remind again that the name is not locked and that they have taken it already.

I need to do a major audit of my names vs my older databases to see if anything else has been removed. If they can remove a name with a sale and act like I am supposed to have it, they can probably remove without a sale as well.

Even worse, this is another clear indicator that the smooth link between afternic FT, partners, shopping carts, names moving between accounts etc. is broken. My May/June sales have been very abnormal, with many sales coming in batches at certain days and no sales for few days in a row. Something like 50% of June sales coming in 5 days with the rest of the 25 days having the other half. The share of LTOs have been way higher than the norm as well, potentially showing that demand is there when manual process is involved and amounts are smaller, but the auto and larger amount transactions are broken. E.g. 5 out of 6 last transactions, before the one Afternic/GD took from my account while asking for Auth Code, were LTOs. Normally, LTOs are 1/4 to 1/3 of my sales, not 5/6.

Just got another one that instead of FT is asking for auth code with the name already removed. SMH.

 

[Springs77]

Just got another one that instead of FT is asking for auth code with the name already removed. SMH.

Fast Transfer is clearly broken. It would be nice if they would post in here or on Twitter and acknowledge that they are aware of the issue.

 

[Recons.Com]

Fast Transfer is clearly broken. It would be nice if they would post in here or on Twitter and acknowledge that they are aware of the issue.

Called my GD rep, since the AN rep wasn't still available. He checked and said he can see both names on hold and still with me. So, thanks God, don't have to go through the hell of proving they are mine or goose-chasing where the names are. He said he'll try to remove the hold and then I go through the manual process, while they investigate.

I wish GD/AN starts taking my reports seriously. I have 41000+ names good for at least a sale a day without GD/AN glitches. So when my folio starts getting anomalies like few days without a sale, or skewed sales with multiple sales on a day followed with a dry spell, or more LTOs than bins, that is clear indicator that something is wrong. Instead of starting looking into problems and investigating, they waste time pursuading me that it is just me and overall Afternic is fine. My folio is representative enough to use as a measuring stick and I have been telling them that since May 16 some major screw ups have happened. Most of it seems to be gone since June 19, although skewed LTOs and skewed sales still show that there are days when people probably are struggling paying, seeing search results, getting their names or all of the above. And now this.

 

[DrJacoby]

if you have a adblocker it might be blocking it

Nope, I'm not using any adblocker. I can see ads from Bodis and GiantPanda. But I just decided to leave Cashparking alone on its deathbed.

 

[King]

Just dropping by to say that DAN.com is still up, despite claims that it'd be shut down on June 27th.
Maybe GoDaddy is reconsidering such a mistake?

Dan has "shut down" 3 times already.

 

[King]

Looks like the estimate value was removed from afternic?

 

[Gabriel360]

5/6 LTO is more than 80%.
Doesn't seem normal.

Could it be a new GoDaddy "experiment" to collect full payments from buyers and then divide the payouts into a monthly stipend in order to give sellers a "regular" income.

That would be a nice deal for GoDaddy. They could invest sellers' money in short term financial instruments to make more money.

 

[GoDaddy]

Just got another one that instead of FT is asking for auth code with the name already removed. SMH.

Thanks, @Recons.Com. Our team is investigating and will work to resolve this as quickly as possible.

Edit: This was resolved soon after, and your payout was scheduled.

 

[Recons.Com]

5/6 LTO is more than 80%.
Doesn't seem normal.

Could it be a new GoDaddy "experiment" to collect full payments from buyers and then divide the payouts into a monthly stipend in order to give sellers a "regular" income.

That would be a nice deal for GoDaddy. They could invest sellers' money in short term financial instruments to make more money.

I doubt that is the case. Too complicated, risky etc. Also, we've come to expect bugginess from GD/AN, but that would be something else and there has been nothing for us to start thinking they are capable of anything of that nature.

It is either a fluke (low probability) or GD having problems with shopping cart interface with partners (all bin sales, no ltos) and/or with larger payments (bins are typically $xxxx and LTOs are typically low $xxx). So one or both of those factors will always skew sales towards LTOs.

 

[DomainRecap]

Looks like the estimate value was removed from afternic?

I know and that really sucks. Not like I adhere to the GD Valuation, but if a domain has one in the 5-figure range, then you can potentially ask for the sky and sometimes get it.

I'll take any data point over nothing.