Circumventing GoDaddy Expiry Auctions

[411domains]

Has anyone noticed the thousands upon thousands of Godaddy expired auctions ending without bids that never return to the market as a closeout?

Someone has discovered a way to circumvent the regular expired auction process.

They appear to be using an API that places backorders within seconds of auction close. Thus eliminating all competition, auction extensions and closeout conversion times for the cost of a backorder. (In their case, thousands of backorders.)

Although the auctions are already closed, these after the fact backorders are being counted as bids.

In my opinion, any bid that comes in after the auction closes should be automatically canceled and refunded.

What are your thoughts?

BTW, this has been a known issue for awhile.

 

[wwwweb]

This has long been known as a backdoor loophole, big domain investors have been sniping domains that expired with no bids into closeout for years. The poor domainer sat there for hours hitting refresh, and pulling their hair out. I am surprised this is only coming out now? AKA HugeNames and many others.

It is not so effective anymore as most of the good domains are getting picked off before they hit closeout. There are so many bots with a hit list, and if one of their names gets a last minute bid it jumps in etc. You can literally find dozens of threads here of people thinking that others are crazy because there closeouts are gone, many assuring them they are slow on the draw, that was never the case, you never really stood a chance if you didn't understand the process.

The common domainer gets screwed anyways, because the bots will still beat you, you just have the advantage of thinking you have a chance. Even Elon Musk admitted on Twitter:

Yes, excessive automation at Tesla was a mistake. To be precise, my mistake. Humans are underrated.



12:54 PM - 13 Apr 2018


Godaddy needs to get rid of the bots, make it a roll up your sleeves, and bid exchange, not an exchange for a few big domain companies to game.

Now if we can get usernames, oh boy that will blow the doors wide open.

 

[Arca]

IMPO, backorders should not be allowed after regular auction end and any that come through should be canceled and refunded. That would put an immediate stop to it.

I believe that is what Joe is announcing above. Backorders will only work if they go live as a $10 bid while the pre-release auction is still going on, or if there is a backorder and the domain ends the auction cycle as a $5 closeout with no bids (after which the backorder would get it). Backorders will no longer work after the expired auction ends and before the domain goes to closeouts, and also not during closeouts.

 

[CrocodileDundee]

If the domains are going to take 5 - 6 hours to hit the closeouts I actually would prefer the chance to grab them using the backorder trick.

 

[411domains]

I believe that is what Joe is announcing above. Backorders will only work if they go live as a $10 bid while the pre-release auction is still going on, or if there is a backorder and the domain ends the auction cycle as a $5 closeout with no bids (after which the backorder would get it). Backorders will no longer work after the expired auction ends and before the domain goes to closeouts, and also not during closeouts.

Yes, but in the meantime, it would be nice if all backorders coming in after regular auction end were canceled and refunded. Everything has a timestamp on it. Shouldn't be too hard to track down.

The good news is we at least have a timeframe for this fix. Next up, we need closeout conversion times back to normal so that we humans actually have a chance at competing again.

 

[Joe Styler]

I believe that is what Joe is announcing above. Backorders will only work if they go live as a $10 bid while the pre-release auction is still going on, or if there is a backorder and the domain ends the auction cycle as a $5 closeout with no bids (after which the backorder would get it). Backorders will no longer work after the expired auction ends and before the domain goes to closeouts, and also not during closeouts.

that is correct

 

[hwgriffi]

Has anyone noticed the thousands upon thousands of Godaddy expired auctions ending without bids that never return to the market as a closeout?

HOWEVER this is changing within the next 7 days.

Congratulations 411Domains!!!!!

You just ruined this for pretty much everyone who knew this was going on (including myself). I've snatched so many domains in the void between closeout and end of auction it was silly.

There was a trick to it though.

Get your backorder lined up with at least 7 minutes remaining, any sooner and the system would not allow you to win the domain when the auction ends. Get to the last step of the BO but don't hit the button quite yet. Wait until exactly 5 seconds before the auction ends, then place your backorder. Bam, auction closed and you have the winning 'bid'.

Instead of just doing the research for yourself and figuring it out you had to come to forum and cry about it.

You my friend are the worst. In my opinion.

Everyone that was able to do this will now take joy that you just completely crapped on a perfectly good advantage.

Thumbs down, bad thread.

 

[wwwweb]

Congratulations 411Domains!!!!!

You just ruined this for pretty much everyone who knew this was going on (including myself). I've snatched so many domains in the void between closeout and end of auction it was silly.

There was a trick to it though.

Get your backorder lined up with at least 7 minutes remaining, any sooner and the system would not allow you to win the domain when the auction ends. Get to the last step of the BO but don't hit the button quite yet. Wait until exactly 5 seconds before the auction ends, then place your backorder. Bam, auction closed and you have the winning 'bid'.

Instead of just doing the research for yourself and figuring it out you had to come to forum and cry about it.

You my friend are the worst. In my opinion.

Everyone that was able to do this will now take joy that you just completely crapped on a perfectly good advantage.

Thumbs down, bad thread.

How long did you think it was going to last, many times people questioned it, but everyone kind of kept quiet about it. I agree it does suck, because it was the only advantage the human bidder had, which will now be gone.

I agree 411 domains would have been just better to keep his mouth shut, and bid away, these kind of guys just don't know when to quit.

Same thing happend when that guy talked about the escrow loophole where you could enter an email, and get to the final confirmation page, and see who you were dealing with.

Regardless what is done is done, and the bots will snipe any closeout that does fall, and if you bid in the last 5 minutes, the bots will just bid you up about $50-$100, as well push the close time back, and put the domain on everyone's radar, so either way lose lose.

 

[hwgriffi]

How long did you think it was going to last

jaja I don't know, forever! I was doing it for well over a year, and some others longer for sure.

I only caught on when the closeout system didn't seem to be behaving 'normally', so I tested BO's. I couldn't get it to work, and it took me about 8 tries before I cracked the process.

It was nice while it lasted, GD has to make their money after all.

You are being right 100% @wwwweb !
It was rather kind that they allowed it at all.

Still, thumbs down to @411domains know your business.

 

[hwgriffi]

Same thing happend when that guy talked about the escrow loophole where you could enter an email, and get to the final confirmation page, and see who you were dealing with.

So many loose lips.

So many sunken ships.

I watch as people post these threads like OP and air out loopholes that most domainers have used for decades.

When I come up wth an idea and google it, if I can't find the answer online I know I'm onto something good.
Others should learn this lesson. Too many with low IQ, very sad, very bad.

 

[wwwweb]

jaja I don't know, forever! I was doing it for well over a year, and some others longer for sure.

I only caught on when the closeout system didn't seem to be behaving 'normally', so I tested BO's. I couldn't get it to work, and it took me about 8 tries before I cracked the process.

It was nice while it lasted, GD has to make their money after all.

You are being right 100% @wwwweb !
It was rather kind that they allowed it at all.

Still, thumbs down to @411domains know your business.

It wasn't that they allowed it, just how the platform was built, and if someone wanted a domain by all means you have every chance to bid when it is open. Once it closes, it was like nobody wanted it, so there was really no reason to change it as the domain had been passed up.

411 domains hasn't really said much for 8 years, other than a gripe about sedo last year, not sure what his motive was, but he kind of screwed all the human bidders that had a single edge against the bots. He is actually losing, than gaining from the new action, but hopefully he is happy.

The auction scene has kind of gotten crazy, as everyone is outbidding everyone else, end users have more options than ever. If you are using the premium channel, there are a hundreds of $9.99 or less alt reg fee options to your name right under your sale price. It is better to wait on the sidelines as there is no way this inventory flies off the shelves overnight, let these buyers sit on these names for years, and get lowball offers from end users.

 

[wwwweb]

So many loose lips.

So many sunken ships.

I watch as people post these threads like OP and air out loopholes that most domainers have used for decades.

When I come up wth an idea and google it, if I can't find the answer online I know I'm onto something good.
Others should learn this lesson. Too many with low IQ, very sad, very bad.

I agree these people are more happy to get a visitor to their blog by exposing such steps, than figure out when they have a good thing, and when it's gone, it's gone. It was not like this was a universal coupon code for 99% off. It was a way to beat a bot, to a domain that went unbid, or unwanted, you still had to pay for it, albeit $1 less than the minimum opening bid price, but fair game.

 

[MapleDots]

When I come up wth an idea and google it, if I can't find the answer online I know I'm onto something good.
Others should learn this lesson. Too many with low IQ, very sad, very bad.

@hwgriffi you must be pretty peeved if it got you to post.

Wow.... like 30 posts in 11 years and now 2-3 in a row

I'm glad I'm not on your hit list

 

[hwgriffi]

It is better to wait on the sidelines as there is no way this inventory flies off the shelves overnight, let these buyers sit on these names for years, and get lowball offers from end users.

100% agree. This was the only way I was picking up domains (beating the bots as you said) unless it was some thing like a niche I really believed in.

Now, just going to sit it out and let the robots and newcomers fight for crypto domains registered last year.

 

[wwwweb]

100% agree. This was the only way I was picking up domains (beating the bots as you said) unless it was some thing like a niche I really believed in.

Now, just going to sit it out and let the robots and newcomers fight for crypto domains registered last year.

There is a lot of crypto crap registered, if you actually look at most of the ico, and coins they raise millions of dollars, and still choose to go with the reg fee option. Most crypto domain investors are holding a lot of .org's, and they are going to end up dropping those. Bitcoin is struggling to get over $8K, and another correction or two is going to hinder some of that new blood, but going forward the better names will find homes for sure, but the subpar stuff as always will fall by the wayside once we go more mainstream.

 

[hwgriffi]

@hwgriffi you must be pretty peeved if it got you to post.

Verified anger level 4000%! jajaja

It is as they say "all good". Seen these things happen often.

Just happens more often in past 4-5 months. So many "hey have you noticed" threads sinking tricks people usually keep quiet about.

Maybe domaining too much saturated. Very wet industry.

 

[Joe Styler]

It has nothing to do with this post. It was already planned and being worked on.

 

[411domains]

Congratulations 411Domains!!!!!

You just ruined this for pretty much everyone who knew this was going on (including myself). I've snatched so many domains in the void between closeout and end of auction it was silly.

Instead of just doing the research for yourself and figuring it out you had to come to forum and cry about it.

You my friend are the worst. In my opinion.

Everyone that was able to do this will now take joy that you just completely crapped on a perfectly good advantage.

Thumbs down, bad thread.

How long did you think it was going to last, many times people questioned it, but everyone kind of kept quiet about it. I agree it does suck, because it was the only advantage the human bidder had, which will now be gone.

I agree 411 domains would have been just better to keep his mouth shut, and bid away, these kind of guys just don't know when to quit.

jaja I don't know, forever! I was doing it for well over a year, and some others longer for sure.

I only caught on when the closeout system didn't seem to be behaving 'normally', so I tested BO's. I couldn't get it to work, and it took me about 8 tries before I cracked the process.

It was nice while it lasted, GD has to make their money after all.

You are being right 100% @wwwweb !
It was rather kind that they allowed it at all.

Still, thumbs down to @411domains know your business.

I know my business and I do very well.

It's one thing if it's being done manually. It's another if it's being done by an API...hundreds...thousands at a time each day.

This had become a problem that was cutting into everyone's business.

If you're not a part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

I'm a problem solver.

For the record, I'm not the only one to bring this up.

Before you start shedding your domainer tears, why don't you ask @Joe Styler how many complaints they've received on this?

 

[Arca]

@Joe Styler - Could you comment on the time it takes domains to reach closeout status? Will it permanently continue to take up to 5-6 hours, or will we see a return to 5-15 minutes?

 

[Joe Styler]

@Joe Styler - Could you comment on the time it takes domains to reach closeout status? Will it permanently continue to take up to 5-6 hours, or will we see a return to 5-15 minutes?

That can change daily so no I really can't. It is dependent on other factors on the back end. We do not have a set time all I can say is we try to get them switched over as fast as we can on any given day.

 

[wwwweb]

I know my business and I do very well.

It's one thing if it's being done manually. It's another if it's being done by an API...hundreds...thousands at a time each day.

This had become a problem that was cutting into everyone's business.

If you're not a part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

I'm a problem solver.

For the record, I'm not the only one to bring this up.

Before you start shedding your domainer tears, why don't you ask @Joe Styler how many complaints they've received on this?

Problem solved, now go back to buying your close outs, and killing it... Now what else can you cure, you’ve cured the domain backorder blues?

How do we get this guy into the UN?