Domain Stolen from GoDaddy Account? (Update: Sold through my GoDaddy Premium Listing)

[Josh R]

Fellow members,

Today I woke up to an email from GoDaddy saying that one of my domains had been canceled. I thought this was very strange because I just renewed it on January 12th.

I immediately checked my account and it was completely gone.

I proceeded to call GoDaddy, who essentially didn't have a clue what was going on and said there were ZERO notes in the system that would suggest it had changed accounts. They asked me to forward them the cancellation notice, which I did.
I checked the whois, and it's at GoDaddy still, but now under privacy.

I told them it seems clear to me that the domain has been stolen despite having two-factor authentication.

I was told that all communication needed to be conducted via email in order to create a paper trace. So we proceeded through email.

An hour or so later, I received a call from one of the GoDaddy reps telling me that my domain had been sold through Afternic but there were no further details available. This was interesting, because the domain had no Buy It Now price on my Afternic account AND I hadn't received any emails from Afternic about an offer. The domain is actually still listed on afternic with no price, but the ability to make an offer. (I just checked my afternic account).

Anyway, the rep tells me to call afternic, so that's exactly what I do. I get on a long hold for 35 minutes, only to get a rep on the phone that tells me afternic is not open on the weekends and nobody can help me until Monday. He can't even confirm if they have sold it.

Now, what I don't understand is how Afternic have managed to remove my domain from my GoDaddy account without my consent and How GoDaddy are not able to put it back?

Essentially my domain has been stolen, but from GoDaddy/Afternic...
I'm extremely frustrated at this point, and really have no clue what's going on. How can afternic first of all sell a domain that wasn't for sale? and secondly, how can they then remove it from my GoDaddy account overnight without any kind of warning or consent?

This is worrying and I think that I'll have to move all of my domains out of GoDaddy after this experience.


Update: At this GoDaddy can't do anything and I need to wait until someone is available during business hours at Afternic... (despite the fact that GoDaddy owns afternic)

 

[Duomain]

I'm very shocked and luckily I never used Afternic and also won't use it in future because it have no rep at weekend. Waiting for more news on this.

 

[forge]

This is especially troubling because only a few days ago I received a "mysterious" email from Afternic/Godaddy requesting me to validate a new sales listing at Afternic for one of my domains. I do not use Afternic and I never submitted any such listing.

To make matters worse, I checked Godaddy and sure enough my domain was listed with a Buy Now offer. Really Mickey Mouse stuff.

I've been dragging my heels about it but now see the need for urgency to get this resolved. Unfortunately though, Godaddy seems to continue lowering the bar for customer confidence.

 

[Josh R]

I'm very shocked and luckily I never used Afternic and also won't use it in future because it have no rep at weekend. Waiting for more news on this.

It doesn't matter if you use Afternic or not... if you use GoDaddy you are at risk.

 

[campout]

It doesn't matter if you use Afternic or not... if you use GoDaddy you are at risk.

Presumably, this same thing would've happened at any Afternic Premium partner.

I will say, Afternic needs to tighten up their game. Names get stuck in perpetual review, for one thing. And apparently they can pull a name out of your account based on some previous person listing it for sale.

 

[Embrand]

This is outright scary. GoDaddy needs to get it fixed right away.

So basically anyone can list another person's name at GoDaddy for sale at Afternic?

Good luck to OP!

 

[Duomain]

It doesn't matter if you use Afternic or not... if you use GoDaddy you are at risk.

Good luck to you and all of us.

 

[wwwweb]

Presumably, this same thing would've happened at any Afternic Premium partner.

I will say, Afternic needs to tighten up their game. Names get stuck in perpetual review, for one thing. And apparently they can pull a name out of your account based on some previous person listing it for sale.

This happens to me at sedo all the time, I go and see this domain has been removed from my account, and now is listed with a bin in someone else's account. So what do I do, I buy the domain, knowing they can't possible fufill the transaction if the domain is in my account. The only difference is, sedo does not have access to my registry account, so I still control the domain.

With afternic this has always been a worry, technically I am not sure what their backdoor policy is for domains listed thru their fast transfer process at godaddy, but in a different owners account. When the domain pushes at Godaddy into a new account, that change is not reflected at afternic.

The solution is going to have to be everything domain you submit is going to have to have some sort of verification to check ownership. There is no other way they can fix it.

 

[Josh R]

I thought the solution could be even more simple...
Don't go into someones account and move a domain out without any kind of warning or consent.

 

[wwwweb]

I thought the solution could be even more simple...
Don't go into someones account and move a domain out without any kind of warning or consent.

GoDaddy files patents for Domain Title and Fast Transfer

The application, 14/824804 (pdf), is a continuation of previous GoDaddy patent applications. It describes Afternic’s system of automatic fast transfer between a seller and buyer when a domain name is transacted through its aftermarket platform.

Sarah Ptalis, Paul Nicks, Frank Taylor (first application) and Mark Haseltine (latter two applications) are listed as the inventors.

Maybe you can file a patent for check ownership first, if you look at the patent it actually shows the processes, and steps for the domain transfer.

 

[powerup-life]

Can't wait to hear the end of this one. Slowly moving many of my domains away from godaddy

 

[BrandChimp]

Afternic is a strange plateform, I have sold a domain name recently and they never contacted me... The BUYER emailed be and asked help with the transfer... I first thought it was a scam.. Then Digged into my afternic account for 5 minutes... nothing... Then typed the domain under my portfolio section, and it shows "pending sale".

 

[wwwweb]

Afternic is a strange plateform, I have sold a domain name recently and they never contacted me... The BUYER emailed be and asked help with the transfer... I girst thought it was a scam.. Then Digged into my afternic account for 5 minutes... nothing... Then typed the domain under my portfolio section, and it shows "pending sale".

Pending sale means they are still doing payment verification.

 

[BrandChimp]

Pending sale means they are still doing payment verification.

Yes I know. I have sold another domain less than a month ago and I got the :sold: email.

 

[cipcip]

What do we learn from this boys and girls ? Never use Godaddy and Afternic. I saw a lot of threads with people complaining that their domains disappeared. You are happy that you find a crap promo code for 1$ - 2$ domains and then if you develop that website, is gone.

I don't use Godaddy for a long time now. Even if I pay more, I know my domains are secure.

 

[wwwweb]

What do we learn from this boys and girls ? Never use Godaddy and Afternic. I saw a lot of threads with people complaining that their domains disappeared. You are happy that you find a crap promo code for 1$ - 2$ domains and then if you develop that website, is gone.

I don't use Godaddy for a long time now. Even if I pay more, I know my domains are secure.

With fastdomains nobody even cares about coupons. I remember seeing a domain Sherpa show where Krell from brandbucket was manipulating the coupon program, soon after that it was gone. Godaddy probably loses $7 when they offer $1 registrations.

 

[DudeManBro]

Wish you much success with your suit, I had a name taken away also, because it had the keyword Eco in it.


The framework within their contract is pretty complex, as far as damages go, I don't think they will cover your legal costs even if it is your buddy who still have to expense his opportunity cost. They do have the right to take the domain back, but damages you incurred they could be liable for.

Yea bro...
Honestly...
I'm not even worried about the money aspect of it.
It's just more or so the principle of it.

But I rarely have time to even get up and clear my head/shake being zoned in off, let alone dedicate myself to doing a whole bunch of legal this... legal that....
"in hopes of something happening via my benefit"

I mean...
There are quite a bit of people who wanna push it.
But I can tell you that me personally...
Am not trying to waste "time" on all that b.s even with the pushing and shoving toward it...
We all know how valuable Time is... and am Not trying to get that robbed of me too.
Especially when it can't be spared.
Again...
It's just the principle as of now.


---------------

Eco???
On what grounds?
Or was it the specific word itself?

 

[campout]

I had buyers lined up for it right off the bat in the 6 figures and that was the "start" of negotiation.

Wow. What did you pay for it?

When they took it back from you, did they put it up for sale? Was it priced in the 6-figures then?

 

[equity78]

When you open an account with GoDaddy and every other registrar you agree to TOS that says they can take back a domain in the first 30 days for any reason, they are not losing that case, it's in the fine print no one but possibly a few, ever takes the time to read. Sucks but they all have those in place.

http://tldinvestors.com/2016/09/mak...are-agreeing-to-the-first-30-days-matter.html

 

[wwwweb]

Yea bro...
Honestly...
I'm not even worried about the money aspect of it.
It's just more or so the principle of it.

But I rarely have time to even get up and clear my head/shake being zoned in off, let alone dedicate myself to doing a whole bunch of legal this... legal that....
"in hopes of something happening via my benefit"

I mean...
There are quite a bit of people who wanna push it.
But I can tell you that me personally...
Am not trying to waste "time" on all that b.s even with the pushing and shoving toward it...
We all know how valuable Time is... and am Not trying to get that robbed of me too.
Especially when it can't be spared.
Again...
It's just the principle as of now.


---------------

Eco???
On what grounds?
Or was it the specific word itself?

Anyone and everyone who had an Eco.whatever in 2014 had their domains repossessed, as it was a protected keyword or some bs they came up with.

A refund was given, but nothing more than that.

 

[isankett]

Never trust any registrars. I've experience with Godaddy where my account showed 0 domains whereas I owned 4. It could be due to site maintenance but I learned that always take screen shots of your dashboard and save all receipts/emails for future references.

It's a best practice.

Your concern is serious as it includes two factor authentication. It's a fraud case.
Hope it resolves soon.

 

[DudeManBro]

Wow. What did you pay for it?

When they took it back from you, did they put it up for sale? Was it priced in the 6-figures then?

They Didn't Pay anything.
I paid them basically.
The wonderful world of business.
Except...
It's stops being business in my book when they start eating their own cookies from the cookie jar.

Regarding the name and sale.
Nothing Public, most likely a Private Sale or Someone around their still has it.

The name is worth more now then when I first grabbed it, no doubt about that.

When you open an account with GoDaddy and every other registrar you agree to TOS that says they can take back a domain in the first 30 days for any reason, they are not losing that case, it's in the fine print no one but possibly a few, ever takes the time to read. Sucks but they all have those in place.

http://tldinvestors.com/2016/09/mak...are-agreeing-to-the-first-30-days-matter.html

Hey Thanks Bro!

Anyone and everyone who had an Eco.whatever in 2014 had their domains repossessed, as it was a protected keyword or some bs they came up with.

A refund was given, but nothing more than that.

You said it right...
"Some BS they came up with"
Let's be sure to not register the ".eco" extention then lol.

That Basically Describes this industry lol.

The Worlds Biggest BS, Digital Car Salesman in One Parking Lot, fighting eachother to sell a minibike if need be... who can recite the drivers ed test cover to cover, sell the extended warranty to the broke old lady... but in reality, would crash right after they personally started the digital car.

Domainer vs a Car Salesmen...
I'd put my money on a Domainer.

 

[Wannabean]

When you open an account with GoDaddy and every other registrar you agree to TOS that says they can take back a domain in the first 30 days for any reason, they are not losing that case, it's in the fine print no one but possibly a few, ever takes the time to read. Sucks but they all have those in place.

http://tldinvestors.com/2016/09/mak...are-agreeing-to-the-first-30-days-matter.html

TOS can't be used to subvert law. There might still be a legal case.

 

[Josh R]

Update:

Called Afternic and spoke with a sales guy.
He proceeded to tell me that he sees no sale in the system and only an active listing...he then transferred me to the "Escrow Team", that went straight to voicemail.

Still have no idea what's going on, and little help from GoDaddy and zero help from Afternic.

 

[equity78]

TOS can't be used to subvert law. There might still be a legal case.

It's not subverting a law, those are terms that everyone agrees to when they sign up for an account, it's a protection for the registrar and registries if there is a mistake that they can rectify it within the first 30 days.

 

[ben pedri]

I dident read any other replies but chances are the person who owned it last is getting a fat check from afternic. their system is still in the 90s