GoDaddy Auctions -- Discussion, Acquisitions, and Sales

[Ms Domainer]

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I searched the forum and could not find a thread dedicated solely to Godaddy auctions, which seem to be heating up lately.

I envision this thread as a place for discussion regarding YOUR sales and acquisitions, and general discussion about the auction venue itself, and, perhaps, some domain oddities that are popping up on the auction site, for example, high-priced domains that should be regfee.



One caveat, though: for your own good, PLEASE do not reveal your auction win (or anyone else's, for that matter) until the domain has landed in your account because the original owner still has the option to renew it, and I know how vexing that can be. In other words, don't count your chickens until they're hatched.

On the other hand, if you're having second thoughts about your auction win, by all means tell us all about it.

I suppose that if an auction win is high profile, it's already out there, but, still...

Anyway, I'll start with three comments:

1. I won my first (and maybe last) intentional typo, and it's getting clicks (no $ so far, though): Forwx.com. I could not find a live TM on this term, but one never knows. I have mixed feelings about this one.

2. I accidentally clicked on a BIN that I didn't want (I wanted the one above it), but I decided to honor the bid anyway. Grrr..., so be careful before hitting the submit button. It's not in my account yet, so I can't really reveal it right now.

3. Currently, there's a weird .co domain at over $9,000, with three bidders duking it out. Again, I don't want to reveal what it is, but if you go to the most active auctions, it's number 1 (as of this posting).​

Mods, I hope this thread is okay.



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[DU]

Nice .us domains but it might get renewed. My bet is that someone had already sent out few e-mails to the previous owner.

Ya think? They don't all bounce either...

 

[domainacrobat]

I grabbed:

CoffeeBeans.US

I live in Washington State - The home of Starbucks and designer coffee shops.

I love Coffee

---------- Post added at 10:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:52 AM ----------

Closing price:
Cloud.us $8,505

 

[Name Trader]

Wow. I go away from NP's for 48 hours and look what I come back too. Is this just domainer bidding up the value of .us? Before this, I probably wouldn't have paid you more than $30 for a LLL.us. Nice capture domainacrobat

 

[domainacrobat]

.US portfolio expiration - Auction Results

Aloha everyone!

Here are about 90% of the results on my blog.

.US portfolio expiration - Auction Results

 

[Kate]

Some real nice domains at rock bottom prices. It's 2002 reloaded.

 

[Ms Domainer]

Some real nice domains at rock bottom prices. It's 2002 reloaded.

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I agree.

Now let's just hope the buyers can get through Godaddy's hellish redemption week.

If you have bid and won (and if you're so inclined), post the name here:

If the original owner has redeemed it,

OR​

If you get through hell week and you end up owning the domain.​

:lol:

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[Kate]

The sad thing is, buyers must accept they probably are at the end of the food chain, and be prepared to be the end users :imho:

 

[equity78]

Looks like Cloud got renewed. The old $80 real market appraisal special.

 

[GiftedDomains]

Good price for Toy.us

 

[main]

I really hate this thread now. I agree with domainacrobat. I was following A LOT of these .us names and the bidding definitely exploded. Picked up a really nice one mentioned in this thread, but I would have liked to get even more that went out of range.

Also have a lot of the results and would be willing to post them in 10 days.

Don't think anything specifics should ever be mentioned in this thread until 10 days after the auction close once sales are final.

 

[silentg]

Even if the names weren't posted here, they would've got the same amount of bids. Some of the .us names were featured on blogs and drop lists.

I really hate this thread now. I agree with domainacrobat. I was following A LOT of these .us names and the bidding definitely exploded. Picked up a really nice one mentioned in this thread, but I would have liked to get even more that went out of range.

Also have a lot of the results and would be willing to post them in 10 days.

Don't think anything specifics should ever be mentioned in this thread until 10 days after the auction close once sales are final.

 

[main]

Maybe, regardless. The thread has not kept in the spirit of in which it was created.

PLEASE do not reveal your auction win (or anyone else's, for that matter) until the domain has landed in your account because the original owner still has the option to renew it

quoting Ms Domainer (OP)

 

[DU]

Maybe, regardless. The thread has not kept in the spirit of in which it was created

Which was what? Not sharing? Being anti-competitive?

You all think too much. You know how many tools show you GoDaddy expiring single word domains per extension exist? You know how many people just scan looking for names with bids about 1pm?

You know how many people know this drop happens every year?

I dont buy the NP bump theory and if it allowed other domainers to get in and benefit? Thats good for the overall market imho.

What irks me is that some domainers hate enom/snap etc. for stealing their customers expired names while hoping their tdnam name doesnt get renewed.

If the name was accidentally dropped because you didnt realize you could get it back?

So what is the spirit again? To me its a mixture of new blood, old blood, victories and losses and maybe someone who recovered a name they thought they lost.

 

[DU]

The sad thing is, buyers must accept they probably are at the end of the food chain, and be prepared to be the end users :imho:

Always the downer..lol

 

[Ms Domainer]

Which was what? Not sharing? Being anti-competitive?

You all think too much. You know how many tools show you GoDaddy expiring single word domains per extension exist? You know how many people just scan looking for names with bids about 1pm?

You know how many people know this drop happens every year?

I dont buy the NP bump theory and if it allowed other domainers to get in and benefit? Thats good for the overall market imho.

What irks me is that some domainers hate enom/snap etc. for stealing their customers expired names while hoping their tdnam name doesnt get renewed.

If the name was accidentally dropped because you didnt realize you could get it back?

So what is the spirit again? To me its a mixture of new blood, old blood, victories and losses and maybe someone who recovered a name they thought they lost.

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My feeling here: NO auction company ought to be offering domains for sale until day 42 after expiration.

Period.

In fact, I complained to my Godaddy rep about this very issue.

Having said this, I have to accept the system we have in place right now, while lobbying for reform.

Yes, I would like to see the auction model changed to a system that protects both buyer of expired domains and former owners.

Right now, the "system" is being gamed by both sides, the sharks (us) who circle the expiring lists and "them" (and maybe some of us as well, lol) who use the current system to suss out true, real time, appraisals. You don't even have to pay the redemption fee--you just simply transfer the domain from Godaddy, who HAS to allow transfers of expired domains, up to 42 days after expiration (my rep told me this is an ICANN rule).

For all who hate Godaddy, they ARE doing their best to comply with ICANN rules, even when you change your Whois, and they place that transfer lock in place.

If you call, they will remove it because it is an ICANN rule that you be allowed to transfer your domain away.

I think the main difference between Godaddy and Snapnames/Namejet is that Godaddy is up front about the status of your auction win. They tell you that your win is conditional and that you must wait a week before acquiring your domain. Snap and NJ give you the name right away (within three days), and if the original owner decides to renew, then it is taken away from you, often after you have started to develop it.

S/NJ are waffly on this point, so buyers get angry, when the lack of transparency bites them in the butt.

Like main, I cringed when I saw members here posting the .us auctions, but by that time, the lists had been plastered all over the domain blogs. That genie was not going to go back into the bottle.

But, yes,

I would hope (for future reference) that we keep all pre-release auction wins mum until day 42 after original expiration, both your own and others'. ​

As for yesterday's .us "wins," expect many of those to be renewed (it looks as though one .us may have already been renewed, no surprise there). I fully expect that one of mine will be renewed (the other one was a 1-bid win, so unlikely, but you never know).

I'm not going advocate censorship, but keep in mind the possible consequences of revealing your own and others' domain business on a public forum.



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[m-i-k-e]

People that contact owners of expiring names and get them to renew are already monitoring the auctions. I don't see this thread having any affect on that.

 

[DU]

Right now, the "system" is being gamed by both sides, the sharks (us) who circle the expiring lists and "them" (and maybe some of us as well, lol) who use the current system to suss out true, real time, appraisals.

The system is being gamed by GoDaddy. This is where they make their money. GoDaddy's worth is not as a registrar but the underlying portfolio it manages as these names get sucked up by GoDaddy's PPC and then auction sales.

It is very rare that GoDaddy would be used as an appraisal. There are many reasons good names drop.

You don't even have to pay the redemption fee--you just simply transfer the domain from Godaddy, who HAS to allow transfers of expired domains, up to 42 days after expiration (my rep told me this is an ICANN rule).

ICANN stipulates 30 days. GoDaddy allows more. One registrar allows 75 days!?

I think the main difference between Godaddy and Snapnames/Namejet is that Godaddy is up front about the status of your auction win.

Both cover it in the T&C. Most people don't read them.

I would hope (for future reference) that we keep all pre-release auction wins mum until day 42 after original expiration, both your own and others'. ​

What happened to protecting the current registrant? We're now just protecting the secondary sharks?

I'm not going advocate censorship

I guess asking for it and advocating *are* two separate things.

but keep in mind the possible consequences of revealing your own and others' domain business on a public forum.

Consequences being?

Someone who owns a dropping name might realize some profit from realizing it has value?

The ones that are going to drop are going to drop. MOST of the time the ones that get renewed are simply sold to someone who directly contacted the current owner. They just outsharked you - but original owner got something out of it.

Most of these will drop. Most of these will drop again 2-3 years from now, imho.

 

[Ms Domainer]

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defaultuser,

Please show me the ICANN 30-day rule, and I'll share it with my rep.

I'm not challenging what you say--I just want to know. I'm assuming that you have that info at your fingertips.

Thanks!

Yes, there are several ways to look at the "system" and who it protects.

The original owner should have some rights; there are many reasons why a domain name might expire: illness, death, earthquake (I heard that some Japanese registrars extended their customers' registrations for free for one year after last year's eartquake).

But at some point, the original registrant's rights to that name have to expire.

My main bone of contention: registrars auctioning off names before the rights of registrants have expired.

UPDATE:

I just went to ICANN's Registrants' Rights section, and I see NO evidence of any time limitations, regarding transfers, etc.

I'm still looking, though, and will get back to this conversation.

ANOTHER UPDATE:

Here is the ICANN Registrar Accrediation Agreement.

Here is the Registrar Obligations (Section 3) .​

I'm just not seeing any number of days a registrar must give an expired domain registrant.

I must be missing something.


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[DU]

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defaultuser,

Please show me the ICANN 30-day rule, and I'll share it with my rep.

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I think it's a miscommunication / not thinking through on my part.

The registrar must give 30 days from when it's deleted. I assume godaddy deletes on day 12 which would make it 42 days from expiry. I believe that the 30 days is managed by the registry (though not sure). If the name generates more than $x in clicks - some registrars won't put it into delete at all - hence the secondary market is actually the primary market (some dropping names ONLY at snap/nj/pool/name/gd etc)

The day on which it gets deleted is not an obligation and is up to 45 days but could be 0 days.

So your rep is right for the most part. It's not 42 days in general - just for GD.

You are wise to always question, imho.:tu:

I also hope my comments were taken to be friendly. If I had to pick the users on this board who I think ethically would 'do the right thing' under most circumstances, you do spring to mind

 

[Ms Domainer]

defaultuser,

I'm not at all upset with you.

:hearts:

If anything, I'm upset with registrars who interpret ICANN policies their way and ICANN for not lowering the boom on them, so I started an ICANN thread:

http://www.namepros.com/domain-name...n-icann-registrar-accreditation-policies.html​

 

[domainacrobat]

Looks like Cloud got renewed. The old $80 real market appraisal special.

I wouldn't be suprised if the original owner of cloud.us (Cloud.com CEO) was bidder 17, the person who placed the high bid ($8500), knowing all along that he would renew it at $80.

A big scam to inflate the value of his property...

 

[Ms Domainer]

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The registrant name for Cloud.us has changed. Just do a search for Cloud.us on Godaddy Whois:

http://who.godaddy.com/​

The new owner is a well-known NP'er.

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[domainacrobat]

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The registrant name for Cloud.us has changed. Just do a search for Cloud.us on Godaddy Whois:

http://who.godaddy.com/​

The new owner is a well-known NP'er.

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Ha!

I was just posting based on equity's comment....

I guess Dave's post about the names really was an influence of the inflated bidding!!!

 

[Ms Domainer]

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I suspect that the Cloud.us deal was in the works long before the auction ended.

Perhaps the "winner" will jump on this thread and crow about his acquisition.

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[Kate]

The registrant name for Cloud.us has changed. Just do a search for Cloud.us on Godaddy Whois:

The new owner is a well-known NP'er.

Congrats to him Can't say I am surprised
But in this market I think he paid a hefty price (if that is auction price), .us being what it is.
Yet I would really want to be proven wrong.