GoDaddy Backorders - Any good?

[golan]

They caught two domains for me about 2-3 years ago. But now I resumed using them - and zero results, for couple of months, for not the strongest competition domains. Are they of any use at all now? Please share your experience.

 

[Vimal Kumar]

Wow, that's news to me that all your backorders go to auction. I've successfully backordered names elsewhere (Dynadot, for instance) which certainly don't get sent to auction if no one else backorders them. Dropcatch is the same.

Good timing, though, I just placed a backorder on Godaddy that I will most definitely remove immediately and make sure I never use your backorders again.

I am hoping @Joe Styler will respond. The attchment I have provided clearly shows the GoDaddy site stating that if only 1 backorder is for that domain, it goes directly to that person. Only in cases of multiple backorders , it goes for auction. Joe would need to clarify this discrepency between his statement and what the site says. I too just placed a backorder with an expectation no others will backorder. After reading Joe's statement here, I am surprised. If his comments are true, I would cancel my backorder.

 

[Joe Styler]

It goes to auction. Just happened to me recently on an extremely niche name that most no one would ever want to bid on. Sure enough, with about 3 or so days left on auction at $10 someone outbid me and won the name for almost $xxx. Name still isn't resolving anywhere and I can't wait to see who would pay this for a name that is worthless to most all domainers and end users - I had some dev plans for this one but I guess my backorder money is gone and that's the end of that.

you can get a refund on your backorder if you do not wind up using it.

 

[Joe Styler]

Wow, that's news to me that all your backorders go to auction. I've successfully backordered names elsewhere (Dynadot, for instance) which certainly don't get sent to auction if no one else backorders them. Dropcatch is the same.

Good timing, though, I just placed a backorder on Godaddy that I will most definitely remove immediately and make sure I never use your backorders again.

It doesn't matter if you backorder the domain or not it is going to end up at the same places and follow the same lifecycle. There are benefits and risks associated with backordering and also not backordering. I think it is better to understand what happens with a domain when it expires and the various points of entry for purchasing that expired domain, venues, etc before you make a decision.
If it were me I would reach out to the auction support team or your account representative if you have one and tell them the domain you want to get after it expires and they can walk you through the best way to try and get that particular domain.

 

[Joe Styler]

I am hoping @Joe Styler will respond. The attchment I have provided clearly shows the GoDaddy site stating that if only 1 backorder is for that domain, it goes directly to that person. Only in cases of multiple backorders , it goes for auction. Joe would need to clarify this discrepency between his statement and what the site says. I too just placed a backorder with an expectation no others will backorder. After reading Joe's statement here, I am surprised. If his comments are true, I would cancel my backorder.

That is true. I think your misunderstanding is based on the domain name lifecycle and what transpires after a domain name expires. It is a long process with some caveats and not something I have time to write up at the moment. I would be surprised if there are not other threads detailing this.
This is an 83 minute interview with an expert on what happens when a domain expires and it explains backordering in more depth. https://www.domainsherpa.com/chris-ambler-domain-name-expiration/
This is 5 years old but more or less accurate and will explain what you are asking. It's 53 minutes.

 

[Joe Styler]

Wow, that's news to me that all your backorders go to auction. I've successfully backordered names elsewhere (Dynadot, for instance) which certainly don't get sent to auction if no one else backorders them. Dropcatch is the same.

Good timing, though, I just placed a backorder on Godaddy that I will most definitely remove immediately and make sure I never use your backorders again.

Please see my last reply to get a better idea of how backorders work with us and how the domain lifecycle works.

 

[Nametree]

It doesn't matter if you backorder the domain or not it is going to end up at the same places and follow the same lifecycle. There are benefits and risks associated with backordering and also not backordering. I think it is better to understand what happens with a domain when it expires and the various points of entry for purchasing that expired domain, venues, etc before you make a decision.
If it were me I would reach out to the auction support team or your account representative if you have one and tell them the domain you want to get after it expires and they can walk you through the best way to try and get that particular domain.

The lifecycle of a domain name differs from one registrar to another. It is confusing when a "backorder" means different things from one registrar to another.

Presuming I and only I am interested in a domain name that is about to be deleted, I thought it should make no difference whether I use, say, Dynadot, or Godaddy, to backorder a name.

Based on the above, though -

- if I go with Dynadot, I will get the name (again, presuming I and only I am interested and no one else placed a backorder at Dropcatch, NJ, etc)
- if I go with Godaddy, that backorder somehow sends the name through the expiry stream, placing it on the radar of others who will be more likely to notice it if they follow Godaddy expirations (and making it less likely for me to get it at the same price - the price of a backorder - that I would otherwise)

 

[Joe Styler]

no that is not correct which is why i advise you watch the videos. Typing out the entire lifecycle especially including other registrars would be extremely time consuming and not something I would be able to do. The video and domain sherpa interview are both an hour or so long and they will explain what you are asking in depth as is needed for a question like this.

 

[creataweb]

you can get a refund on your backorder if you do not wind up using it.

Asked support and they said no refund

 

[Joe Styler]

Asked support and they said no refund

Show attachment 116560

pm me the info and i will refund it for you.

 

[creataweb]

pm me the info and i will refund it for you.

Sure thing. thanks - without you we'd be lost here most of the time

 

[Vimal Kumar]

That is true. I think your misunderstanding is based on the domain name lifecycle and what transpires after a domain name expires. It is a long process with some caveats and not something I have time to write up at the moment. I would be surprised if there are not other threads detailing this.
This is an 83 minute interview with an expert on what happens when a domain expires and it explains backordering in more depth. https://www.domainsherpa.com/chris-ambler-domain-name-expiration/
This is 5 years old but more or less accurate and will explain what you are asking. It's 53 minutes.

Thanks for the video @Joe Styler. I see that it syncs with your statement that all expired domains does go for auction irrespective of a single or any backorder. The only benefit of a backorder, I see, is that one can monitor progress and, be the opening bid for that domain. While this is a big drawback, on the other hand I see the big benefit that GoDaddy has control over the its expired domains and gives the opportunity to bid/ buy it after just 26 days of expiry and, much before it is 'Dropped'.
But, nevertheless, the information that all domains go for auction after expiry should be clearly stated in FAQ. The FAQ snapshot I posted ( attached again) conveys a different message.

 

[Joe Styler]

Then we will have to agree to disagree. A dropping name is different than an expired domain and the backorder acts differently depending on the lifecycle of the domain you are attempting to capture. A Backorder is also useful in other ways during the auction such as discounting the final price which is explained in the video I believe.

 

[Vimal Kumar]

Then we will have to agree to disagree. A dropping name is different than an expired domain and the backorder acts differently depending on the lifecycle of the domain you are attempting to capture. A Backorder is also useful in other ways during the auction such as discounting the final price which is explained in the video I believe.

I am surprised you disagree when the data ( FAQ screenshot) clearly shows we are referring to 'expired' domain and not 'dropped' domain. Your FAQ states 'After the current registration expires, we attempt to capture the domain name before the registry releases to the public. if we are successful and you are the only backorder holder, you become the domain name registrant. If there are multiple backorder holders, you can participate in an auction to win the domain name"
As per the statement, you are referring to 'expired' domain as you are attempting to capture the name prior to release to the public. It it was 'dropped' it would be public. Effectively, you are stating that a single backorder made against a expired domain which was captured by you will go to that only backorder holder.
If I am incorrect, then the wording of your FAQ statement is incorrect and would need to be altered.

 

[Joe Styler]

That statement is correct as it reads. You are misunderstanding the lifecycle of a domain and the terminology therein. I think you are also misunderstanding the way the drop works. Unless you are trying to purposefully twist words around to your advantage. I am not sure which at this point. Either way, when a domain expires it goes through several stages of expiry and there are at least a couple ways to try and get the domain before it goes to the public i.e. is available again for general registration.
I've provided you with a couple links for a deeper understanding of what happens when domain names expire and how the backorders work with us.
If you want to be the only person to get a domain via a backorder with no competition you missed the boat by about 15 years or so. This simply does not happen when domains expire. Our FAQ statement does not contradict this.

 

[pb]

Backordering a domain before the auction will not give you the domain without anyone else getting a chance to buy it. I am not aware of anywhere you can do that.

On the contrary, godaddy is the only dropcartcher I know that opens the auction when there is just one backorder. Everywhere else, if you're the only one who placed a backorder, you get the domain for the nominal fee. I was going to place a backorder for a domain registered at godaddy but luckily I did some research first and thanks to this thread I barely dodged the bullet...