discuss GoDaddy hijacks your whois lookup

[forge]

Thinking of joining the "I can't stand GoDaddy!" camp lately because (in addition to...):

Now GoDaddy thinks it's perfectly fine to hijack your Whois search on their site FOR A FEW BUCKS whenever the domain being searched is on auction (including closeouts!) on THEIR website, in order to railroad you into a domain purchase FOR A FEW BUCKS

I normally wouldn't rail against this (maybe) EXCEPT for the fact that very often one may wish to do some domain RESEARCH (about domain age, etc.) on a particular expired domain, for example, prior to a purchase, WHICH GODADDY NOW RENDERS IMPOSSIBLE on their website FOR A FEW BUCKS TO SUIT THEIR OWN INTERESTS AT THE INCONVENIENCE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS!!!

Thanks a lot, GoDaddy.

 

[Ms Domainer]

So are they front running again?

I would not use their Whois -- Domaintools is much better; I have never had a problem there.

 

[Name Trader]

Of course it's bad if you are doing research, but for me, I'd like to know if the domain is already at auction on GoDaddy. But then I never use GoDaddy whois. Too much of a pain to use.

You are still using GoDaddy whois? I don't think that is smart. If you are doing research, I would say that www.gwhois.org is the best whois there is. Maybe too much info

 

[Name Trader]

So are they front running again?

I would not use their Whois -- Domaintools is much better; I have never had a problem there.

I personally don't see this as front-running, if they are auctioning off expired domains.

 

[DomainVP]

There was a closeout name I was interested in, and I went directly to the auction page and added it to cart. I was renewing my DDC at the same time so I removed it from cart, and then finished up with DDC.

I then went back to register the DN, and it said 'selected' but then it would not add it to cart.

1 minute later... gone.

It could have been that there was another interested party, or that since i added it to cart it was pulled from closeout, and it will return to closeout when the purchase was not completed (it happens).

We will see how this one goes...

 

[Name Trader]

@DomainVP - Probably this is a bug. I've seen it before. Just wait the 2 hours until the domain is returned from your phantom checkout to the auctions.

 

[NameClerk]

@DomainVP - Probably this is a bug. I've seen it before. Just wait the 2 hours until the domain is returned from your phantom checkout to the auctions.

This worked for me just a couple night ago. Put a closeout domain in my cart but had to remove it. It was gone after. I checked for an hour or so then gave up. Checked the next morning and it was back in closeout status. I purchased it immediately.

 

[Ms Domainer]

I personally don't see this as front-running, if they are auctioning off expired domains.

Okay, I see, these are closeout domains.

 

[DomainVP]

This worked for me just a couple night ago. Put a closeout domain in my cart but had to remove it. It was gone after. I checked for an hour or so then gave up. Checked the next morning and it was back in closeout status. I purchased it immediately.

Agreed, I've done this to myself before. It just so happens I had to renew my DDC and it was a mess at checkout.

I'll be checking over the next 24 hours.

 

[Name Trader]

@DomainVP - The domain usually returns to the auction list 2 hours after it is placed in somebody's cart and not purchased.

 

[DomainVP]

@DomainVP - The domain usually returns to the auction list 2 hours after it is placed in somebody's cart and not purchased.

Agreed, looks like it got bought within the 2 minutes I took it our of cart; this was hours ago.

 

[NameFit]

I do not think any whois is good or bad. Anywhere you do whois, it accesses the registry where domain is registered. Not to mention, if the domain is registered at GoDadddy, more likely than not, the complete whois is not available unless you login.

 

[Name Trader]

Agreed, looks like it got bought within the 2 minutes I took it our of cart; this was hours ago.

He who hesitates, loses

 

[Name Trader]

I do not think any whois is good or bad. Anywhere you do whois, it accesses the registry where domain is registered. Not to mention, if the domain is registered at GoDadddy, more likely than not, the complete whois is not available unless you login.

you don't need to be logged in. If you enter the Turing code, you can see the whole whois,

 

[jideofor]

use www.whois.com. Once you find the name available, just head over to godaddy and pick it up. no need using Godaddy's whois search.

 

[DomainVP]

This worked for me just a couple night ago. Put a closeout domain in my cart but had to remove it. It was gone after. I checked for an hour or so then gave up. Checked the next morning and it was back in closeout status. I purchased it immediately.

You were right, 10 hours later it was available in closeout.

Darndest thing... I've seen that happen before and it was only 30mins-2hours until the DN came back.

I don't do that often, it just so happens I was renewing DDC.

All is well

 

[Joe Styler]

When a domain name is on closeout as a BIN when you add it to the cart it removes it from the auction so you can keep looking or deal with other stuff in your account, as many of you have said you were actually doing, like renewing another item.
So it is on purpose if you add a domain name to the cart it gives you more time so someone else can't scoop it from you while you are still shopping. This also can be an issue if you are logged out or on a shared computer etc when shopping for closeout names. You add it to the cart and then you login and the computer thinks its in another cart.
Either way you can contact auctions support and they can release the hold instantly for you on the back end. If you call into the general support number or use our general chat you need to let them know that only tier two auctions support can help you, as you need a hold released on a domain you put in the cart.