GoDaddy Monetizing their Domain Appraisal Tool

[DomainRecap]

I think we all know about the GD shareholders issuing various threats to management to "make more money... or else!" and I got another rude (but not unexpected) awakening this morning when I discovered that GD has now monetized their Domain Name Valuation and Appraisal Tool.

The current limit is only 3 appraisals per day, which is next to useless. Before, I think they would give out 20 free appraisals, then time out, which seemed fair. But 3? Yeesh.

I knew this would happen eventually (in the face of an investor revolt, GD is monetizing everything that isn't nailed down) but I thought we might be safe with a GD Domain Auction Membership and be allowed a small amount per day.

I saw a note at the bottom that gave me hope, but unfortunately only "Discount Domains Club Premium Members get 150 Appraisals per day" and nothing for Auction members or anyone else. Thanks GoDaddy!

For a lot of people this makes the GD Valuation Tool a useless metric and potentially a historical footnote.

 

[VadimK]

Holy jumping shit. Are they for real??

I used to use their appraisal thru API when it was free and uninterrupted - purely for the purpose to separate some half-worthy names from a total garbage, e.g. working with large numbers of names (not for estimation itself!). While understanding that this service could be put a price tag on, 100 and 500 per month for this shit? The amount of greed of GD just excels in purity and size.

 

[DomainRecap]

Holy jumping shit. Are they for real??

The amount of greed of GD just excels in purity and size.

And you can't even pay Monthly - it's Annual-only so I'm not sure why they post a monthly fee that isn't a) available for sale and b) that isn't discounted when paying on an annual basis.

* I know why they do it, because they would scare away 99.9999999999% of customers if they listed their actual price list:

Basic - $1,199.88 a year
Professional - $5,999.88 a year

All this move will do is make the GoDaddy Valuation Tool a niche product that almost no one uses and accelerate its ultimate extinction as a mainstream appraisal method.

Rick must be laughing his ass off at the excessive greed and hubris of GoDaddy, as he absolutely hates this tool and would love to see it buried. Looks like he's getting his wish.

 

[MKA]

I was hoping they'll just shut it down for non-payers because it's so annoying having to explain why their appraisals are worthless.

I don't use their appraisals because they provide nothing of value. so I don't really mind this change.

 

[DomainRecap]

I don't use their appraisals because they provide nothing of value. so I don't really mind this change.

I understand this point of view, especially with higher-end .COM, but it's actually a lot worse that this.

Domain buyers can no longer use it to separate the wheat from the chaff. but when searching on Afternic or GoDaddy (same thing really) the GD Valuation is displayed prominently on every single marketplace listing. If you list a domain anywhere on the GD network, buyers will be prominently shown the GD Value, whether you want it or not.

This is yet another new change, so we're essentially getting screwed both ways.

 

[D Haynes]

I can't think of a single reason to use it even when it was free. Nobody in their right mind would pay for a worthless tool.

 

[VadimK]

I don't agree with those who say it's completely useless - you could get some info that was useful, in a supportive, comparable way, not as a direct appraisal tool. But obviously it's my experience and my way of checking and picking names. Everyone has their own style.

For $10 to 15 per month, I would probably sign up for the deal of 1000 per day. For $20 I would already seriously think about it. But $100 - they are from outer space with these prices. Who are their target group? Most of the newbies don't have money for this, most of the pros don't need it. And outside of domainers circle this tool is of zero use.

 

[DomainRecap]

I don't agree with those who say it's completely useless - you could get some info that was useful, in a supportive, comparable way, not as a direct appraisal tool.

Exactly and I would bet any money that if I were given 1000 random domains with a GD valuation of $5,000 or more and someone else got 1000 random domains each worth less than $2,000, that in the long term my domains would create much higher sales revenue than the other group of lower-valued domains.

In general, the better domains will have a higher value than the midrange and the junk, and that's all you need to know. Continually harping on the fact that ________.com is worth more than the $17,893 valuation is missing the forest for the trees.

The tool is useful but only if you know how to use it. No one ever contended that the specific appraisal prices are correct, or that all valuations in a range are correct, but that on average, the overall ranking and grouping can yield valuable data.

 

[Mister Funsky]

Must be tough times over there...every penny counts.

 

[ThatNameGuy]

I don't agree with those who say it's completely useless - you could get some info that was useful, in a supportive, comparable way, not as a direct appraisal tool. But obviously it's my experience and my way of checking and picking names. Everyone has their own style.

For $10 to 15 per month, I would probably sign up for the deal of 1000 per day. For $20 I would already seriously think about it. But $100 - they are from outer space with these prices. Who are their target group? Most of the newbies don't have money for this, most of the pros don't need it. And outside of domainers circle this tool is of zero use.

i had some use for them, especially prior to them devaluing my portfolio over a million dollars. I'd registered hundreds of their domains where the "average" valuation was $1,500, but now that their new valuation tool values them at < $100, i have ZERO use for them.

I'm still looking at suing the bastards for millions of dollars in damages, and I'm encouraging anyone that's had this happen to reach out to me. I provided dozens of examples where this has happened on another thread, but all for naught.

That said however, i do plan via discovery etc. to show potential buyers GD's previous valuations in order to maximize my roi. Oh, did i say that i NEVER give up

 

[NameSellingcom]

I think we all know about the GD shareholders issuing various threats to management to "make more money... or else!" and I got another rude (but not unexpected) awakening this morning when I discovered that GD has now monetized their Domain Name Valuation and Appraisal Tool.

Show attachment 254401

The current limit is only 3 appraisals per day, which is next to useless. Before, I think they would give out 20 free appraisals, then time out, which seemed fair. But 3? Yeesh.

I knew this would happen eventually (in the face of an investor revolt, GD is monetizing everything that isn't nailed down) but I thought we might be safe with a GD Domain Auction Membership and be allowed a small amount per day.

I saw a note at the bottom that gave me hope, but unfortunately only "Discount Domains Club Premium Members get 150 Appraisals per day" and nothing for Auction members or anyone else. Thanks GoDaddy!

For a lot of people this makes the GD Valuation Tool a useless metric and potentially a historical footnote.

If you have to use an automated domain appraisal tool you should not be investing in domains.
Selling domains is about timing, patience and some luck.
Domain investing tip, sell the future not the past.

 

[DomainRecap]

If you have to use an automated domain appraisal tool you should not be investing in domains.

Hey, thanks for the advice Leroy.

 

[BestLinks.win]

The main reason I check GD's valuations is that some people take them seriously, so it affects your ability to resell a domain name. I'm certainly not going to pay for this automated tool. Some of its valuations make sense, others do not.

 

[branding]

Just add them to your Dan portfolio. They will get their estimated price directly from GD.

Problem solved.

 

[deverett]

I just chatted with a GoDaddy rep and asked why I was now only receiving 3 free appraisals a day (I was under the impression that, as a Discount Domain Club member, I should be receiving 150 free appraisals a day). I was informed that as of February 2024, DDC members no longer receive those 150 appraisals for free. They tried to sell me an appraisal tool package.

It is clearly marked below their "NEW" appraisal tool package prices, "Did you know that Discount Domains Club Premium Members get 150 Appraisals per day?"

I am calling my VIP Account Executive tomorrow...

 

[ThatNameGuy]

I just chatted with a GoDaddy rep and asked why I was now only receiving 3 free appraisals a day (I was under the impression that, as a Discount Domain Club member, I should be receiving 150 free appraisals a day). I was informed that as of February 2024, DDC members no longer receive those 150 appraisals for free. They tried to sell me an appraisal tool package.

It is clearly marked below their "NEW" appraisal tool package prices, "Did you know that Discount Domains Club Premium Members get 150 Appraisals per day?"

I am calling my VIP Account Executive tomorrow...

Most everyone here is familiar with my story. I'm a Discount Domain Club member and it was never clear to me how many free appraisal/valuations i was suppose to get. What i do know is, their new appraisal tool has devalued the worth of my portfolio by over a million dollars. Many of my domains that were previously valued @ $1,500 are now valued at < $100. Heads at GD need to roll over this, and like reparations, i should be compensated.

The assholes at GD need to know I'm not going away, but there will come a time when I'm fairly compensated for the damages they caused

 

[biggie]

150 Appraisals per day

only 3 appraisals per day, which is next to useless.

HI

why would you need more than 3 queries per day, let alone 150 per day?

giving weight to the results, is what caused the charge to use it,
and i'm sure others will follow suit soon.

probably the biggest issue was folks using it to check unregistered domains all day,
before they decided to reg them or not.

now ya gotta pay to play


imo...

 

[GoDaddy]

I just chatted with a GoDaddy rep and asked why I was now only receiving 3 free appraisals a day (I was under the impression that, as a Discount Domain Club member, I should be receiving 150 free appraisals a day). I was informed that as of February 2024, DDC members no longer receive those 150 appraisals for free. They tried to sell me an appraisal tool package.

It is clearly marked below their "NEW" appraisal tool package prices, "Did you know that Discount Domains Club Premium Members get 150 Appraisals per day?"

I am calling my VIP Account Executive tomorrow...

Hi @deverett,
Thanks for sharing your experience. Discount Domain Club Premium members do get 150 credits per day for Domain Academy’s GoValue tool, available through domainacademy.com/tools.

 

[deverett]

Thanks for informing me about the 150 GoValue tool credits available to DDC Premium members via domainacademy.com/tools (much better info than the simple GD Domain Appraisal Tool). I guess that I need to complete the Domain Academy course, never finished (my bad).

 

[zotix]

Dear Community - dear @GoDaddy Representant,

This monetization "tool" based on old data, which does not predict the Future or anything, is not worth a cent - you will definitely have a Business Case for it. Still, the trade-off will be that you lose Page viewers, not only the ones abusing your Tool but also potential Customers who might check a Domain Value but, due to any Banner or Advertisement, decide to put some money in their GD portfolio. Not every business case is 100% prediction, even if you hire the top consultancy companies worldwide - it's data-based. The emotional behavior of Users is not that easy to predict, especially if there is more than one critical factor.

Mark my words. Starting with these "Packages," we will review their prices in one year.
You even started to do your legal entity selling, which was not aligned with the Group.
For example, in Germany, I was NOT able to purchase the Premium Parking Service—only if I bought Discount Domain Club. Why?
I googled a bit, logged in via Thailand GoDaddy, and bought it standalone.

Marketplace vs. GoDaddy as such: To split it entirely is the best thing you could do.
Otherwise, your Service would explode. And that's for probably good Reasons.

Now follows Feedback, which is not directly related to this topic, but points still belong to this.
I am happy to know that there is more than one registrar, and I have my fingers crossed that I can sell my Domains or Transfer them out soon.

Kind regards,
zotix.

---

*Feedback to GD from my side, just my own experience, could be wrong - maybe not*​

Unfortunately, as a Beginner in the Domaining Scene, I had similar problems with you:
The wrong information was from the staff, who are trying to annoy me via email for Domain Discount Club.
I was forced to do three or probably 4x Full KYC, with ALL(!) my Legitimation Documents, just because I bought like 50 Domains in one day. I got banned, settled it out, banned, and once again.

I don't know how much, but I bought from you just in the first few months of Domains worth 15k+ $, which is still annoying me.
As a Domain Buyer on the Marketplace, you receive many emails forcing you to pay; otherwise, you will do this and that.
As a Domain Seller on the Marketplace, you get nothing—just a: We will reach out to the Buyer. We have been waiting almost two months for Payments.
Things like: After doing a Domain appraisal for a Domain that was actually at every Registrar available, and after the Appraisal, not anymore—this is a whole different story and only speculation.

You are one of the biggest Domain Registrars worldwide, so professionalism, integrity, and respectful behavior should be your top priority.
It was funny for me, but it's probably not funny for others, when your Customer Support (to specify: Jamaican Team) is laughing loudly, making fun while I'm talking to a Support Member, even if she was feeling uncomfortable when they - and this is not a lie: Talked about Jonny Sins, a Porn actor. (Btw. You recorded this call since I wanted to cancel a few Domains during the Grace Period).

 

[biggie]

I was NOT able to purchase the Premium Parking Service—only if I bought Discount Domain Club. Why?

Hi

i'd be asking...
why would anyone purchase their "premium parking service" or pay to join the ddc?

the juice certainly can't be worth the squeeze.

seems like gd keeps finding more ways to get $ from your wallet.

imo...

 

[Alop]

I depended so much on their appraisal how darn they

 

[DomainRecap]

why would you need more than 3 queries per day, let alone 150 per day?

Not sure if serious... Anyone investing in domains certainly looks at more than 3 domains per day they might want to buy. Again, I didn't care about the exact dollar value, but what range it fell in, as well as the corresponding sales data.

And as posted above, no one is getting their 150 a day, and GD states that was only until the end of February.

probably the biggest issue was folks using it to check unregistered domains all day,
before they decided to reg them or not.

Wrong again, as there was always a limit and if you went past it, the Valuation tool would error out with a "You have used up all your valuation requests" (or similar). I think it was 25 or maybe 30 queries before it crapped out, and I was okay with that number. But 3?

As I said before, the GD investors are lighting their torches and sharpening their pitchforks, and coming directly after the board and executive group, so GD is now monetizing everything that isn't nailed down in a desperate attempt to save their neck from the guillotine.

Short-term thinking like this always backfires and there is no question this one will end badly for GD. No way the limited revenue (assuming anyone actually pays these exorbitant fees) will ever make up for the (now lost) customer traffic generated by those who previously used this tool.

 

[BestLinks.win]

I've seen it before... Investors try to maximize short-term gains by demanding companies make changes or sell off "non-core assets." Then they abandon these companies as their own demands lead to decline and eventual bankruptcy.

 

[Mister Funsky]

Short-term thinking like this always backfires and there is no question this one will end badly for GD.

I agree.

In the domain world, I'm a small fish. My averages are probably 1 aftermarket purchase a day and 1 hand reg a week.

Over the last few months I've gone to nearly 0 purchases at Godaddy. The ridiculous pricing for the DDC and the equally ridiculous pricing for .com has made me move to other registrars.

They still make a pretty penny off of my sales as I offer Afternic/Checkout link to buyers (along with a few other payment options) and about a third of my customers opt for a Godaddy option.

There are still a few good people working there (mainly those that interact here) but all these corporate money grubbing moves make me long for the Bob Parsons days.