GoDaddy taking advantage of their own clients. Is it legal?

[Canote100]

My company's domain expired a month ago. When I realized that it was not active anymore I went to GoDaddy.com to see what had happened and they had my Domain for auction. I placed a bid and was the only one bidding. I waited until last minute before the auction ended and made sure that nobody else outbid me. However, when the auction ended, I received an email from GoDaddy notifying me that I had been outbid and offered me a broker service for $69.99 to put me in contact with the "new owner" of the domain. I checked who the "new owner" of the domain was and it says that Afternic, LLC is acting on behalf the owner. I check who owns Afternic, LLC and it says that as of September 19, 2013, Afternic.com, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Go Daddy Operating Company, LLC. So, it is clear that GoDaddy is taking advantage of those clients that miss the renovation date and take over of their domains and then charge them for broker service + the new cost of the Domain (inflated) + their commision on the deal. My question: is this legal? If not, I would like to sue GoGaddy to get my company's domain back which I owned for 5 years. Thanks in advance for your thought guys.

 

[BrandChimp]

This is 100% legal and nothing strange.

You had plenty of time to renew your domain before it went to auction.
https://domainhelp.com/domains/how-the-domain-expiry-cycle-works/

this is how it works at godaddy:
https://ca.godaddy.com/help/renewing-my-expired-domain-name-609

 

[Canote100]

Thanks for your input Dotbay and I totally understand that. What I do not agree with is what GoDaddy is doing after the domain falls into the auction room. They wait until someone places a bid and when the auction ends they take over of the domain making you think that someone else outbid you, and then offer you a broker service to get you the contact info of the “new owner”. But the truth is that They own the company that outbid you...GoDaddy is the “new owner”. In my world that is called extortion...they know that you want it and now they ask you a crazy amount of money to recover it. Is like a kidnapping, nothing different. It is pretty dirty game what GoDaddy is playing yo their own clients...very miserable. You get what I’m saying?

 

[offthehandle]

My company's domain expired a month ago. When I realized that it was not active anymore I went to GoDaddy.com to see what had happened and they had my Domain for auction.

And what happened to the 7 nagging emails they sent notifying you ahead of time? Godaddy is especially competent at Customer retention in this manner.

and then offer you a broker service to get you the contact info of the “new owner”

Before you make such accusations, you might do more research and determine who bought it (Most likely not Godaddy), probably snipped with a bot/API from another Domainer.

Here- read these:
https://www.namepros.com/threads/huge-domains-sniping-godaddy-closeouts.1135689/
https://www.namepros.com/threads/godaddy-scammed-me-heres-proof.1133996/

 

[Canote100]

And what happened to the 7 nagging emails they sent notifying you ahead of time? Godaddy is especially competent at Customer retention in this manner.

And what happened to the 7 nagging emails they sent notifying you ahead of time? Godaddy is especially competent at Customer retention in this manner.

For some reason their emails were landing in my spam box. But the reason why I let my domain to expire is not the point. What happens after my domain expired is what I’m talking about.


Before you make such accusations, you might do more research and determine who bought it (Most likely not Godaddy), probably snipped with a bot/API from another Domainer.

I did do my research before making this accusation. I searched who the new owner was and the company that owns it is a subsidiary of GoDaddy.




Before you make such accusations, you might do more research and determine who bought it (Most likely not Godaddy), probably snipped with a bot/API from another Domainer.

 

[offthehandle]

"the company that owns it is a subsidiary of GoDaddy."

Who is that specifically?
Send a whois screenshot but mask out the domain name details.
Just the registrants name and company, address etc. Let's see.
It would surprise me.