GoDaddy VP Caught Bidding Against Customers

[Rob J]

From Slashdot: http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/06/29/0625249

"A GoDaddy Vice President has been caught bidding against customers in their own domain name auctions. The employee Adam Dicker isn't just any GoDaddy employee; he's head of the GoDaddy subsidiary that controls the auctions. Dicker won some of the domains he bid for, and pushed up the bid price on auctions he didn't win. The conflict of interest is unethical, but could this practice also be illegal? Said a representative for a competitor, 'Even if controlled, that practice has bad news written all over it.' This comes hot on the heels of news that despite earlier promises to ICANN to end their 60-Day ban on transfers, GoDaddy quietly circumvented it by forcing customers to agree to the ban anyway. ICANN doesn't appear to be investigating or asking follow-up questions about this. What can be done to force ICANN to police the registrars for which it is responsible?"

 

[Hurley4540]

Wow...one more reason to stop using GD

 

[Source]

This is the same Adam Dicker (-=DCG=-) that owns that other domain forum.

It's hard to check the validity of this story since the source appears to be the Godaddy hate site NoDaddy.

 

[DomainTalker]

Very bad look, though...

.

 

[dgridley]

If true, it's definitely bad business IMO and he should be asked to step down, no questions asked.

 

[Hurley4540]

I'm sure it was just him on this little plot..

 

[Pred]

before you start the public flogging, " an anoynmous reader writes.............."

Adam Dicker is a hughly respected Guy with a perfect reputution in this industry.
I'll go with what i know about him.

 

[dgridley]

So, he's posting his own testimonials now too? :lol:

before you start the public flogging, " an anoynmous reader writes.............."

Adam Dicker is a hughly respected Guy with a perfect reputution in this industry.
I'll go with what i know about him.

 

[fonzie_007]

This fact has been known for some time for those who are heavily invested in the .us industry. While this doesn't pass the "smell" test, there is no hard data to prove that there was any impropriety on behalf of GD. The real question that should have people wondering is whether GD is (still) giving secret rebates to employees or selected customers--which is a clear violation of US Anti-Trust laws.

I'm not here to bash GD, but Bob Parsons would do well to listen to a good employment law and anti-trust attorney on these issues.

 

[nicedomains]

This is interesting.. hmm Adam Dicker bidding up domains on his own site.. hmmm

 

[DotUSDomains]

The only bad thing i can see with this situation is that he did not disclose this himself and of course buy more.

is this not a good sign, someone this big buying .us names.

he has more contacts than us and can probably get a premium for his names that we would not be able to achieve.

when he sells spyware.us for $25,000 will you all feel the same ? (maybee not $25K but a lot more than he paid for it)

You cant really think he used underhand tactics to buy these names.

he has enough money to play fair.

 

[fonzie_007]

I should also supplement my post by adding there is no hard data to prove there has been any impropriety from Dicker.

 

[Hurley4540]

Wonder how many other things Godaddy has been dishonest about

 

[JMJ]

Adam was a domain investor well before becoming a godaddy Vp and that is and was quite well known. Considering his salary is likely a fraction of what he earns in parking/investment revenue I'm very sure it was well know to Bob that he wasn't going to quit investing. His position doesn't give him any advantage over anyone else. Having more money than most of the bidders might though. This might actually be a story rather than a case of sore loser if it were found that he was not allowing names to go to auction or something along those lines.

 

[fonzie_007]

I think people are getting confused over the issues here. I don't think anyone is saying Dicker did anything wrong. Personally, if there is anything wrong with the situation described above, it is the perception of impropriety on behalf of GoDaddy. GoDaddy would be wise to institute a policy that prohibited employees from bidding on TDNAM auctions.

 

[JMJ]

I think people are getting confused over the issues here. I don't think anyone is saying Dicker did anything wrong. Personally, if there is anything wrong with the situation described above, it is the perception of impropriety on behalf of GoDaddy. GoDaddy would be wise to institute a policy that prohibited employees from bidding on TDNAM auctions.

What does it matter? If the person bidding bids more money and pays, they win..

 

[dgridley]

Good point.. it's like being a baseball player and betting against your team to me.. shouldn't be allowed.

I think people are getting confused over the issues here. I don't think anyone is saying Dicker did anything wrong. Personally, if there is anything wrong with the situation described above, it is the perception of impropriety on behalf of GoDaddy. GoDaddy would be wise to institute a policy that prohibited employees from bidding on TDNAM auctions.

 

[JMJ]

Betting against your team and throwing the game isn't allowed.

 

[Hurley4540]

Is this even proven true yet???? Or just rumor???

 

[JMJ]

Is this even proven true yet???? Or just rumor???

I'm sure it's very true that he is still buying names just like anyone else since like I said his domain investments and parking revenue likely greatly exceed his salary. What the article is trying to suggest is that he is bidding against other bidders for godaddy's benefit. Which isn't the case. He's bidding with his own money for his own benefit.