HUGE DOMAINS SNIPING GODADDY CLOSEOUTS

[wwwweb]

So annoying Godaddy hasn't stopped Huge Domains from sniping Godaddy Closeouts with their automated tools, no way a human bidder can win a even closeout.

First they were sniping with the backorders, now you cut that out, and you are letting them snipe via automated tools.

So what do you say @Joe Styler , you want to even the playing field a bit, as your partners are bidding everything in a split second, from $12, to $11, and bidding everything else into the hundreds from a simple bid. I would rather pay a Huge Domains surcharge at checkout.


Huge Domains has an unfair advantage on the auction platform, essentially taxing every user for using it with their automated access advantages given to them thru the house.

 

[DomainBanana]

Do the folks at namepros want to effectuate change? Or, do you all want to continue bitching without doing anything to hold godaddy accountable?

I'm trying to effect change by writing these posts and calling attention to the issue.

If enough sellers understand what's going on and demand action, something will be done.

 

[Ja Kai]

Essentialy I think people are bothered but not enough.

I'm not one who likes being swindled by a probable illegal auction platform.

 

[Ja Kai]

I'm trying to effect change by writing these posts and calling attention to the issue.

If enough sellers understand what's going on and demand action, something will be done.

NOTHING WILL BE DONE.

Here is an education for you. Godaddy cares about two things: Their top and bottom line - PERIOD.

They will continue their ways until a Judge orders that their ways are illegal.'

These aren't even Godaddy's domains. These are expired domains going back to the registry - most of which were held by someone who has passed away. Sad...SAd...SAD

 

[Bob Hawkes]

I can't find anything specific on equal access, but this detailed article by a law firm on the topic of auctions has valuable information.
https://www.stimmel-law.com/en/articles/law-auctions

 

[DomainBanana]

I can't find anything specific on equal access, but this detailed article by a law firm on the topic of auctions has valuable information.
https://www.stimmel-law.com/en/articles/law-auctions

Particularly interesting:

Competitive bidding is an essential element of an auction sale. Free and fair competition among bidders brings the highest financial return to the seller. Any agreement that restricts such competition is against public policy and void. Indeed, collusion to coordinate bids between sellers defeats the validity of the auction, may be fraud or even criminal in nature.

...

Each state has discretionary powers to impose regulations in auctions for general welfare of public. Administrative officers are provided discretionary power for granting licenses to auctioneers. The officials can refuse license if the character and qualifications of a person are not satisfactory. They can refuse license if public interest requires refusal of license. The state licensing board can revoke license of persons if they do not meet the standards of honesty, truthfulness, integrity, and competence imposed. When a licensee violates the terms of the license, the license can be revoked. If the authorities receive complaint of defrauding clients, also, license can be revoked.
​

Thanks @Bob Hawkes

 

[D Haynes]

Particularly interesting:

Competitive bidding is an essential element of an auction sale. Free and fair competition among bidders brings the highest financial return to the seller. Any agreement that restricts such competition is against public policy and void. Indeed, collusion to coordinate bids between sellers defeats the validity of the auction, may be fraud or even criminal in nature.

...

Each state has discretionary powers to impose regulations in auctions for general welfare of public. Administrative officers are provided discretionary power for granting licenses to auctioneers. The officials can refuse license if the character and qualifications of a person are not satisfactory. They can refuse license if public interest requires refusal of license. The state licensing board can revoke license of persons if they do not meet the standards of honesty, truthfulness, integrity, and competence imposed]. When a licensee violates the terms of the license, the license can be revoked. If the authorities receive complaint of defrauding clients, also, license can be revoked.
​

Thanks @Bob Hawkes

LOL how long till @Joe Styler stops using the word "auction" and uses "sale" instead.

 

[MasterOfMyDomains]

Godaddy shareholders are making good money off the alleged illegal activity.
Get the stock market people involved

 

[nivadriver]

I ran some numbers today, and the average acquisition price for my last 200 names acquired through GD auctions is $25. Do I lose names to the bot? Sure, but by no means all of them.

 

[Recons.Com]

I ran some numbers today, and the average acquisition price for my last 200 names acquired through GD auctions is $25. Do I lose names to the bot? Sure, but by no means all of them.

Just the better ones...

 

[wwwweb]

I ran some numbers today, and the average acquisition price for my last 200 names acquired through GD auctions is $25. Do I lose names to the bot? Sure, but by no means all of them.

If you take closeouts out of that equation, what is your average price then?

 

[meslam479]

@Joe Styler any plans for at least limiting the number of checks per minute for closeouts api to something like 50 per minute? so we can at least compete with bots. your big customers won't suffer that much.

 

[DomainVP]

@Joe Styler any plans for at least limiting the number of checks per minute for closeouts api to something like 50 per minute? so we can at least compete with bots. your big customers won't suffer that much.

I like your idea, but the api already has it’s limits. It’s not as fast as you think it is. Most devs will tell you that the API is a joke.

HD is likely using an array of computers/servers, like they do for dropcatching.

Everyone thinks the API is this magic wand, it’s not. You have to compete with every other dev that has API, calls are limited, and so are computing resources.

When it comes to auctions the API is a beast, because you can watch hundreds of domains at once and automate your bids to drive other bidders crazy - which is what they previously did (10 seconds remaining bids).

You notice they don’t do that anymore, likely to conserve processing resources, instead they just throw money at a “targeted” domain and then either you outbid then or you don’t.

As a developer who has used the API, I can tell you that it’s not impressive when it comes to closeouts. Is it faster than manual, sure, but you can create macros that are just as fast. I don’t know how within TOS that is, but it’s something that the Chinese market competitors were doing previously.

I noticed snipes and then it would always turn out to be from Wuhan it HK.

The API has a mythos around it like these “landing pages”, but just as in landing pages - they help but it’s not the defaco solution.

 

[namesway]

I like your idea, but the api already has it’s limits. It’s not as fast as you think it is. Most devs will tell you that the API is a joke.

HD is likely using an array of computers/servers, like they do for dropcatching.

Everyone thinks the API is this magic wand, it’s not. You have to compete with every other dev that has API, calls are limited, and so are computing resources.

When it comes to auctions the API is a beast, because you can watch hundreds of domains at once and automate your bids to drive other bidders crazy - which is what they previously did (10 seconds remaining bids).

You notice they don’t do that anymore, likely to conserve processing resources, instead they just throw money at a “targeted” domain and then either you outbid then or you don’t.

As a developer who has used the API, I can tell you that it’s not impressive when it comes to closeouts. Is it faster than manual, sure, but you can create macros that are just as fast. I don’t know how within TOS that is, but it’s something that the Chinese market competitors were doing previously.

I noticed snipes and then it would always turn out to be from Wuhan it HK.

The API has a mythos around it like these “landing pages”, but just as in landing pages - they help but it’s not the defaco solution.

I completely agree. It's not a silver bullet as everybody thinks. The calls are limited to 60 requests per min. Chances are you will run out of requests before even GoDaddy moves the domain to closeout and boom, you are locked out for half hour or so. So, if you checking every half second. You have 30s. Plus you will be competing with other devs that are trying to get it as well.

 

[Recons.Com]

I like your idea, but the api already has it’s limits. It’s not as fast as you think it is. Most devs will tell you that the API is a joke.

HD is likely using an array of computers/servers, like they do for dropcatching.

Everyone thinks the API is this magic wand, it’s not. You have to compete with every other dev that has API, calls are limited, and so are computing resources.

When it comes to auctions the API is a beast, because you can watch hundreds of domains at once and automate your bids to drive other bidders crazy - which is what they previously did (10 seconds remaining bids).

You notice they don’t do that anymore, likely to conserve processing resources, instead they just throw money at a “targeted” domain and then either you outbid then or you don’t.

As a developer who has used the API, I can tell you that it’s not impressive when it comes to closeouts. Is it faster than manual, sure, but you can create macros that are just as fast. I don’t know how within TOS that is, but it’s something that the Chinese market competitors were doing previously.

I noticed snipes and then it would always turn out to be from Wuhan it HK.

The API has a mythos around it like these “landing pages”, but just as in landing pages - they help but it’s not the defaco solution.

And, yet, emprically, from my experience to anyone else's experience, EVERY lost closeout that was grabbed before it even showed, ends up with HugeDomains. How do you explain that?

Damned if you, damned if you don't. You are happy to bid up to $100, but know that you'll wake up HD bot and the bid will go up to $200 (for example), so you don't, and then HD gets it for $11.

GD would lose money with this setup, but apparently, makes more than the loss, by having few bid to their maximum. So, one guy that pays through the nose at $200 or even HD wins at that price, pays for the loss of 16+ auctions that did not end up at $12 win for someone.

And HD wins by getting enough of $11 names to pay for occasional $200 it will have to pay for the name it won at that, but most will give up at lower level, so overall it saves too.

2 companies win in this cartel setup, while the rest of the world loses.

 

[tonyk2000]

And, yet, emprically, from my experience to anyone else's experience, EVERY lost closeout that was grabbed before it even showed, ends up with HugeDomains. How do you explain that?

He may have a lot of accounts for closeouts. 100, 200, 300... All with the same whois. With consolidated billing. And, naturally, each account is limited to publicly announced 60 or so requests per minute.
As a side note, sometimes other bots (owned by various NP members in particular) do either win closeout or at least become 2nd highest bidder in non-closeout auctions. Becoming 2nd highest bidder seems to be their active wish.

 

[Daniel Owens]

Was waiting today for following domains to hit the closeout but then the buy now $11 link never appeared. Only the auction-ended notice. I would not mind if it was a fellow domainer with a faster-finger but I am pretty sure it was the bot.

ultraneo.com
greensafari.com

Cant get a domain during the auction coz people and bot will bid it up like crazy and cant get it after the auction coz of the sniping.

Most platforms have made it impossible for a bot to bid, it's just too hard these days. There is a good chance it was someone with a faster finger. Plus most states have outlawed bot-bidding or 'sniping'.

 

[DomainBanana]

Everyone thinks the API is this magic wand, it’s not. You have to compete with every other dev that has API, calls are limited, and so are computing resources.

Okay, then let's go beyond "API". GD should focus on leveling the playing field and making auctions and closeouts fair and accessible to all buyers.

Whether it's the API or macros or other coding used to game the system, GD should step in with aggressive regulation so that HD and others can't get an unfair advantage.

 

[wwwweb]

He may have a lot of accounts for closeouts. 100, 200, 300... All with the same whois. With consolidated billing. And, naturally, each account is limited to publicly announced 60 or so requests per minute.
As a side note, sometimes other bots (owned by various NP members in particular) do either win closeout or at least become 2nd highest bidder in non-closeout auctions. Becoming 2nd highest bidder seems to be their active wish.

The second highest bidder wish list doesn’t really pay off anymore, considering the same frequent bidders are winning the auctions. There was some crazy stuff going on with massive defaults on canna/hemp names which was a lot of non payments. Also like the last big one on user base.com where the end user backed off around $25K.

You can get skinned alive if you don’t know what your doing over there these days, a $12 name nobody wants to touch can be $200 in seconds with a quick bot proxy, and closeouts maybe should be delayed like random times from 30 mins to 2 hours,, based on a random
number timer.

Huge Names has gamed Godaddy, and it’s a win win, so who really cares. Only recourse you have is if you can get thru to new CEO, but whose going to say no to profits, so status quo carries on, and they continue to dominate, and expand their territory online.

 

[wwwweb]

Okay, then let's go beyond "API". GD should focus on leveling the playing field and making auctions and closeouts fair and accessible to all buyers.

Whether it's the API or macros or other coding used to game the system, GD should step in with aggressive regulation so that HD and others can't get an unfair advantage.

Playing fair doesn’t pay the bills, and get you double digit revenue growth.

 

[Recons.Com]

He may have a lot of accounts for closeouts. 100, 200, 300... All with the same whois. With consolidated billing. And, naturally, each account is limited to publicly announced 60 or so requests per minute.
As a side note, sometimes other bots (owned by various NP members in particular) do either win closeout or at least become 2nd highest bidder in non-closeout auctions. Becoming 2nd highest bidder seems to be their active wish.

That 60 might be enough to win a lot of names, if they have speed advantage. Consider that Godaddy for some reason stopped randomizing the time a name would hit closeouts. So, it is either there immediately or not at all. So, if HD fires 3-4 of tries at the right time, or maybe even 1, it wins, so it can win 20-60 names per minute from single account. That is more than enough for the best of the stock for the day that hits there. 20/minute for about 6 hours that the auctions are active, you could stock up 7200 names.

The thing with other auction members is that you see the logic in the bidding. And you see normally 3-4 horse race, because everyone agrees the name is $xxx. When it is HD, though, it is basically everyone has stopped at mid $xx and you are going at it with the bot for up to 12%. That makes it the most unpleasant part of it. I only am in those if I have possible use for myself, but that stupid thing makes me to overpay to the level of "hobbyist", as @Eric Lyon calls that price point ))

 

[DomainBanana]

Playing fair doesn’t pay the bills, and get you double digit revenue growth.

Then maybe ICANN or the FTC needs to step in and regulate domain auctions, just as the drop should be regulated.

 

[wwwweb]

Then maybe ICANN or the FTC needs to step in and regulate domain auctions, just as the drop should be regulated.

Any economy needs regulation to keep opportunities flowing and prevent companies from

ICANN can’t do anything, they are to busy thinking of ways to line their own pockets.

This would make a great article as people love to pound on what they perceive as domain squatting, so you have a company who previously was using the godaddy backorder system as a loop hole to claims the closeouts before they went live, that got exposed, and now they allow the bots to snipe them. The little guy can’t catch a break, albeit this warehouse company has amassed 7 million domains it’ holding hostage for ransom from small business users, fair game as we all know, but Joe Public likes to pound on anyone with more than 10 names. Albeit while artificially creating a supply, and demand issue, and raising the wholesale price of domains at the same time. I mean if this story got told with screenshots of user ids, and scenarios that can be predicted, it would like blow up.

Who wants to buy the TV rights to this movie ?

 

[namesway]

That 60 might be enough to win a lot of names, if they have speed advantage. Consider that Godaddy for some reason stopped randomizing the time a name would hit closeouts. So, it is either there immediately or not at all. So, if HD fires 3-4 of tries at the right time, or maybe even 1, it wins, so it can win 20-60 names per minute from single account. That is more than enough for the best of the stock for the day that hits there. 20/minute for about 6 hours that the auctions are active, you could stock up 7200 names.

The thing with other auction members is that you see the logic in the bidding. And you see normally 3-4 horse race, because everyone agrees the name is $xxx. When it is HD, though, it is basically everyone has stopped at mid $xx and you are going at it with the bot for up to 12%. That makes it the most unpleasant part of it. I only am in those if I have possible use for myself, but that stupid thing makes me to overpay to the level of "hobbyist", as @Eric Lyon calls that price point ))

Don't think they can get that many domains with the 60 requests limit. Not knowing when GoDaddy will move the domain to closeouts is a challenge in itself. It could be in 30s or 4min. If you have API access, you will know that you have to get the price first which means you have to keep sending requests first till you get the price before you can purchase the domain. If they send request for more than one domain, that will count against their limit. What you saying is only possible if they have 100 or more accounts with API access. They will run into 60 wall like everyone else b/c GoDaddy will block their API access for half HR or so. And honestly, it is more of luck than anything else.

 

[meslam479]

Another proposal that most likely will level up the playing field, I have noticed that %80+ of my list that snapped by bots, was available after 30 seconds after the end of the auction, so i believe most successful API bots will delay for 30 seconds after the auction ends then check domain 2 times per second (60times per 30 seconds with in the limit) so if godaddy limits the number of checks to one time per second instead of 60 times per minute it will kill this trick that i believe used by couple of successful bots.

 

[tonyk2000]

if godaddy limits the number of checks to one time per second instead of 60 times per minute it will kill this trick that i believe used by couple of successful bots

why would GD do this, what for? They are happy now... ;-()