Is this sneaky by GoDaddy?

[Brand Herald]

Hi Npers:

I have noticed a potential sneaky habit by Godaddy. I say potentially because perhaps there is a good explanation.

Anyhow - on two separate occasions I have put two domains at GD auctions in my shopping cart and for some reason there was a problem with my payment details. So I attempted the start the process all over by adding the domains again to my shopping cart and using new payment details. (For some reason I couldn't get the domains back in my cart without restarting the process)

When I searched GD auctions for the domains in question - the domains were not there. I put the domains in regular GD search and it says the names are taken and one needs to pay $69 each for some buy service or the other plus I assume the cost of the domains themselves. There were no links to the auctions.

Ok - I figured someone was quicker on the draw and bought the domains but guess what. Checking those name a few hours later on the auction - and they are available again at the auction price.

So I am wondering if GD seeing someone was interested in the domains initially and not pulling the trigger slap a $69 price tag for the buying service for the domain in addition to the cost one has to pay to of purchase the domains to squeeze more out of their customers.

 

[Kpett]

The $69 buy service is for any domain that is already "taken." May have been because they were in your cart and you were having payment issues those domains had not yet cleared, so the system thought they were already taken when you tried to add them to a new cart. Then later when you checked they had cleared and were then available again. Not "sneaky" at all.

 

[Brand Herald]

I hear you. But if GD is telling me to use another payment option at the exact moment I pressed the pay button - then I am not seeing why the system (or why the system is devised that way) is taking it that the domains were paid for and/or the domains are taken. It is not a case of the payment went "through" and then there was a problem later. I do think that is a kink that needs sorting out. The fair thing to do is to make a domain available until that pay button is pressed and the payment goes through. Surely the system can be devised that way.

 

[MapleDots]

Godaddy does reserve the domain by 15 minutes once you put it in your shopping basket. If somehow you get into a different session it will say taken and offer to get it for you for a fee.

I'm pretty sure I had that happen before.

There are a number of bugs in the system and....

I had a similar thing happen to me with a discount code for a 99 cent .ca domain the other day. GoDaddy automatically put the code in my basket and said congratulations you have a .99 cent domain. I figured I would leave it in my shopping basket because I had more to buy. Somehow my tab was closed and I though crap, I know what going to happen now. Sure enough I went back and when I submitted it said the code was already used. Well I had not used it and then I opened a third session, it offered me the same code, I applied it said congrats, when I submitted it said code already used.

So there are what I think are session bugs of some kind, that is all I can say about that because that is how I experience it.

 

[Brand Herald]

I have had that happen too. Thanks guys for your responses thus far