Pheenix.com - Drop Catching Service - Please Share Your Experiences

[Neophyte]

I just signed up with Pheenix.com, a new drop catching service by the owners for FreshDrop, and would like to know your experience with them. Has anyone won a domain with them? Any issues in getting the domains put in your name/in your account?

 

[lcbyou]

Review in Progress...
Hi, I would like to say that pheenix is another great domain backorder site. I just found that 2 domains was caught by Pheenix! How amazing to know that the price is even lower than godaddy and the service better than name.com or backorderzone.
I will try to backorder domains at pheenix.com and hope to get good domains.

 

[invented]

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Review in Progress
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Better than Snapnames and GoDaddy?

 

[lincolndsp]

8 domains - 1 win (over the course of 2 days).

 

[indiegrind]

I am 0/2 so far, I am only trying domains that I expect to have competition.

 

[gorilla_bob]

Hi All,

Just want to make sure that at this point, although we have been known to beat the 3 major drop catchers, if you are trying to benchmark us with them, most likely the results won't be as good.

We do have a roadmap in increasing our catch ratio and our team is hard at work on this.

Where we really shine right now is that if you are backordering against smaller drop catchers such as Godaddy. We seem to be doing quite well in that area.

Hope this helps.

Tan

 

[indiegrind]

gorilla_bob

I think the service is great despite my misses and plan on using it regularly. I love the price per backorder, the ease of use, and the fact that I dont have to worry about going to auction and competing if you do catch it.

It is very convenient for me and I will continue to use it. I'm not really trying to beat other services, just trying to get domains that i dont believe I will get an opportunity to otherwise handreg without paying 60-70 bucks a pop.

 

[Name Trader]

Pheenix captured my backorder over GoDaddy & BackorderZone. This is a very good start.

 

[Fork]

Of today's three backorders, Pheenix caught two and GoDaddy caught one.

 

[Name Trader]

Pheenix captured my backorder over GoDaddy & BackorderZone. This is a very good start.

Rinse and Repeat. Another domain backordered from Pheenix, BackorderZone, GoDaddy. Available on 9th May. Not backordered anywhere else (as of now).

Another success for Pheenix over BackorderZone and Godaddy. that's 2 out of 2 so far. I'm beginning to like this service

 

[indiegrind]

Caught 1 of 2 today.

 

[Ivannnn]

Is it a big turn off for end-users when you tell them the domain is registered at a unknown registrar such is Pheenix.com and that they have to register there in order to get the domain? Or do you rather wait 60 days before trying to sell?

 

[Name Trader]

I wait the 60 days.

 

[flipname]

Is it a big turn off for end-users when you tell them the domain is registered at a unknown registrar such is Pheenix.com and that they have to register there in order to get the domain? Or do you rather wait 60 days before trying to sell?

I haven't had any issue with that. I would much rather have a domain land at Pheenix as opposed to some of the sketchy registrars where my domains have ended up at with SnapNames.

I've caught one name using their service so far and have been pleased with the ease of use and price.

 

[indiegrind]

Is it a big turn off for end-users when you tell them the domain is registered at a unknown registrar such is Pheenix.com and that they have to register there in order to get the domain? Or do you rather wait 60 days before trying to sell?

im waiting, because i dont want endusers to know i paid 18.95 for a domain i just sold to them for much more.

 

[invented]

This is weird...

Why is everyone here can backorder with ease? Every time I tried to backorder at Pheenix, the system said, "Unable to backorder these domains." What happened?

Besides the obvious someone else has already reserved it, is there any other reason? Perhaps the registrars have exclusive agreements with NameJet and SnapNames? I hope Pheenix can clarify this here.

Thanks.

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Review in Progress

 

[indiegrind]

This is weird...

Why is everyone here can backorder with ease? Every time I tried to backorder at Pheenix, the system said, "Unable to backorder these domains." What happened?

Besides the obvious someone else has already reserved it, is there any other reason? Perhaps the registrars have exclusive agreements with NameJet and SnapNames? I hope Pheenix can clarify this here.

Thanks.

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Review in Progress

More than likely, either you waited too late after the domain hit pendingdelete status and someone backordered it through pheenix before you, or you jumped in too early and tried to backorder before it went into pendingdelete status.

 

[Neophyte]

im waiting, because i dont want endusers to know i paid 18.95 for a domain i just sold to them for much more.

This is an issue with Pheenix if they catch a domain for you and you want to sell quickly. They should have a separate site for buyers/end users to log into or they should remove their backorder prices from the site.

 

[gorilla_bob]

Hi guys,

Wanted to address some of the items above.

Invented: Yes you are correct. The reason why you are getting that message is that someone else has backordered the domain name or that it is not in Pending Delete status yet. We have plans on moving to a multi-bid system so that everyone has a chance to backorder the domain name they want.

Nohbdyduzitbett: I understand your thoughts. We are working on a new frontend user interface. The new user interface will look more like a registrar interface. Most likely will launch in a few months.

Thanks again for all the great feedback that you are all doing.

Tan

 

[indiegrind]

I much prefer you current 1st come backordering to multi-bid.

 

[JimJammy]

I much prefer you current 1st come backordering to multi-bid.

Ditto.

 

[gorilla_bob]

Thanks for your feedback.

1. There are inherit problems with a first come first serve systems. One, it drives away customers that are unable to backorder domain names. Therefore, it stifles our growth.

2. It limits our ability to be competitive. Most other backorder systems are multibid. I'm sure that all of us has dealt with not so good service at other backorder sites. That's one thing we have been addressing as we have very good relationships with our customers. However, a 'first come, first served' system cannot be sustainable and what eventually happens is that the system has to adopt a multibid system or becomes very limited in the services that they can offer.

I hope everyone can understand our thoughts on this as we to offer everyone great service and grow our ability to catch you even better domains.

There are lots of exciting things coming down the pipeline for Pheenix that should change your perspective on what a domain registrar can offer. I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised in the coming months.

Tan

 

[Neophyte]

Thanks for your feedback.

1. There are inherit problems with a first come first serve systems. One, it drives away customers that are unable to backorder domain names. Therefore, it stifles our growth.

2. It limits our ability to be competitive. Most other backorder systems are multibid. I'm sure that all of us has dealt with not so good service at other backorder sites. That's one thing we have been addressing as we have very good relationships with our customers. However, a 'first come, first served' system cannot be sustainable and what eventually happens is that the system has to adopt a multibid system or becomes very limited in the services that they can offer.

I hope everyone can understand our thoughts on this as we to offer everyone great service and grow our ability to catch you even better domains.

There are lots of exciting things coming down the pipeline for Pheenix that should change your perspective on what a domain registrar can offer. I think everyone will be pleasantly surprised in the coming months.

Tan

I think that the first come, first served model is great, and it is the only reason why I went back to backordering domain names. You are providing a great service, and I am sure you have gained many new customers. Many domainers are sick of domain auctions and their ridiculously high prices. We do not need another multi-bid backorder service. We understand that there is potentially more money to be made with the multi-bid system, but perhaps charging a higher backorder fee would be viable as Pheenix increases the number of registry connections necessary to compete with the "big boys." I don't know about other domainers, but I would be willing to pay, let's say, $99, for a chance to backorder a name and if you catch it, there are no auctions!

I think Pheenix can be very successful keeping things as-is, as people are looking for alternatives to the multi-bid system or aresimply not backordering at all. Some domainers have already left Snapnames and NameJet. I think this is a golden opportunity for Pheenix and I hope they will not become like other backorder services.

I think it is important that everyone backorder their domains through Pheenix and encourage them not to make any changes to the first come, first served backorders.

 

[JB Lions]

"let's say, $99, for a chance to backorder a name and if you catch it, there are no auctions!"

$99 when you can get it for $59 or $69 at the other places? Some of these were at Snapnames Expiring or Namejet Pre-Release where you would have been the only bidder and got it at $69. That price would pretty much kill the service. As what's been pointed out already, there is a demand for a low price delete catcher. I like the price where it is now, if you're the only one, you still get it at $18.95. Part of me likes the first one in method currently used, the other part understands why they want to go the other direction.

 

[Neophyte]

"let's say, $99, for a chance to backorder a name and if you catch it, there are no auctions!"

$99 when you can get it for $59 or $69 at the other places? Some of these were at Snapnames Expiring or Namejet Pre-Release where you would have been the only bidder and got it at $69. That price would pretty much kill the service. As what's been pointed out already, there is a demand for a low price delete catcher. I like the price where it is now, if you're the only one, you still get it at $18.95. Part of me likes the first one in method currently used, the other part understands why they want to go the other direction.

Hey, I like the $18.95 price, but Pheenix is saying it is not viable. It's a business and the bottom line is making money. If they can make $1000 for a caught domain because of all of the people bidding and driving the price up versus one person only paying $18.95, which would you think they'd choose? I love the current first come, first served, pay $18.95 model but I know it won't be around much longer. So how can we keep the first come, first served model without Pheenix losing out on so much money? That's why I said I would pay the $99. Sure, the other places charge $59 or $69...if you are the only bidder. Otherwise, you will pay far more than that or drop out of the auction. Paying the $99 to Pheenix to guarantee the name eliminates the dreaded auction and plus Pheenix is making money as well. Just food for thought

 

[JB Lions]

Maybe, even when there are auctions, it wouldn't get that high (99), these are deleting names after all. Names people usually had a shot at before they got to this point. That $99 per deleting name will start to add up after awhile. You can get better ones at $69 at Snap or NJ, finding ones people are missing. Usually there are names at Namejet or Snap that I know I want, I put a bid in. Then there are those borderline ones where I watch. If someone bids, I might put a bid in as well. If it gets no bids, I put them on a spreadsheet, wait till they delete and sometimes I get them at reg ree. The current $18.95 is only 2x normal reg fee and I'm fine with that if it helps keep those names from that one guy that usually snaps them all up But $99, not for me. I don't think there is a much of a market/big enough for that price point, even if it guarantees you get it and another if on top of that, if they catch it. But for the chance at $18.95 if you're the only one or an auction that might be under $99, think more people will be down for that. And again, $99 would kill the business, they can do much more volume at the current price point.