TDNAM.com sham bidding?

[JackFrost]

TDNAM.com shill bidding?

Hi guys,

I bid on my first expired domain name on the TDNAM.com website (associated with GoDaddy.com).

While I ended up winning the domain name, the process was rather curious. The starting bid was $80. I entered a max bid of $327 assuming the bid proxy would keep the actual bid to a minimum. Immediately, 1 bid was entered for $80 and I was current winner.

One day later, I noticed that there were now 9 bids and the bid was $326. Exactly $1 less than my max bid. I figured I should probably up my max bid to $401.

The next day, there were now 13 bids and the current bid was $400. I, again, figured I should probably up my max bid to $507.

Later that day, I checked and I ended up winning the auction with the highest bid. The final amount...$506. $1 less than my max bid.

Though it is only an anecdotal case, the number of "coincidences" that occurred during the bidding process seems way too high for it to be by chance alone.

Has anyone else had any similar experiences with TDNAM.com? Any rumors about shill bidding on the part of TDNAM?

 

[Monsterman]

There is just to many coincidences with that story.

 

[AdoptableDomains]

Has anyone else had any similar experiences with TDNAM.com? Any rumors about sham bidding on the part of TDNAM?

No, but your case sure sounds fishy.

 

[JYM]

Generally I don't think that Godaddy uses a script to do that, however maybe the same user is doing that only to push you further... Maybe he does it to everyone. However, if you were $1 ahead, why not just stay and wait to see if the person bid higher than you? If you were $1 ahead, you'd still be in the lead so you should've just stayed.

 

[IAmAllanShore]

Can you post the name and a link to the auction?
I have no problem emailing my rep and asking exactly what was up with that...
-Allan

 

[America First]

Can you post the name and a link to the auction?
I have no problem emailing my rep and asking exactly what was up with that...
-Allan

Allan,
YOUR THE BOMB! :tu: .........There has to be some BS going on there, and im a GD fan. F#%$ everytime i like a register they do this nickle and dime Sh#@. :td:

 

[armstrong]

This used to be an alleged problem with Pool. This is the first time its been alleged for godaddy's tdnam, as far as I know.

however maybe the same user is doing that only to push you further... Maybe he does it to everyone.

How would he (this hypothetical user) do that? Can he see the other proxy bids?

 

[.X.]

I have never been through this at TDNAM...But i have at another site,I inquired the staff of the site pertaining to the matter,What had happened in my case was...Two people were bidding against me,But i could tell neither had intentions on winning the auction,They were simply bidding to raise the price up,Long story short...The staff could obviosly tell this bid scheme had happened,They were kind enough to make the final cost,My first bid amount...I hope all works out well for you.

 

[VegasCoupons]

No, they cannot see your proxy bids, that is why it confusing that they kept getting $1 below your max??

Strange....

 

[irishmat]

there must be something going on

pretty much every auction i ever bid on gets bid up to my max bid then the bidding against me stops!

 

[bobdigital]

It is the same as the ebay scam.
One friend bids up the auction until he is the high bidder, he now knows how high you bid. Then cancels his bids.
Friend #2 then bids one dollar less because he knows your high bid.
If ebay can't figure out how to stop this, what can pool or snapnames do?

 

[JackFrost]

This was an expired domain auction, so the only ones that would have the motivation to artificially bid up the price would be GoDaddy. The only ones with access to the proxy bid numbers would also be GoDaddy.

I'm more than happy to pay the $506 if it was a legitimate auction, but it would be nice to know for the future that TDNAM and GoDaddy are honest brokers. Otherwise, I'm pulling all my stuff from them...

P.S. One of the reasons that I considered bidding up that high was TDNAM reported the traffic to be over 6000 per month and I'm planning on starting a jeep parts web site.

 

[VegasCoupons]

From what I have been reading, don't trust TDNAM traffic numbers. Has been talked about here a couple times. I have a test I am going to complete once they release the names to me.

 

[MadAboutDomains]

If it was shill bidding, it wouldnt have bid higher than what you bidded...

If you would be willing to pay that much... why wouldnt someone else?

Doesnt sound fishy to me at all.

You just had competition

 

[JackFrost]

If it was shill bidding, it wouldnt have bid higher than what you bidded...

If you would be willing to pay that much... why wouldnt someone else?

Doesnt sound fishy to me at all.

You just had competition

That's exactly what got me wondering...the bids never were higher than mine. Always $1 less than mine. Perhaps I just checked at the wrong times, though. I guess if no one else has had similar experiences with TDNAM, then it was probably legitimate. However, it appears that same type of scheme has happened before within the industry, which makes me wonder...

 

[Jo]

Every single name I bid on today - I was outbid. NO ONE had bid on these names until I had. You can NOT see who's bidding against you OR how much it went for. Bunch of crap if you ask me.

I know I am NOT going to win ANY of the remaining names I have bids on. I don't give a shit though, I can do better elsewhere and why waste my money? They can have them.

 

[armstrong]

If it was shill bidding, it wouldnt have bid higher than what you bidded...

That's what happened. So that means you think there's shill bidding?

If shill bidders bid just short of your proxy bid, then that means the auction company makes more money, right? Or they can bid beyond your bid to force you to place a higher bid. Either way it would still be shill bidding.

 

[webfreak]

OR how much it went for.

For names I didn't win, they're listed under Didn't Win with the Selling Price.

 

[dvestors]

I don't think it sounds strange. You had other people interested in the name, that's all. Since they recently added the 2 minute extension to all expired auctions, people are putting in their max bids at first, instead of waiting to snipe (you can't do that anymore).

 

[America First]

OT
Jack, since you won the name can you tell me what it is?? I have 2 jeeps, fully loaded and am buying items for them all the time and would like to see the site once its up and running.

Back to the topic at hand..........Does anyone know if snapnames does this, or if i remember right you bid one time for the name and that is your final bid, is that right? Thanks :tu: