TDNAM update

[AdoptableDomains]

Just got my first domains won on auctions in May put into my godaddy account. I'm still missing a couple refunds from the very beginning, and feel I have to double check every TDNAM billing to make sure i get the name or the refund. I have decided to wait until the last day to buy wins, so avoid some renewals and refunds. I actually had one today that went 5 days, I paid today, and 2 hours later it was renewed. Now I"ll have to wait days for a refund.

I still think the design has major flaws making it frustrating and giving GD use of your money before getting anything. I'm only getting about 1 in 3 to 4 names I"ve "won" in the auction by the time many are renewed. Of names I bid on, I only get about 1 in 5. However, in about 6 weeks, I've accumulated about 90+ in the win column of which I"ll probably still lose 15-20 to renewals. You just can't count on actually "winning" a domain until about 30-45 days after "winning" the auction. However, most of my wins are as the only bidder at $10 plus reg fee. Beyond that, I hate paying for something I may not get, so I don't bid very high or get into competetive auctions.

GD is probably limiting their income by the low success rates and prepayments if others are thinking like me. I don't mind paying $60 to $300 for a domain I"m sure I'm getting, but to pay, lose, and wait for refunds makes it not worth doing that on a bulk basis. You pretty much have to just not count on getting anything there until it ends up in your account or you'll be sorely dissappointed.

 

[bizbj]

If Godaddy said ,once you finish the payment for a name ,they will push it to your GD account AT ONCE,then the price of the name will more more more high than now.

 

[-db-]

I've noticed that 'won' names sit in my account for longer than the cut-off purchase date would suggest. This gives a bit more time to see if the names are renewed before sending your money into limbo. I've regularly seen them stick around for several days (after the cut-off date) but not sure what the average time is.

I'm still waiting on my first name to show in my account, but I have got my first refund.

 

[mole]

I've finally got my first name into my account. But the deleting list is really crap compared to Snapnames, and Godaddy is still bugging people to renew their names...

 

[Element]

Yeah thats the only thing i dont like about godaddy.

 

[AdoptableDomains]

Here's what I've actually received into my account so far. All were from auctions of May 18-19:

IRQ.US
NUW.US
NUA.us
LDR.US
FBA.US
LPR.US
GFR.US
CRR.US
JOR.US
WWR.US
QBS.US
GBM.US
LBI.US
FDM.US
WHN.US
SVC.US
MOWING.US
DROPPED.US
ULTRALIGHT.US
CUSTOMERSUPPORT.US
ARBORETUM.US
SNOWREMOVAL.US
JELLY.US

CustomerSupport.us is my favorite of the bunch. Interestingly, the owner who let it expire was the Ford Motor Company. I really didn't think that one would actually go unrenewed to the end. I'm glad it did though.

 

[-db-]

Congrats Mark, nice .US grabs! :tu:

As soon as mine hit my account, I will post a few.

So did you get a email notice for each one when it was transferred?

 

[armstrong]

PLAYSTATION.US just landed in my GD account.

 

[-db-]

Congrats Armstrong. :tu:

It's nice to see the names starting to finally come in. Hopefully we all get some new toys soon.

 

[MissFlora]

Whenever I receive one notice of domain renewal from TDNAM, I send one customer service asking for refund right away and expect them to reply me in around 48 or 36hours, telling me refund will be on the way. And after which, I will receive refund of payment from my credit card or paypal within a day or two. Just make sure you do that right away to keep track of your domains otherwise, it will take forever to give you back the money you deserve.

 

[AdoptableDomains]

So did you get a email notice for each one when it was transferred?

Again, inconsistency....Some I received notice, some I didn't. Some showed up a day after notice, some a week or even two. Not a real confidence builder.

 

[spikedo]

I finally got my first one in my account as well, birdhouses.us. Took forever, though.

 

[-db-]

Again, inconsistency....Some I received notice, some I didn't. Some showed up a day after notice, some a week or even two. Not a real confidence builder.

Yeah, I'm still getting notices for won names that were renewed, saying the transaction would be completed on whatever date. I also get payment notices on names that were already paid.

Now that names are starting to flow, hopefully this is the beginning of a better TDNAM. I want this system to work. GoDaddy has the size and pure registration numbers that we can hopefully see a steady flow of good quality dropping domains coming thru.

I finally got my first one in my account as well, birdhouses.us. Took forever, though.

Congrats Spike, I remember you mentioning this domain in a PM. (I think I wrote you back?)

 

[spikedo]

Yeah, we sent some PMs back and forth. I wasn't sure if the domain I won was renewed by owner or not. GD said I won, but it took sooo long before it was finally placed in my account.

 

[IAmAllanShore]

My "win" rate was at 12% not so long ago. It's dropped again as a few names were renewed in the grace period (I think for the much higher reg/redemption fee... so it wasn't the "usual suspects" this time).
And it does seem that the "Your auction has ended" emails are coming in mere hours after the deadline to pay for them.... Could just be luck, as I don't want to think that other domainers are really trying to screw with folks that much
-Allan

 

[AdoptableDomains]

Still some inconsistency in their script. There was a real gem that I wanted and won the bid at $10 for mobilemessaging.info. I waited several days to actually pay, and noticed about the 7th that the domain whois showed the expire date to 2006. Interestingly,it also showed it at a registrar other than godaddy. I dediced not to pay.

On July 8th at 3:03PM i recieved this:

This message is to notify you that the current registrant of mobilemessaging.info has renewed their domain name and we have ended the auction per the terms of the legal agreement (Universal Terms of Service) – http://www.tdnam.com/trpLegal.aspx?isc=dnabb517 – that you acknowledged at the time of bidding.

Then on July 9th at 4:01AM, I received the following:

This email is to inform you that we have not received payment for the following:

10.00

mobilemessaging.info

Interstingly, now the whois shows godaddy as the registrar, where it didn't before it was renewed. I'm wondering if pending transfers or domains at wildwest resellers transferring to godaddy itself have something to do with this.

 

[AdoptableDomains]

I was a little confused when I saw some godaddy TDNAM names listed with the registrar of record being Blue Razor Domains. I did a little research and found that it's yet another ICANN accredited registrar owned by godaddy. I found the info in this article.

quoted here

Blue Razor: Discount Club for Domains Hosting
Prices for new domain names remained stable in March, with few changes by major registrars. Go Daddy dropped its price to $6.95, its lowest price to date for a one-year .com registration, while 1&1 Internet AG nudged its offering from $5.88 to $5.99.

Discount-hungry domain purchasers have a new business model to consider, as Go Daddy rolled out Blue Razor Domains, a "membership discount club" where users pay an annual membership fee to obtain deeper discounts than those available through Go Daddy or its Wild West Domains reseller program. Blue Razor, an accredited ICANN registrar, is targeting its offerings to bulk purchasers who actively track existing domains. The $19.95 annual membership fee provides only a tiny advantage on .com pricing ($6.85 versus Go Daddy's current $6.95 price) but more significant discounts on private registrations, monitoring and back-ordering.

Go Daddy president Bob Parsons said the model for Blue Razor is similar to that pursued by U.S. discount retailer Wal-Mart, which targets slightly different niches with its flagship Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, a "membership warehouse" program offering discounted bulk goods in a no-frills environment.

I didn't know this existed, but it does clear up why I was finding names listed other than godaddy and wildwest.

 

[-db-]

Today, my first domain showed up in my account. I must say, it's reminded me of being a small child again, waiting for Christmas morning to arrive. It seemed like it would never get here.

 

[AdoptableDomains]

Today, my first domain showed up in my account. I must say, it's reminded me of being a small child again, waiting for Christmas morning to arrive. It seemed like it would never get here.

Yes, but time will fly now that renewal will be due in only about 9.5 months.

 

[IAmAllanShore]

Yes, but time will fly now that renewal will be due in only about 9.5 months.

About the same feeling as finally being able to move names from SnapNames' cruddy registrars or similar.

Still, some of the domains I'd renew every week if I had to.

-Allan