Weird Numbers

[loredan]

So just checked one of my domains through the GD valuate tool and got this:

Any idea where is the $119,999.99 number comes from?

I highly doubt any sane buyer would click the "Add To Cart" button when they see this BS ...

 

[Lox]

Twitter GD tweet

“This looks to be a bug that only appears in look-up through our Appraisal page. If you search the same names at GD you'll see only the $34.99 /yr renewal. Sorry for the mix up. ^CG”

 

[Rob Monster]

That seems like the kind of thing that would have been faster to fix the bug than to Tweet about it. Let's see how long before that bug gets patched.

As for Godaddy, it looks like they are trying to innovate but are likely navigating some difficult challenges with legacy code. It looks to me like their CTO will have a really hard job in 2020.

The whole industry benefits when the industry-leader brings their A-game.

@Paul Nicks - heads up in case not aware.

 

[Lox]

Let's see how long before that bug gets patched.

December 16, 2020?

 

[Rob Monster]

December 16, 2020?

Well, now that @Paul Nicks was tagged, I would say 1 week. That guy is a "buck stops here" executive. I have seen him move mountains through the quicksand there.

 

[Lox]

Well, now that @Paul Nicks was tagged, I would say 1 week. That guy is a "buck stops here" executive. I have seen him move mountains through the quicksand there.

It’s been 8 days since the 1st bug report. The bug is in DB = ML = AI , so it will take a time before someone’s mind come up with a smile.

 

[Rob Monster]

It’s been 8 days since the 1st bug report. The bug is in DB = ML = AI , so it will take a time before someone’s mind come up with a smile.

Right, left to their own non-attentive devices, it would probably go undetected or unaddressed. My point is that one person makes a difference. Some still have the fire at GD. Most don't.

 

[Ategy]

While I constantly dump on GoDaddy for having such a mess of a platform, this sort of ngTLD "Premium Pricing" bug is often a result of a connection issue with the ngTDL's pricing database. It can often happen the other way as well where a domain will show for regular price, but if you buy it, the transaction will be reversed because it was actually a higher priced "Premium" domain.

It's super frustrating and I once lost 1+2 full nights of pre-researching and then planning domains because of that very issue where I saw some great ngTLD domains listed for great prices. I would pull up the domains in question to show you ... but obviously that's not possible because it's been at least a couple of months that I get a "HTTP ERROR 431" at https://account.godaddy.com/receipts

As for Godaddy, it looks like they are trying to innovate but are likely navigating some difficult challenges with legacy code. It looks to me like their CTO will have a really hard job in 2020.

While 100% indeed they have massive technical issues ... the BIGGEST problem at GoDaddy is that they think that improving/fixing their technology is all they need to do. Equal or worse to the plethora of platform bugs is communication and clarity problems like discussed a bit here:
https://www.namepros.com/threads/go...otice-7-minutes-to-cure.1167755/#post-7550182

Communications is just as crucial a part of their platform as the technology itself .. possibly even more important (although you definitely need both to be strong).

Time and time again, we receive automated emails with missing, unclear or flat-out wrong information.

I'll be the first to say that fixing these issues on a platform the size and age as GoDaddy's is a monstrous undertaking. It's probably very paralysing being in charge just looking at the mountain of crap that needs to be addressed in front of you. But as a MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR technology company, I would say it's inexcusable .. but considering it's been very obvious problems for several years it's actually worse than inexcusable .. in fact, the only words that could be used that would be accurate, would also likely get me banned from NamePros .. so I'll just leave it at that!

They need to do a full top-to-bottom audit of all automated communications on their entire platform from help to FAQs to (especially) automated emails.

Right, left to their own non-attentive devices, it would probably go undetected or unaddressed.

I honestly wouldn't hold my breath with GoDaddy. I reported a duplicatable CRITICAL SECURITY issue after a vacation with my ex ... still not fixed! I've been single 3 years .. and it wasn't my last vacation with her, so add at least 1.5 years to the 3 years.

I reported a complex repeatable bug with GoDaddy auctions where a bid on "Domain A" would actually result in a bid on Domain B. I spent a few hours figuring out the mechanics of it then detailing it. But what happened when I reported it? Instead of thanking me and reversing the transactions (and giving the domains to person who ACTUALLY made the legitimate highest bid), I had to pay for the domains I DID NOT BID ON or else I would have be banned from GoDaddy Auctions! The bug continued to be there until they moved to the newer auction platform!

Years before I started actively domaining, there was an even worse auction platform issue that potentially cost domainers millions of dollars (of which 100% was fraudulent profit that went right to profit GoDaddy). Again .. never fixed until at some point there was a platform revamp.

Some still have the fire at GD. Most don't.

In all honesty, one of a couple things where I could congratulate GoDaddy on, is their recruitment department .. just about every person I've ever interacted with there have excellent people skills. Unfortunately that's often hurt by the lack of information those people know and/or have access to, but overall sincerely good people who genuinely want to help you .. but often simply can't because it's beyond the scope of their job/level.

Also .. they have far and away the best stream of expiring domains bar none. Their pricing for auctions (1st bid) and closeouts can't be disputed as too high. Obviously as an auction buyer I always want them to be cheaper .. lol .. but if I'm going to be honest, they are objectively fair/reasonable when it comes to pricing.

The bottom line however .. is that the biggest part of the problem is that many of the issues span multiple departments .. so I think it's often likely a case of an issue getting shuffled around and then accidentally (or deliberately out of frustration) falling off someone's desk into a garbage bin.

As much as I complain, I also try to be fair. Given the lack of response to bug issues I've given up wasting my time reporting bugs because they never get fixed, and even worse .. never get followed up. However, I have participated in feedback sessions for the development team. I spend an hour on a virtual session two night ago .. so I'm allowed to gripe and complain! lol

Most importantly, I respect the fact that the fixes I say they need .. particularly in terms of a top-to-bottom communications/email audit is a colossal task. But if they had started working on it years ago when it was a very obvious growing problem, things would be much better today ... instead now they simply face an even bigger complicated mess of a mountain of *{insert poop emoji here}* in front of them .. and the more they just pave over and band-aid things instead of realising they need a complete top to bottom audit, the worse it's going to get long term.



Back on topic .. I just checked my old emails (since there's a bug when I try to see my GoDaddy transaction history) .. so let's go rip that old bandaid off and see what those domains I lost were ... lol

... the list went on .. I think I had about 20 such domains in total!



Then I randomly get this painful email MORE THAN TWO DAYS LATER ...

Then this was my email to GD saying that I did not cancel the purchases ..

...


GoDaddy's Reply:

Ultimately not GoDaddy's fault .. but I really wish I would have got that cancellation email sooner so I wouldn't have wasted another 2 days planning with a friend of mine how we were going to develop them (this was just a little before I actually started "domaining"). More importantly, I thought it might have been cool that GoDaddy at least try to get Rightside to compromise and let me keep one of the 20 to make up for my time and frustrations. (GoDaddy's volume is likely VERY important to RightSide, they probably would have said yes to let me keep just one of the twenty if GoDaddy pushed them).

 

[7363824]

Part of the problem at GD I suspect is they are so old of a company they predate newer and better development methodologies and instead probably a have large monolithic code base that over time has begun becoming more and more of a mess to even simply maintain and nearly impossible to improve.

Really and truly they need to put their efforts into a complete rewrite from top to bottom and just start over IMO but that's a big investment and risk and I suspect too many of GDs senior leadership aren't willing to make the leap. But that's just a guess I have no real info to back that up, and so maybe time will tell I'm wrong....

 

[Paul Nicks]

It's an odd leftover of .CO moving some domains into premium tiers. We made the changes required to handle this on the homepage/main search page but didn't tree it down to the sub pages like appraisal. I've asked for the right folks to clean it up, but likely won't happen until after the new year.