Will Not Use DropCatch.com

[DomainVP]

As many of you know, DropCatch.com will catch a domain that has been backordered, and opens the auction open to the public. Great for them, terrible for being a domainer.

There was an auction for a name, which I have a steady buyer for in that niche. Max I have ever paid for a name in that niche was $150, and I easily sold for $1k+.

There was only myself and another domainer that placed a pre order. Over the next 3 days four more bidders came to the table, and the auction quickly went from the initial backorder price to well over $700 USD.

The only bidders were myself, and a 3rd party who did not backorder the domain, but who came along in the final 36 hours.

The profit margin & risk no longer made sense to compete on the name, so I was out.

If this is the evolution of dropcatching, you better get your names where you can and hold on tight. I never thought I would find myself saying, "I wish NameJet caught that one."

My only consolation is that I cost another party hundreds of dollars, that went to DropCatch of course...

Good for DropCatch, bad for us all. Just something to consider when ordering names.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Keith]

What you call smart, I call unethical. Those of us that invest time, effort , and money into finding valuable domains understand why they shouldn't be offering the results of our work to those that haven't made the same investment. The only people that I can imagine being ok with this are people that have money but no idea how to find good domains on their own. Dropcatch basically throws their customers under the bus every time they take a domain that only two or three of us had the skill to find and then offers up the results of our efforts to the rest of the world.

This thread is basically a bunch of cry babies.

Nobody did hard work by placing a BO. It's laughable to think that folks here suggest that competition should be limited in any way. Get over it. Dropcatch is no different than Godaddy expiring auctions. Anyone can participate there right? Now what's your argument? Gonna piss on Godaddy's system too or bid and pay fair value?!

 

[discobull]

This thread is basically a bunch of cry babies.

Nobody did hard work by placing a BO. !

My mistake. I've obviously been hallucinating all these years thinking that I spend hours each day going through lists of deleting domains. Thank you for correcting my misimpression.

 

[Jasonn]

Auctions cannot go "beyond their value" because it's an open market system. Shill bidding would be the only way for an auction to end with a compromised price. Are you suggesting this kind of behavior from Dropcatch?

Soo many domains sell for more than their worth. Just because a domainer thinks he can sell it for x amount and invests x amount doesn't mean its worth it. I spend hours every day searching dropping lists, it may not be "hard" work but it requires a lot of time.

 

[Keith]

My mistake. I've obviously been hallucinating all these years thinking that I spend hours each day going through lists of deleting domains. Thank you for correcting my misimpression.

Any successful and some unsuccessful domainers spends hours scouring the drops. That doesn't entitle them to the absolute best price when names delete.

What folks in this thread want is a deal...reseller pricing, not gonna happen! From a business standpoint, Dropcatch has invested tons, it's wise to open bidding to all buyers.

Wow!

Now I'll ask again, how is this different from godaddy expiring?

 

[hookbox]

We should all be glad that they don't catch every single good domain available and then tell us all to Fuck Off and if we want the name to go buy it at Huge Domains for 2500 bucks.

 

[discobull]

What folks in this thread want is a deal...reseller pricing, not gonna happen!

That's right. The reason we put hours of effort into research each day is to find a good deal. No kidding. Not going to happen??? Actually it happens to me on a regular basis -- just not with dropcatch.

Like I said before, there are those out there that either lack the talent or are too lazy to find names on their own and naturally those people are happy that DC operates the way they do. The fact that you are seemingly unaware of the fact that anybody puts effort into finding good backorders and that you also approve of how DC operates kind of proves my point. Hey, if it works for you, great. I, OTOH, can't think of any good reason for giving away my work.

 

[jideofor]

I noticed this with PDM.com sale which to me is a very very bad method of auction. Well, soon they will realise it's not good and will definitely scare off domainers.

 

[Keith]

That's right. The reason we put hours of effort into research each day is to find a good deal. No kidding. Not going to happen??? Actually it happens to me on a regular basis -- just not with dropcatch.

Like I said before, there are those out there that either lack the talent or are too lazy to find names on their own and naturally those people are happy that DC operates the way they do. The fact that you are seemingly unaware of the fact that anybody puts effort into finding good backorders and that you also approve of how DC operates kind of proves my point. Hey, if it works for you, great. I, OTOH, can't think of any good reason for giving away my work.

Your time doesn't matter in this case. I'm seasoned beyond many here but damn, what's fair is fair.

Now again, how is Dropcatch different from Godaddy expiring auctions? Ahh, it's not but the tears are blurring lots of eyes in this thread

 

[Keith]

And let me add this...those that are aware of the system at Dropcatch are not lazy. If anything they are more savvy than most. After all, they didn't stumble upon your desired domain at auction by accident!

 

[DU]

My mistake. I've obviously been hallucinating all these years thinking that I spend hours each day going through lists of deleting domains. Thank you for correcting my misimpression.

I guess you hate those with automation tools too....

I noticed this with PDM.com sale which to me is a very very bad method of auction. Well, soon they will realise it's not good and will definitely scare off domainers.

Yeah - because that wasn't on Rebies list to go after anyway????? He would have snagged the name either way, at least this way you got a 3 day ? auction instead of a buy it now page.

 

[discobull]

Your time doesn't matter in this case. I'm seasoned beyond many here but damn, what's fair is fair.

So now you're arguing that when you benefit from my work, that that somehow equals fairness? Ok, I guess...

Apparently, the only kind of competition you consider valid is the kind that involves a willingness to spend more than your competition so I can see why DC's system appeals to you. To me, being ok with spending more is the opposite of good business sense. I have no problem acknowledging that my objective as a business owner is to spend as little as I can get away and the way I compete is by trying to work harder and smarter than the other guy. If that makes me a cry baby so be it.

Now again, how is Dropcatch different from Godaddy expiring auctions? Ahh, it's not but the tears are blurring lots of eyes in this thread

Unless I'm missing something I don't see how the 2 are even remotely similar. GoDaddy auctions off every single expired domain within their possession and then leave it up to each of us to find the good ones. They don't just auction off the ones I've identified for them as valuable through my research. What they do is the equivalent of me or you auctioning off our own domains. Again, where's the parallel to DC?

For the two to be analogous, DC would have to catch everything they could get a hold of and then put all their captured domains up for auction ( ie domains they've found themselves, as opposed to domains that others have found and backordered through them ). If they operated that way, I'd have no objection.

 

[DU]

Unless I'm missing something I don't see how the 2 are even remotely similar. GoDaddy auctions off every single expired domain within their possession and then leave it up to each of us to find the good ones. They don't just auction off the ones I've identified for them as valuable through my research. What they do is the equivalent of me or you auctioning off our own domains. Again, where's the parallel to DC?

I only look at ones with x number of views and bids. Same difference?

 

[Keith]

So now you're arguing that when you benefit from my work, that that somehow equals fairness? Ok, I guess...

Apparently, the only kind of competition you consider valid is the kind that involves a willingness to spend more than your competition so I can see why DC's system appeals to you. To me, being ok with spending more is the opposite of good business sense. I have no problem acknowledging that my objective as a business owner is to spend as little as I can get away and the way I compete is by trying to work harder and smarter than the other guy. If that makes me a cry baby so be it.



Unless I'm missing something I don't see how the 2 are even remotely similar. GoDaddy auctions off every single expired domain within their possession and then leave it up to each of us to find the good ones. They don't just auction off the ones I've identified for them as valuable through my research. What they do is the equivalent of me or you auctioning off our own domains. Again, where's the parallel to DC?

For the two to be analogous, DC would have to catch everything they could get a hold of and then put all their captured domains up for auction ( ie domains they've found themselves, as opposed to domains that others have found and backordered through them ). If they operated that way, I'd have no objection.

You're wrong.

Godaddy is exactly the same. It doesn't matter what or how a particular registrar auctions. Here's what matters. You target a domain, it auctions or drops and auctions, you bid.

You want to split hairs over the fact that a domain deletes or is auctioned prior to deletion. It's no different. Domain X expires and you want it. Pay enough to best other bidders or gracefully bow out. Please don't cry foul when you're beat fair and square on the open market!

 

[discobull]

I guess you hate those with automation tools too....

That's an interesting leap of logic. Maybe you should leave the thinking to those that know how?

Yeah - because that wasn't on Rebies list to go after anyway????? He would have snagged the name either way, at least this way you got a 3 day ? auction instead of a buy it now page.

Oddly, despite his ability to identify every single valuable domain, it keeps happening that I pick up domains that nobody else bids on or backorders. Go figure...

 

[Keith]

it keeps happening that I pick up domains that nobody else bids on or backorders. Go figure...

That should concern you. I only BO domains that others BO and thus want. No interest by the other 6 billion people on the planet is a red flag to me.

 

[discobull]

You're wrong.

Godaddy is exactly the same. It doesn't matter what or how a particular registrar auctions. Here's what matters. You target a domain, it auctions or drops and auctions, you bid.

You want to split hairs over the fact that a domain deletes or is auctioned prior to deletion. It's no different. Domain X expires and you want it. Pay enough to best other bidders or gracefully bow out. Please don't cry foul when you're beat fair and square on the open market!

Did you actually read what I wrote? You seem to be refuting a point I didn't make.

 

[Keith]

Did you actually read what I wrote? You seem to be refuting a point I didn't make.

I'm reading your posts and don't understand your position.

Godaddy and Dropcatch are identical. One auctions domains pre deletion and the other post deletion. Would you feel better if godaddy let domains delete and then host an open auction?

 

[discobull]

That should concern you. I only BO domains that others BO and thus want. No interest by the other 6 billion people on the planet is a red flag to me.

Once again, you prove my point. Clearly you want others to do your work for you. Those that allow it, deserve what they get. I, OTOH, rely on my own work and judgment which is why I can end up buying a closeout domain for $9 and resell it for $8k while you concern yourself with the fact that nobody else bid on that domain.

 

[discobull]

I'm reading your posts and don't understand your position.

Godaddy and Dropcatch are identical. One auctions domains pre deletion and the other post deletion. Would you feel better if godaddy let domains delete and then host an open auction?

Huh? Your question implies that I object to how Godaddy operates. I don't.

The difference between the 2 has nothing to do with the stage at which the auction happens. Please quote where you think I've said that. The point I made is that with GD they auction off their own domains and they auction them all. I haven't contributed any effort to their choosing which domains get auctioned. That's the point. With DC, the domains they target for backordering and then auction off are the ones that I and others point them to.

 

[Keith]

Here's the part that makes me laugh. Dropcatch risked tons of money to catch and sell domains at a profit. Meanwhile folks here are bitching that they have to pay too much for deleting domains. But their only goal is to make a profit off the domains.

I say you complain about all the domain owners that registered in the 90s. Business savvy and foresight doesn't belong here.