discuss Domains disappearing before going to GoDaddy Closeouts

[NameClerk]

I'm an active buyer on the Godaddy expired auction platform. If a domain I'm interested in doesn't have any bids, I'll generally let the auction end and immediately pick it up for $11 as soon as it reaches closeout status. I do this so I don't draw attention to the name while it's still at auction in the closing minutes. I'm sure many others do this too.

Problem is, in the past week, I've watched 3 different domains end with no bids but they never appear in closeout status. I'm checking immediately too and keep checking for up to an hour. They never appear. All 3 of these domains had hardly any "views" so I don't believe someone beat me to them. I don't believe they were immediately renewed either because the current owners didn't appear to be domainers looking for a market appraisal. None of them owned more than 5 domains.

Something weird is going on or GD has changed the redemption process because this has never happened until recently and it's happened 3 times in the past week.

Does anyone have an explanation as to what could be happening?

 

[CrocodileDundee]

How fast is your internet? Is it possible someone is getting them just before you?

 

[NameClerk]

How fast is your internet? Is it possible someone is getting them just before you?

It's pretty fast... and I'm checking instantly.

 

[CrocodileDundee]

Hmm interesting, I've definitely lost out on names before but I cant ever remember not seeing one go to closeouts.

 

[lotk]

I don't think they are disappearing. Someone is just being faster than you. Not bidding and trying to buy at the $11 closeout price is getting more and more competitive.

Care to share a couple of the domains that went missing? Maybe I beat you to them

 

[NameClerk]

I don't think they are disappearing. Someone is just being faster than you. Not bidding and trying to buy at the $11 closeout price is getting more and more competitive.

Care to share a couple of the domains that went missing? Maybe I beat you to them

I'll share the latest one once I see who owns it now. Honestly, I don't remember the other two as I monitor a lot of names on a daily basis.

It's entirely possible that someone beat me to them but I find it hard to believe that they checked the buy it now box and checked out faster than than I can execute one mouse click which I start doing the instant the auction ends.

In the case of renewal, it also doesn't seem possible that the current owner could renew the domain the instant the auction ends. It would at least appear in closeout status before being pulled.

 

[canswift]

I posed the same question in early October, as the same thing was happening to some domains I was watching: https://www.namepros.com/threads/how-is-someone-sniping-godaddy-closeouts.884329/

 

[Claypere]

Happened to me today too with a 7N .com

 

[Shimmy]

Somebody has a very fast bot. The second a name appeared I clicked on the checkout button and it was already sold by the time I did 1 click

 

[S-B]

I've had the same thing happen. Called GoDaddy and the rep said "it'll drop in a few weeks." I call BS.

 

[Willox Perez]

This is interesting. No wonder less an less quality names are coming out in the closeouts. It has become rare to find good names there. Looks like just have to be faster than the competition. Do you guys think is a possible Godaddy just simply register these names themselves to put them right back on the auction etc? Not sure this is even possible but who knows.

- Will

 

[baseballworld]

It happens I have seen domains on dropped list got to register says good to go but by the time i hit cart and try to pay its gone.
My favorite with godaddy is when half the no traffic names I let go 5 years ago show up with there premium price tag with hundreds to thousands now.

 

[lotk]

@Will - I highly doubt that Godaddy is keeping the domains for themselves.

 

[jamesau]

I can guarantee there are a number of scripts and bots challenging for closeout domains. If it's worth doing by hand it's definitely worth building a bot.

There could be other circumstances but I would imagine you've had an unlucky week in picking the domains that the bots have wanted.

 

[hookbox]

It happens all the time now. There is much more competition for all names at GD then there have been in the last few years. There is also a lot more people that know they can swipe a name right after auction then there have been in the past.

Posted views on each name don't matter any more because word got around that the more views a name got the easier it was to track what names are sought out in the system by all eyes looking internally and externally. Now I don't even look at the views so to not add to the view total which hopefully makes the name look less desirable to those that do look.

 

[urlurl]

sometimes they will show up a little while after the auction finishes.

 

[NameClerk]

For what it's worth, the domain in question was Livible.com and it appears to have been renewed by the same owner. I still don't understand the timing of it. I find it unlikely that the owner renewed it at the exact moment the auction ended. Perhaps GD allows auctions to run their course when an expired domain is renewed but withhold them from going to closeout status.

 

[cdboard]

Updated Date: 07-OCT-2015
Expiration Date: 06-OCT-2016


I would fire a G backorder at that thing, asap.

 

[thebutler]

I've wonered the same thing. I did not think the domains dropped to closeouts immediately. It sounds like thats was the system.

If you have lost a few domains this way monitor whats happening. When are they getting registered, immediately after the auction ends?

 

[instincts]

Have experienced same thing. Goes to show demand is high and all domainers are on the lookout too.

 

[ben pedri]

For what it's worth, the domain in question was Livible.com and it appears to have been renewed by the same owner. I still don't understand the timing of it. I find it unlikely that the owner renewed it at the exact moment the auction ended. Perhaps GD allows auctions to run their course when an expired domain is renewed but withhold them from going to closeout status.

This is the deal ,premier customers have until 25 days to get the domain back without paying any redemption fees ,the 25th day is the exact 1st day someone can bid on the an expiring day,so if the owner is on the fence about renewing and sees a bid ,which is usually a backorder,its safe to say pay the 8 bucks because someone wants it for at least 20.