GoDaddy Fraud ?

[frankie_04]

IMHO what GoDaddy is doing with their 'backorder sytem' is fraud and a class action should be started.
This system is a complete joke. I placed a backorder on a GoDaddy resgistered domain June 3, 2005 that showed a pendingdelete status code.
This domain expired on March 21, 2005 and the last registrar update was June 1, 2005. which was the status update to pending delete, and since this is held for 5 days I knew the drop date would be on June 7, 2005 at 11 AM pacific time.
After speaking with a support rep before I placed the backorder, I was told that if the backorder was accepted that I would be the only person to have placed a backorder as GoDaddy only allows one backorder per domain that was currenly reg'd by GoDaddy and because of that I would grab the name when it was dropped.
(Now bear in mind that the rep never spoke about this domain had been listed in the auction listed at TDNAM and was never sold.)
So I waited the next four days for the backorder to go thru. Well to my surprise yesterday, June 7, 2005 around 2:30 pm cst I recieved an email from GoDaddy stating that the domain name backorder capture had failed. Well I did a quick whois and the name was still showing 'GoDaddy : pendingdelete'
So I called GoDaddy support back and I was told that I should not have recieved that email and I should not worry, that I was the only backorder and I will see the transfer in a day or two. And again I was told that if it was a previous reg'd name of GaDaddy and I was the only backorder that they "Guarantee" that name backorder to be filled.
Well today the whois now is showing a new registrar entry effective 06-07-2005, yes yesterday!
So I called today and raised hell, here is what I was told and found out;
They now put all expired GoDaddy domain names into an auction over at TDNAM, but they still accept the backorder on the GoDaddy site for 18.95.
If the name is sold at auction, you must wait for the mock-redemtion to expire and the high bidder gets the name if it is not redeemed.
However anyone that had placed a backorder of course gets the bad news that the name capture has failed and is out the fee/fee's.
Now the real fraud starts if the auction fails for whatever reason, IE no bids, nonpayment etc, that name then is suppose to be available for the backorder if one was placed. But if the backorder is placed after the auction fails [ after 70 days] and during the 5 day pendingdelete status, no action is taken on that backorder and the name is dropped, Unless you call in and ask for an esculation on that order. Well where is that written anywheres on the site?

Thru a bit of social engineering I was emailed their current policy on their
Domain Name Aftermarket Timeline.
I have put it up to read at http://ice.prohosting.com/dicehome/godaddy.html
check out section 1.4.2

Please post your comments/ideas on this issue,
as I think this policy is completely wrong.

thanks

 

[armstrong]

I use GD's TDNAM, but have never used godaddy's backorder service. From what I've read (even before your post), I see how people like you have a legitemate grievance. With the implementation of TDNAM, GD should have done the following:

- grandfather all existing GD backorders to get first dibs on expiring GD domains
- publish a clear deletion cycle flowchart (like what you posted) that's hard to miss on their already much-too-cluttered website

That they obviously didn't do either opens them up for real legal complications.

EDIT: What's the difference between a (real) redemption and a "mock redemption"? Their choice of terminology makes the process look fishy.

 

[dewd]

i backorderd a domain with godaddy, a not common one and i knew the date it was deleted and i regged it with another registar before godaddy got it, i think godadyd only checks 2wice a day....

 

[frankie_04]

i backorderd a domain with godaddy, a not common one and i knew the date it was deleted and i regged it with another registar before godaddy got it, i think godadyd only checks 2wice a day....

Yes that happened to me once before on a GoDaddy backorder, it wasn't reg'd with them before so I really didn't have a complaint. But two days after their email telling me the backorder capture failed I reg'd it with a different registrar that had it listed as public.........go-figure.

 

[DN Tycoon]

Yeah I used GD so called backorder system and it sucks...in fact it sucks so bad it should not even be a service. I have tested out mos of the well known drop services and Pool and Enom are on my top list...GD doesn't even make the list because you capture 1 out of like 10 if that.....they seriously need to revamp their backorder system or get rid of it all together.

 

[CreativeWeb]

I also foolishly used their back-order system, and the name wasn't even worth a thousand bucks, probably 200 at most. I called several times, up until the day it expired and was also told that there was no other back-order on it. I used GoDaddy, because the name was originally registered there, so I thought I would have an advantage over snapnames and whatnot. The same thing happened to me, and I was furious..I called and they said it was the original owner who renewed it, but I explained to them that it wasn't, and that it's impossible in pendelete status anyway. Turns out a third party BOUGHT it from them..the company is called something like name admin inc. they own lipbalm.com and a bunch of others. In my opinion, they have some sort of 'under-the-table' deal going on with them, where they get first crack at certain names. I'm pissed off as well, and they had the nerve to tell me there are no refunds :td:

 

[labrocca]

This is why I don't register my new names at GD anymore and why I transfer out anything that needs to be renewed. Out of all the registrars I have names at...GD frightens me the most. They really are calling us out for a class action against them.

 

[primacomputer]

I also foolishly used their back-order system, and the name wasn't even worth a thousand bucks, probably 200 at most. I called several times, up until the day it expired and was also told that there was no other back-order on it. I used GoDaddy, because the name was originally registered there, so I thought I would have an advantage over snapnames and whatnot. The same thing happened to me, and I was furious..I called and they said it was the original owner who renewed it, but I explained to them that it wasn't, and that it's impossible in pendelete status anyway. Turns out a third party BOUGHT it from them..the company is called something like name admin inc. they own lipbalm.com and a bunch of others. In my opinion, they have some sort of 'under-the-table' deal going on with them, where they get first crack at certain names. I'm pissed off as well, and they had the nerve to tell me there are no refunds :td:

I agree. There is a lot of shady business going on. One day the shit is going to hit the fan and people are going to get in serious trouble. ICANN needs to lay down clear rules for what happens to domain names when they expire, and clear penalties for people who break the rules.

 

[Ray]

its not fraud... other people could have it backordered

 

[gex6]

The original poster said that Godaddy told him that no one else was back ordering.

 

[duceman]

I won a auction at TDNAM.
I paid for the auction and the new reg fee. After 3 days I checked to see if the domain was in my acct and it wasn't. I emailed customer svc and asked why the domain was not in my acct yet and their reply was " You have won the auction for the domain but the domain has not yet come available. If the domain is not re-registered by the owner you will take ownership".

I guess they are just auctioning off every domain they have that is in the redemption period.

They shouldn't be able to auction domains that are regged with GD and that have been backordered through GD. I'm not a lawyer but that looks like selling the same product twice.

Oh yeah by the way GD hardly ever catches a decent domain at drop. I just use Snap or if I really want it Enom.

 

[CreativeWeb]

This was before I was aware that godaddy jumped on the bandwagon and began the 'bidding on expiring names' thing with TDNAM..I didn't hear anything about it, and this was a couple days after they released that service..if it weren't for that fact I would have a pretty nice name..now I'm out 20 bucks

 

[DomainSlayer]

Thanks For the heads up no back ordering there.

 

[mosaic]

i have no backdoor on GD.
at first,it is really cheaper thank Snapname and Pool,and then and you realld afford it.
but i give up to backorder one nice domain name.
if your backorders are not successful,you pay nothing for it.that is ok.i think so then.

 

[domain4u]

can i just add, Godaddy does NOT put its .biz and .us names it catches in TDNAM! that could ofcourse change but for the time being they dont do it.

 

[armstrong]

can i just add, Godaddy does NOT put its .biz and .us names it catches in TDNAM! that could ofcourse change but for the time being they dont do it.

Where did you get your information? I "won" two .us domains via TDNAM.

 

[domain4u]

i personally backordered over 40 .biz and .us domains, non of them were in tdnam even for 1 second, they all ended up directly in my account!

about 10 of them WERE registered IN godaddy (before i backordered them), they were NOT crap names too (incase you think they were in tdnam and noone bidded!)! they were very good names!

Unless my backorder credits are special :D i would think its the same for all

 

[i386]

What about RF's service ExpireFish?

 

[Lyn]

Thanks for the info

I was going to place a backorder with Godaddy, but not anymore. Thanks for the info.

Lyn

 

[MichaelV.]

i almost backordered the other day too... im glad i decided against it

thanks for the info!

 

[DJ-Sound]

godaddy's backorder defently sucks, but if it did work it they would have bidding and what not to make more money.

if its a domain that only you want to make a website with, and not 1000 other people backordering it, it works, but then so does manually registering it when the domain drops.

 

[TheBrigade]

Interesting. I placed a backorder yesterday, and it grabbed it.

Godaddy is 1/1 for me.

 

[Tippy]

GD backorders are a long shot but for the cost I feel its worth it. If it misses the name go after another one and as mentioned they have a better chance of catching low value, made-uppers vs top drops but again you could get lucky just the same.

I asked GD once if there was any benifit in catching the name using their BO system for names regged with them and their reply was no.

 

[mole]

Yeah I used GD so called backorder system and it sucks...in fact it sucks so bad it should not even be a service.

Getting a backorder converted at Godaddy is like winning the Powerball. People actually posts in these forums to proclaim they won something at Godaddy, but 99% of the time, for sucky names that you could as well hand-register.

 

[domain4u]

in the past 2 month i backordered over 100 domains all .us and .biz and .info ALL HAVE been captured, just got another 5 today! so i recommend them for the 3 extentions, NON of my names ever ended up in tdnam too! (they were NOT rubbish names too i belive on 2 of them there was even bids on pool and i still got them [Some luck eh...])