The Domain King, Rick Schwartz.
Rick Schwartz announced that he’s the new owner of the domain GoDaddyBlows.com.
The Domain King became furious by the method that GoDaddy uses to auction expired domain names; even after payment, the auction’s result can be voided, and funds are returned.
But what about the time one spent, researching and bidding up a storm?
I am the new owner of GODADDYBLOWS.COM . I am not going to allow @GoDaddy to screw #Domainers any longer! #GoDaddy #FakeAuctions #Shills #Shillbidding.. I am going to make sure this deceptive practices CEASE! #Domains #Startups #GTLD #SEC #FTC
The domain GoDaddyBlows.com now points to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) page for GoDaddy. The reviews are far from stellar, albeit for a variety of different reasons. However, the GoDaddy rating at BBB is A+.
Rick explained his argument and intentions further, in a barrage of tweets:
They don’t need to run #FakeAuctions either but @GoDaddy does! Looks like they let owners of deleted domains bid on their own names until they renew right in the middle of an EXTENDED auction if they don’t like the price! #GoDaddy @GoDaddyHelp #Domains #Startups #marketing
And:
It was a deleted domain with two 5 minute overtimes and then vanished with 4 minutes remaining. @GoDaddy @GoDaddyHelp @godaddyauctions @GodaddyNoGood #Domains #Auctions #GTLD #BoycottGoDaddy
When asked about whether he’s going to follow on the footsteps of NoDaddy.com, a domain that was a complaints repository, Rick responded:
I don’t sell my soul to anybody. I don’t buy domains like these to sell. I buy them to pressure companies into doing the right thing even when they don’t want to. I buy it to shine a light on them publicly when I see abusive or unethical practices. When “sorry” doesn’t cut it!
A lot of domain investors have found the auction practices by GoDaddy to be counter-productive, and downright frustrating.
Often, owners of expired domain names utilize the auction methodology to gauge the public’s interest for bids, and then they renew the domain days before the renewal window expires.
All auctions come with risk, and conditions, it is clearly stated in TOS when you place your bid, otherwise it would be an outright sale at a retail price.
Selling a few million bucks of domains makes you even more cocky. I hope godaddy takes him down a notch or two.
You can please some of the people some of the time, all of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time.
Abraham Lincoln