How do you guys juggle listings on Sedo, Afternic, GoDaddy, and elsewhere?

[ImageAuthors]

Hello, domainers

I'm interested to hear how those of you with large portfolios manage your sales listings on all the big marketplaces--Sedo, Afternic, and GoDaddy, for example.

The playing field has changed now that Afternic, Sedo, and GoDaddy all cross-list with each other.

Let's share some ideas. There is enough experience on DNForum that we can put our heads together and save each other from wasting time, while broadening exposure for our domains.

________________________________________________________________________

Here are some issues that cause me headaches. How do you get around these problems? And what are your headaches?

1. It can take many weeks for Sedo or Afternic to process a bulk upload spreadsheet.

2. Both Sedo and Afternic refuse to list 5-10% of domains without screenshots of each domain for Whois verification.

3. GoDaddy has no bulk upload spreadsheet tool at all.

4. If my domain is listed at Afternic, GoDaddy copies the Afternic listing and won't let me create new listings in GoDaddy auctions until I delete these domains from Afternic. (And that means waiting weeks on a bulk upload spreadsheet!)

5. Wouldn't it be better to use a bulk upload spreadsheet (either Sedo's or Afternic's) to control prices and categories on GoDaddy, since GoDaddy's interface is terrible? Which method do you guys see as preferable?

6. GoDaddy seems to set its prices based off of the first listing it receives. So if I create an auction listing in GoDaddy before adding a domain in Sedo or Afternic, then GoDaddy maintains the auction listing. But if I add a domain to Afternic before I add it to Sedo, then GoDaddy will stick with the Afternic price. The problem with this situation is this: It's difficult to edit the price or for-sale status of a domain on GoDaddy, because GoDaddy ignores new listings in favor of old listings.

7. Suppose I list a domain in Sedo's Great Domains auction, but I still have it listed on Afternic--causing it to be listed on GoDaddy. Then the only way to delete the listing from GoDaddy is to delete the domain on the Afternic website and wait for the data to propagate. (And I will also have to delete the domain from the bulk upload spreadsheet to prevent it from being relisted later.) Otherwise, I run the risk of the domain selling twice to 2 different people and being banned from one of these marketplaces.

8. On a different note ... I just updated my address and put a for-sale notice in the contact info for most of my domains. Now I've got thousands of domains on 60-day registrar lock! Somebody shoot me, please.

 

[katherine]

8. On a different note ... I just updated my address and put a for-sale notice in the contact info for most of my domains. Now I've got thousands of domains on 60-day registrar lock! Somebody shoot me, please.

Welcome to Godaddy.

In answer to your question, I use the Sedo API. Maybe other marketplaces have API available on request, I don't know.

 

[Biggie]

Hello, domainers

I'm interested to hear how those of you with large portfolios manage your sales listings on all the big marketplaces--Sedo, Afternic, and GoDaddy, for example.

The playing field has changed now that Afternic, Sedo, and GoDaddy all cross-list with each other.

Let's share some ideas. There is enough experience on DNForum that we can put our heads together and save each other from wasting time, while broadening exposure for our domains.

________________________________________________________________________

Here are some issues that cause me headaches. How do you get around these problems? And what are your headaches?

1. It can take many weeks for Sedo or Afternic to process a bulk upload spreadsheet.

2. Both Sedo and Afternic refuse to list 5-10% of domains without screenshots of each domain for Whois verification.

3. GoDaddy has no bulk upload spreadsheet tool at all.

4. If my domain is listed at Afternic, GoDaddy copies the Afternic listing and won't let me create new listings in GoDaddy auctions until I delete these domains from Afternic. (And that means waiting weeks on a bulk upload spreadsheet!)

5. Wouldn't it be better to use a bulk upload spreadsheet (either Sedo's or Afternic's) to control prices and categories on GoDaddy, since GoDaddy's interface is terrible? Which method do you guys see as preferable?

6. GoDaddy seems to set its prices based off of the first listing it receives. So if I create an auction listing in GoDaddy before adding a domain in Sedo or Afternic, then GoDaddy maintains the auction listing. But if I add a domain to Afternic before I add it to Sedo, then GoDaddy will stick with the Afternic price. The problem with this situation is this: It's difficult to edit the price or for-sale status of a domain on GoDaddy, because GoDaddy ignores new listings in favor of old listings.

7. Suppose I list a domain in Sedo's Great Domains auction, but I still have it listed on Afternic--causing it to be listed on GoDaddy. Then the only way to delete the listing from GoDaddy is to delete the domain on the Afternic website and wait for the data to propagate. (And I will also have to delete the domain from the bulk upload spreadsheet to prevent it from being relisted later.) Otherwise, I run the risk of the domain selling twice to 2 different people and being banned from one of these marketplaces.

8. On a different note ... I just updated my address and put a for-sale notice in the contact info for most of my domains. Now I've got thousands of domains on 60-day registrar lock! Somebody shoot me, please.

Hi

seems like you have created a lot of unnecessary issues and obstacles for yourself.


1. been using sedo since forever, so added names as i acquired them.
2. neither sedo or afternic have refused to list any of my domains and i've never been asked to submit a screenshot of whois.
3. got like 5 names at gd
4. don't have that issue
5. just list all names as "make offers"
6. i don't use gd to sell or list names, and now they are part of sedomls, so better for me
7. if your names were listed as "make offers' at afternic and gd, then it wouldn't have effect on sedo auction.
you would just have to delete those names if they get sold or get bidded on.
also, these services know the names are listed for sale and if sold thru another venue, they can understand that, if and when it's communicated to them.
8. lol, get out of gd


Good Luck!

 

[ImageAuthors]

Thanks for the thoughtful replies. I'm still interested in hearing from others--just so we can exchange as many ideas and strategies as possible.

 

[AndyO]

The GD 60 day lock policy goes against ICANN rules (See item #2). I made a comment about the policy on the ICANN website when calling to have the lock removed in the past, and they've removed it on the condition the WHOIS info was reverted back to the original info. It's not bypassing their policy entirely, but hey, it's better than nothing.

After, update the WHOIS info with my method here and you won't lock them


Recently I did a mass consolidation and updated all my domains WHOIS info to be consistent. I figure if I need a particular domain unlocked before the 60 days is up, I'll call support and have the same thing done again. At the end of 60 days, I have my everything left in my entire portfolio looking all purdy.

 

[JuniperPark]

Hello, domainers


1. It can take many weeks for Sedo or Afternic to process a bulk upload spreadsheet.
NOT TRUE. Sedo takes 1 -3 days, Afternic 1 day but their processor is buggy and flags random domains as 'pending approval' even when they have been manually approved 5 times.

2. Both Sedo and Afternic refuse to list 5-10% of domains without screenshots of each domain for Whois verification.
I've only seen this a couple of times out of the thousands of domains I list.

4. If my domain is listed at Afternic, GoDaddy copies the Afternic listing and won't let me create new listings in GoDaddy auctions until I delete these domains from Afternic. (And that means waiting weeks on a bulk upload spreadsheet!)
You can opt-out of the MLS function at Afternic to avoid this.

The DNF software says my message is too short so I am typing this line....

 

[ImageAuthors]

Thanks for the feedback JuniperPark. I wish my experience were similar to yours.

1. Sedo has taken an average of 30+ days to process my bulk upload spreadsheets both times I have submitted them--which has cost me 2 months of waiting and crippled my ability to control my own listings. Emails to Sedo and instant-message contact with customer service don't seem to have any effect for me.

2. Domains not listed due to Whois glitches: 117 / 8000+ at Sedo and 716 / 6000+ at Afternic. Some of the Afternic problems, in my case, were due to the Whois check for certain TLDs requiring manual verification--which nobody at Afternic had gotten around to doing even after more than 2 months.

4. As far as opting out of the Afternic MLS, what I was told over the phone by Afternic customer service is that, once the listing is created with Afternic MLS, I would need to delete the listings and start over.

...

Today I deleted all my Afternic listings and switched all my Sedo fixed-price listings to negotiations only. My reason for doing this is simple: So long as these listings existed, I would be prohibited from creating or managing listings with GoDaddy. So my choice was either to abandon GoDaddy or to abandon Afternic and Sedo fixed-price.

Paradoxically, by forming a botched partnership, GoDaddy, Sedo, and Afternic may be encouraging domainers to abandon their services and list directly with their competition.

...

This problematic situation has a very simple fix, which GoDaddy could implement if they had better management:

Solution: Allow GoDaddy sellers to override the Sedo/Afternic cross-listings within GoDaddy. As it is, Sedo and Afternic trump GoDaddy's own sales platform when the Sedo/Afternic listings are older (i.e. more out of date).

 

[katherine]

2. Domains not listed due to Whois glitches: 117 / 8000+ at Sedo and 716 / 6000+ at Afternic.

You have many domains

 

[JuniperPark]

OK, just did a Sedo Catalog Sync (Bulk Upload).

I submitted it 2AM Monday, and they completed it at 4PM on Wednesday. All times Pacific Time.

 

[ImageAuthors]

Well, JuniperPark, I'm glad Sedo does respond promptly to some of its customers--perhaps the majority, I don't know. I am not so lucky.

February 2 from Sedo to me: "Just wanted to confirm that we received your updated list of domains and our sales support team is working on making sure your account is updated with them." (submitted in late January).

So far they have neither processed the upload nor given me any indication when they will--in spite of several inquiries by me. And the same thing happened the preceding time.