DomainNames.com: GoDaddy’s “Ultra Premium Domains” Marketplace

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A couple of weeks ago, Afternic hinted that it would soon be launching a new domain name marketplace on the ultra generic DomainNames.com domain name. The launch was today, and the DomainNames.com platform marketplace was introduced for the first time:

At a quick glance, the marketplace appears to be stocked with some top quality inventory from the start. Domain names like Harmony.com, Natural.com, FL.com, Invitation.com, Encourage.com, Bankroll.com, and others are exceptional and must be in high demand. Each listing has its own logo, and there is an informational landing page with some suggested uses for each domain name.

GoDaddy to Launch “Premium Domain Marketplace” on DomainNames.com

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The Afternic X account posted a link on X without much context that caught my attention this morning:

When Whois Contacts Fail, I Use GoDaddy DBS

One of the things I enjoy most about domain investing is the negotiations. Most don’t work out, but I enjoy the thought and effort that goes into a negotiation. It stimulates my brain in a way most other aspects of this business do not. This goes for both buying and selling my domain names.

On occasion, I will use GoDaddy’s Domain Broker Service (DBS) to try and buy a domain name. If I am not hearing back from a domain registrant and don’t want to continue to press, I might connect with a DBS broker to attempt to get a price. In these cases, I am probably not making a substantial enough offer to elicit a reply, so the broker won’t usually be able to help.

GoDaddy “Reputable Search” Tab Addresses Front Running

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Since domain names first became commercially available to register, people have accused domain registrars of front running. In short, front running is when a registrar is suspected of using customer search data to preemptively register domain names that someone else searched for, with the intent of reselling them at a higher price. This undermines trust in the registration process.

As the world’s largest registrar, GoDaddy has faced many accusations of front running. The company has repeatedly and emphatically denied that it does this. I’ve published official statements from GoDaddy regarding front running at least three times.

Lsland.com Typo Auction on GoDaddy into the 4 Figures


The Lsland.com domain name is in an expiry auction on GoDaddy Auctions. There are several bidders competing for this typo domain name, and the high bid is $1,010. Peter Askew highlighted this on X earlier this morning:

Dan.com is Done

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The time finally came. Dan.com has been completely shuttered by GoDaddy.

The innovative platform was acquired by GoDaddy in 2022. It was operated independently for a short period of time, and the platform was absorbed by GoDaddy and Afternic. Earlier this year, it was announced that Dan.com would close down over the Summer, and that time has come.

If you visit Dan.com now, you will be forwarded to Afternic with a Dan.com tracking url.