snapnames live auctions - how does this happen?

[modartis]

As you may have seen from my last post, I wanted to pick up three domain names which were deleted. I didn't manage to get any of them manually. They aren't worth investing more than the reg fee to me so I didn't go with back ordrering.

Now I see that two of them are 'live auctions' on snapnames.

How did that happen?

Does snapnames pick up every domain it can at the drop and immediately auction them? or did more than one person back order them with snapnames? They are up for auction fees of less than $60 which is what I understand snapnames backordering cost to be.

[Claudek]

The chances of you getting an expring domain manually are close to zero if they are any good.


Anyways, this is the message you get from SnapNames when they manage to acquire a domain you backordered:
The domain names you back-ordered have been acquired. As a result, a brief auction will take place for each domain name to determine to whom the domain name will be awarded. The end times for these auctions are listed below and are approximate. Be sure to check on the last day of the auction for the actual end time. Note that if multiple equal bids are received, the first bidder wins the opening bid.

The names below have multiple back-orders. To view the current state of these auctions, or change your maximum bids, click here.

By comparison, I believe Pool.com backorders do not go to auction unless more than 1 person backordered the domain.

[modartis]

By comparison, I believe Pool.com backorders do not go to auction unless more than 1 person backordered the domain.

That is bloody cheeky. Whilst snapnames are guaranteed to get $59 from you they notify the world that the domain is potentially interesting. You are underwriting their auction business against your own interests.

I made a mistake. I avoided pool because I thought they arranged shady auctions and used snapnames instead for an upcoming drop. Now I'm going to cancel snapnames and go with pool. I don't think anyone else is going to place a bid on this one so pool will be my best bet.