GoDaddy Stops Employee’s From Bidding in TDNAM Auction

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Today as reported by DomainNameWire.com the General Counsel of GoDaddy, Christine Jones announced that

“”””To ensure customer confidence and to avoid any possible future questions of impropriety all GD employees are now and in the future prohibited from participating in TDNAM auctions, purchasing, sales & back orders.””””

We applaud GoDaddy in reversing their policy and taking this action.

About Michael Berkens

Michael Berkens, Esq. is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheDomains.com. Michael is also the co-founder of Worldwide Media Inc. which sold around 70K domain to Godaddy.com in December 2015 and now owns around 8K domain names . Michael was also one of the 5 Judges selected for the the Verisign 30th Anniversary .Com contest.

Comments

  3. jerzz says

    I’d like to see a similar public statement from Tucows, NameJet, Enom, Register.com, and MIT (and any others)

  5. Rick Schwartz says

    I agree, ALL other registrars should now make the same pledge or risk losing domainers business.

    Tucows should learn how much good will comes from making a good decision. Right now, they just have growing ill will and it is getting worse each passing day.

  6. MHB says

    Rick

    Agreed.

    If not for the domainers and bloggers, bring this issue to light and making our voices Godaddy would not have acted.

    The registrars will get away with as much as we let them.

    GoDaddy made a very good decision today, one that will pay dividends for a long time.

    Tucows made a poor decision which will cost them dearly down the line.

  8. Scott Kozlowski (Koz) says

    Mike,

    Over at DomainNameWire.com

    Elliot Silver had a great question:

    “How about employees’ family members?”

  9. Scott Kozlowski (Koz) says

    I have another.

    What about LLC’s or Corp’s they are involved in?
    Technically they aren’t bidding as an employee of GoDaddy. But, as a partner or shareholder of another entity (whether they are minority or majority owners).

    It brings up the whole question of how will they try to surreptitiously continue bidding?

    Koz

  10. MHB says

    Scott

    Using an LLC or shell of course would not be within the spirit of the rule.

    There are many ways to avoid rules and probably in untraceable fashion.

    This goes for all business and practices.

    At some point you have to hope that people live up to the rules and regulation that have been placed on them.

    Most people are actually conscientious try to live within the rules.

    As always if someone is hell bent on doing what they want regardless of how it effect others then they care figure away around it.

    You have to decide for yourself whether to participate or not.

    For me I think Godaddy has done all they can do and until any concrete evidence is found to the contrary, I think the employee will stay out of the auctions

  12. MHB says

    Bailey

    Just to be clear, I would take no joy in Mr. Dicker resigning.

    Mr. Dicker was not the problem.

    Godaddy allowing the conduct was the problem.

    I’m sure employee’s of Godaddy were bidding on TDNAM long before Mr. Dicker got hired.

    I am also quite sure that he asked whether bidding in the auction was allowed before he even took the job, and if not I’m certain he asked if it was OK before he placed the first bid.

    I don’t think Mr. Dicker has an “personal” responsibility here.

    He did what was allowed by his employer, as we all would.

    We wish Mr. Dicker only the best.

  13. David says

    Fully agree, MHB. I’ll be blogging about this later on and linking back to DNW, thanks!

    I don’t know Adam personally. But from the few times we’ve communicated, I’ve gotten the (possibly mistaken?) impression he’s straight forward.

    It just so happens this specific issue wasn’t necessarily cleared up…until lots of people brought it up.