NEW Pool.com Auction rules/format. Hmmm....
 

Doesn't sound so enticing...

Just received this:

Pool.com is pleased to announce exciting new innovations to our Deleting Domains services. These changes will bring greater customer privacy to our auction system, as well as remove most of the last minute scrambling that occurs as auctions close.

Effective August 20th, 2004, Pool.com will be launching a new auction system for its Deleting Domains service. All domains that Pool.com secures as of Friday August 20th will go into our new 2-Phase Auction System. As always, placing a backorder on a domain is free and without risk. If Pool.com secures the domain, it will enter our new auction process detailed below.

Here's how it works:

Phase I: Sealed Bid Auction (3 days)

* Once we have secured one of your backordered domains, you will be entered in Phase I of our Auction System: the Sealed Bid Auction. As always, only those customers who backordered the domain prior to our obtaining it are eligible to participate in the auction.

* We respect your privacy. All bids are confidential during this phase. You may enter or increase your bid at anytime during the 3-day auction.

* Entering a sealed bid is done through the same interface you use to bid now. From the Deleting Domains tab and the Auctions link, simply click on the domain you want to place a Sealed Bid on, enter your Sealed Bid, and click on Bid Now. (Note: Your Sealed Bid is your actual bid, not a proxy bid.)

* All Phase I auctions close at 3:45 pm GMT (11:45 am EST) the third day following acquisition of the domain name. If you have placed a bid within 20% of the highest Sealed Bid, or you are one of the top two bidders, you will progress to Phase II: the Challenger Auction. As bids can be placed anytime during these three days, there is no longer any need to beat the last minute rush, nor to monitor the auction as the auction closes in this phase.

* The interface for obtaining a list of your domains, and our email notifications, will remain very similar to our current system.

* * * * * *

Phase II: Challenger Auction (1 day)

* Soon after Phase I completes, a 1-day closed auction will start with only the top bidders.

* The highest Sealed Bid from Phase I will be the starting price for the Challenger Auction. The bidder with the highest sealed bid will automatically have that bid set as the initial bid in the Challenger auction.

* The Challenger auction uses the existing auction system, which utilizes Proxy bidding. Enter your Maximum Bid at anytime during the Challenger phase.
This phase of the auction is to provide a chance for serious bidders to compete for the domain.

* The winner of the Challenger Auction will be awarded the domain.

* * * * * *

We enjoy being a market leader, and innovating to better serve you. We are committed to protecting your privacy and helping you acquire the domains you desire. We are open to any suggestions you have to improve our services. Please send us your feedback and comments to [email protected]. For more information on our new 2-Phase Auction System, please visit our FAQ's.

I thought the same thing. The last move they should be making is to screw up the current system, while they're having such strong competition from others.

I'm NOT saying it gives them more opportunities to shill... I only wish they gave us a little more advance notice. Glad I don't play this game as hardcore as before because this would have equaled much more money out of my pocket. time will tell.

4th round domain drop test coming soon.
check out the rest:


1st round.
http://bbs.gofuckyourself.com/showth...hreadid=339006

2nd round.
http://bbs.gofuckyourself.com/showth...hreadid=341595

3rd round.
http://bbs.gofuckyourself.com/showth...hreadid=343155

Recent Domain Sales. please add.
http://bbs.gofuckyourself.com/showth...hreadid=341282

Geez, let's see how complicated we can make the system. This is obviously an attempt to pump up the final sale price. Also, appears it will make it easier for those to hop on after you dug up what you thought was a gem and possibly nab your domain.

very true. and good morning to you. :) (no bumping game from me this monring!)

i'm not sure the motives behind this, except for more money to line their pockets, but if you check out my drop results, you'll see that ENOM & SNAPNAMES are starting to eat away at pool. this might be their desperate attempt to "make up" for their loses... at our expense. not wise. at all. especially considering the registrars they use make it nearly impossible to manage/transfer your domains. at least with ENOM it's seamless and you have instant access.

I just transferred a bunch of domains away from Pool.com's network, FINALLY, but it took forever, and constant badgering, emailing, calling, etc. not an experience I would wish on anyone.
took over 45 days for some of them. sad.

i think people will see this for what it truly is. exactly what you said. but pool knows there's nothing we can do about it. perhaps... it's an act of fear/greed and not innovation. though I love the crew that works there, this was a big mistake. even before hey launched their secondary domain marketplace auctions, they asked me and others for feedback, if we could "contribute" domains, features, suggestions etc. - I had no idea this was coming. sad.

Nice scam. I don't understand why these companies get so greedy and fuck themselves like this. I can see Enom being number one in the next couple of months now.

if anyone's read the FAQ yet, it's insane. they said they are flooded with calls from people who hate the idea. this is a sad turn of events because it will only be a matter of time before the other drop services follow suit. terrible.

glad I'm out! :)

no more pool droptests for me! unless all my bids are $1 just to see who catches it.



keep in mind they just launched it today! no notice whatsoever. snapnames stepped on their shoes, so they changed their biz model. the evolution will only get uglier.


check the faq out:

/////////////////////////
PHASE I: SEALED BID AUCTION

What is a Sealed Bid Auction and how does it work?

A Sealed Bid Auction is the first phase of Pool.com's auction system. If we secure a domain you backordered, you will be entered in Phase 1 of our auction system. You will have 3 days to enter your Sealed Bid. The first person that backordered the domain will have a default Sealed Bid of $60 US. Your Sealed Bid is the amount you are ready to pay for the domain. When the Sealed Bid Auction closes, if you are one of the top bidders, you will advance to the second phase of the auction process: the Challenger Auction.

What is a Sealed Bid?

A Sealed Bid is the amount you are ready to pay for a domain. All Sealed Bids are confidential.

Note: A Sealed Bid is not a Proxy Bid.

How do I place a Sealed Bid?

To place your Sealed Bid, log into your Pool.com account, click on the Deleting Domains tab and on the Auctions link, click on the domain you want to place a Sealed Bid on, enter your Sealed Bid, and click on Bid Now.

Can I change my Sealed Bid?

If you want to increase your Sealed Bid, you can do so at any time during the 3-day auction period. However, you cannot lower your Sealed Bid.

What is a top bidder?

A top bidder is any participant that has placed a bid within 20% of the highest Sealed Bid, or is one of the top two bidders.

What happens at the close of a Sealed Bid Auction?

Once the auction ends, no more bids are accepted. The top bidders will move on to the second phase of the auction process: the Challenger Auction.

PHASE II: CHALLENGER AUCTION

What is a Challenger Auction and how does it work?

A Challenger Auction is the second phase of Pool.com's auction system. Only the top bidders from a Sealed Bid Auction are able to participate in a Challenger Auction and bid for the domain. The highest bid from Phase 1 will be the starting price for the Challenger Auction. The Challenger Auction will last 1 day and the highest bid will determine the winner of the domain. The bidding system for the Challenger Auction is the same as our usual proxy bidding system.

When a bid is placed that changes the auction's price during the last 5 minutes, the closing time will be increased by 5 minutes from the time the last bid was placed. The Auction Close Time will continue to be extended by 5-minute increments from the time of the last bid. When the auction has extended an extra 15 minutes, if a bid is placed within 2 minutes of the closing time the auction will extend by 2 minutes from the time the bid was placed.

What is Proxy Bidding?

When you place a bid, you are entering the maximum amount that you are willing to pay for a domain. The amount of your maximum bid is completely confidential. If someone places a bid higher than the current price, Pool.com will then bid automatically, on your behalf and at the lowest possible bid increments until your maximum bid amount is reached. This continues until another participant exceeds your maximum bid, or until you win the auction. You will be notified by email if you have been outbid on a domain you are currently winning. If you have been outbid, you can return to the auction to place a higher maximum bid amount.

Can I retract or cancel an unwanted Maximum Bid?

No. Bids are legally binding agreements to purchase a domain for the agreed upon price of up to your maximum bid. Pool.com recommends that you take your time when placing a bid.

How do I know if I am winning or if I won a Challenger Auction?

The current price will be highlighted in green in the Domains I'm Bidding On list on the Auction page. At the time you place your bid, Pool.com will confirm that you are the current high bidder. When an auction ends, Pool.com sends a confirmation email to the winning bidder, explaining which domain they have acquired, and the amount paid for the domain.

Where can I view the auction status and review the Auction History for a domain?

Log into your account and click the Auctions tab. All current auctions are displayed on the main Auctions page and for information related to past auctions, simply click the View Your Auction History link located in the Auction Info section.

What happens at the close of a Challenger auction?

Once the auction ends, no more bids are accepted. The high bidder is awarded the domain.

///////

>Here's your chance to own blahblahblah.com! Pool.com has secured this domain and it has been entered in our new 2-Phase Auction System.

Don't loose out on this domain. Copy and paste the link below into your browser to enter your Bid now!