Drops today - August 2013

[Mick]

As there is no alternative

Something could be in alpha stages of development

 

[snoopy]

I don't really know where to start commenting on this thread since it seems to have moved into the judgement phase already.

I cannot seriously communicate every single thing we do at Netfleet to every single customer, this is not practical.

How about just tell people why fixed bids are being placed way above the actual bidding?

 

[AnthonyP]

How about just tell people why fixed bids are being placed way above the actual bidding?

No

 

[James]

I don't really know where to start commenting on this thread since it seems to have moved into the judgement phase already.

I cannot seriously communicate every single thing we do at Netfleet to every single customer, this is not practical.

Maybe just put up a blog post each month with the changes that have been made to the site in the last 30~ days. This way it will keep people happy and will not take long to do at all.

If people ask whats going on point them to the blog for updates. Just an idea, as I agree you can;t really email people to let them know about every change but transparency is good to keep the loyal customers who use the site daily happy. I notice a few US companies do this with their change logs.

 

[AnthonyP]

Maybe just put up a blog post each month with the changes that have been made to the site in the last 30~ days. This way it will keep people happy and will not take long to do at all.

If people ask whats going on point them to the blog for updates. Just an idea, as I agree you can;t really email people to let them know about every change but transparency is good to keep the loyal customers who use the site daily happy. I notice a few US companies do this with their change logs.

This is a great point and I am happy to do that.

We have started blogging about changes like the archiving of offers more than 6 months old, and I have now blogged about bringing the fixed bids back.

Hopefully this keeps everyone in the loop and ensures transparency.

We are also planning a month long trial on super low buyers premiums and bringing the $10 first bidders discount back in September which should make the daily users of the site happy.

 

[neddy]

I don't really know where to start commenting on this thread since it seems to have moved into the judgement phase already.

I cannot seriously communicate every single thing we do at Netfleet to every single customer, this is not practical.

Come on Anthony - don't play the victim here.

This is not personal - you know I have a lot of time for you.

But you are GM of Netfleet, and you promised after the last flare up to be more communicative with your customers.

You also promised that if you made any changes made to the NF platform, you would inform your customers in advance.

So I asked a simple question back on the 4th August - and I never got a response. Here it is again:

And what's with the registrant contact email address being ian2@netfleet.com.au?

Noticed a few of these Netfleet email addresses appearing lately - particularly on some higher priced domains that have dropped.

Is this another "marketing initiative"?

And then on the 11th, this is part of what I posted (with a couple of questions at the end).

Still no answer.

But, speaking from the point of view of an active buyer on the drops, I think NF should have no part in making bids on behalf of endusers - particulary if it is done at the last moment -
and particularly as they have access to inside information - other bidders proxy bids.

And if I was the buyer of Bang.com.au; I can guarantee you that I would have rather purchased the domain for $502 than $1972 (the underbidder was at $501 according to the bidding history).

So I guess my question is:

If NF were bidding on this client's behalf, why would they not have made it a proxy bid of $1952 rather than a fixed bid? (Particularly as no one else can make a fixed bid).

And if they placed the proxy bid early in the piece, then it could have been a good auction contest - and no one would be making posts questioning the efficacy of this.

Just my 2 bobs worth.

So answers to these specific constructive questions would be really good. Thanks Anthony.

 

[AnthonyP]

Come on Anthony - don't play the victim here.

This is not personal - you know I have a lot of time for you.

But you are GM of Netfleet, and you promised after the last flare up to be more communicative with your customers.

Ned you continue to attack Netfleet in public and then don't want me to act like a victim? You know you can come onto dntrade and stir up the masses and you can then just walk away like last time. Half the people commenting are not even clients of ours!

You need to think about the following dntrade rules (and so do the moderators)

10. NO TROLLING - Please do not post any topic that aims to disrupt the peace and harmony of the forum with the sole purpose of starting a dispute. This includes messages in profiles, signatures and avatars.

12. NO BUMPING - Please do not repeatedly bump your threads (or other members threads) to try and get attention.

 

[neddy]

Ned you continue to attack Netfleet in public and then don't want me to act like a victim? You know you can come onto dntrade and stir up the masses and you can then just walk away like last time. Half the people commenting are not even clients of ours!

You need to think about the following dntrade rules (and so do the moderators)

10. NO TROLLING - Please do not post any topic that aims to disrupt the peace and harmony of the forum with the sole purpose of starting a dispute. This includes messages in profiles, signatures and avatars.

12. NO BUMPING - Please do not repeatedly bump your threads (or other members threads) to try and get attention.

Where is my gobsmacked icon again?

The unanswered questions I posed were perfectly reasonable I would have thought.

This is a members only section, and not open to the public. Therefore your charge of me stirring up the masses on this particular thread doesn't ring true.

I am a domainer, and if Netfleet's actions have an effect on my livelihood, then I am entitled to ask questions.

As a former owner and webmaster of this forum, I know what the rules are as I wrote most of them.

Are you trying to shut down free speech?

Nothing I have said or asked could be considered against the rules - or the spirit of the rules. Imho.

I have been polite; and I have been constructive. But I was waiting for the attack on the man to start. That's a shame that you actually have done so.

 

[snoopy]

Seems we are back to the DavidL days with these responses. How hard to can it be to explain these bids?

 

[AnthonyP]

Where is my gobsmacked icon again?

The unanswered questions I posed were perfectly reasonable I would have thought.

This is a members only section, and not open to the public. Therefore your charge of me stirring up the masses on this particular thread doesn't ring true.

I am a domainer, and if Netfleet's actions have an effect on my livelihood, then I am entitled to ask questions.

As a former owner and webmaster of this forum, I know what the rules are as I wrote most of them.

Are you trying to shut down free speech?

Nothing I have said or asked could be considered against the rules - or the spirit of the rules. Imho.

I have been polite; and I have been constructive. But I was waiting for the attack on the man to start. That's a shame that you actually have done so.

What about the rule about keeping it to one thread?

 

[AnthonyP]

Seems we are back to the DavidL days with these responses.

No matter what I say you will respond in a negative light.

 

[snoopy]

No matter what I say you will respond in a negative light.

Anthony, that is a given, but the question still remains,

"Why are fixed bids being placed way above where the actual bidding is."

I guess the next question is why Netfleet's general manager is intent on not explaining these bids and instead is spending time bickering with members?

 

[johno69]

No matter what I say you will respond in a negative light.

That's not true Anthony.

Answers like these ask for negative responses..

No

People just want to know why there were fixed bids placed by people that have inside information on others proxy bid on your auction platform.

The bids were placed by someone in-house with a netfleet email address, even if on behalf of clients so be it. But why?

We know these clients were not aware they could have won the auctions for much less had they had their bid made as a proxy rather than fixed bid. All that on top of there being no apparent way to make a fixed bid any more anyway.

If this is not related to drops August 2013 then I don't know what is....

Call me a sceptic but it seems the delay in response was just to code the ability to place a fixed bid to back up the response given.

Just own it.. "We offered the domain to an end users at a premium to bring in more profit and to boost the figures."

 

[AnthonyP]

I am a domainer, and if Netfleet's actions have an effect on my livelihood, then I am entitled to ask questions.

In the interests of transparency how about you communicate with me exactly how you do your business (before you do it) so that I can ensure I do not stand on your toes again.

I have been polite; and I have been constructive. But I was waiting for the attack on the man to start. That's a shame that you actually have done so.

You have been polite, could you point me towards the constructive comments.

 

[chris]

Hi all, things are getting quite heated here so can I please request we be respectful of everyones right to express their point of view and not go down the path of personal attacks.

Cheers,
Chris

 

[neddy]

What about the rule about keeping it to one thread?

Er, this was originally about bang.com.au. I asked questions about Netfleet registrant contact email addresses; and the disparity in the bids.

I never got an answer.

The next thread I started was a week later. I did it in the Netfleet section because I felt it the appropriate place.

I just wanted to know "if Netfleet's rules had changed" about making fixed bids etc - and I cited an example of melbournevirtualoffice.com.au.

Are you telling me that the Netfleet sponsored thread was the wrong place to ask this question?

 

[AnthonyP]

That's not true Anthony.

Answers like these ask for negative responses..



People just want to know why there were fixed bids placed by people that have inside information on others proxy bid on your auction platform.

We offer to sell a domain to a client for a fixed price, they agree to the price we capture the price as a fixed bid. Unlike a buy now price you have an opportunity to outbid this client.

The bids were placed by someone in-house with a netfleet email address, even if on behalf of clients so be it. But why?

We know these clients were not aware they could have won the auctions for much less had they had their bid made as a proxy rather than fixed bid. All that on top of there being no apparent way to make a fixed bid any more anyway.

If this is not related to drops August 2013 then I don't know what is....

Call me a sceptic but it seems the delay in response was just to code the ability to place a fixed bid to back up the response given.

Mondays are generally very busy for me and yes I made the functionality public before responding because you all seem so keen to use it.

New buyers where having a seriously hard time working out how to participate in the auctions, so now we just offer them a figure (with and option to commit more if they wish) and they chose to go for it or not. We do not ask them to learn how the auctions work or how to get involved.

Just own it.. "We offered the domain to an end users at a premium to bring in more profit and to boost the figures."

I would have thought it was obvious that this would be my objective. for the record it is my objective when I sell to an end user to sell the domain for the best possible price AND to still try to offer my existing domainers access to super low prices created by proxy bidding.

 

[AnthonyP]

Er, this was originally about bang.com.au. I asked questions about Netfleet registrant contact email addresses; and the disparity in the bids.

I never got an answer.

We offer to sell a domain to a client for a fixed price, they agree to the price we capture the price as a fixed bid. Unlike a buy now price you have an opportunity to outbid this client.

 

[AnthonyP]

Anthony, that is a given, but the question still remains,

"Why are fixed bids being placed way above where the actual bidding is."

I guess the next question is why Netfleet's general manager is intent on not explaining these bids and instead is spending time bickering with members?

New clients buying a single domain struggle to grasp how the auction works and end up unhappy as they spent 4 hours figuring it out and then lost the domain for much less than what they where prepared to pay.

We have simplified this for them by just saying, here is a suggested price we think the domain is worth to you and you can optionally choose to pay more if you think it is worth more. They choose a fixed price and we capture it for them.

The clients are much happier with this arrangement as they can focus on what they are good at and we take care of catching the domain for them.

 

[snoopy]

I would have thought it was obvious that this would be my objective. for the record it is my objective when I sell to an end user to sell the domain for the best possible price AND to still try to offer my existing domainers access to super low prices created by proxy bidding.

Proxy bidding doesn't create "super low prices". If it did you wouldn't sell that way.

I think you are trying to have it both ways here, for the people paying way more than the auction price do they even know what what auction price was? I think this is taking advantage of those buyers. The worst bit is the price they agree to doesn't mean anything anyway if the auction is higher, so it isn't even a buy it now price.