Afternic, GoDaddy's aftermarket platform, faced criticism from domain sellers due to pricing discrepancies. This came as a response to a tweet from competitor Efty, which highlighted that Afternic charges more for listings on its platform than through direct sales on landing pages.
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In its defense, Afternic stated that these discrepancies create confusion and a negative experience for buyers, thereby sacrificing the value and integrity of the platform. However, this is not a new policy. The Membership Agreement clearly states that the Buy Now Price for any listing on Afternic must be equal to the price listed on any for sale lander used by the seller. Despite this, Afternic allows reseller partners to add a markup to the sale price of domain names.
GoDaddy's offering of a 40% commission discount for domains parked with its services could be perceived as either highly competitive or anti-competitive, particularly if it enforces restrictions on domain owners selling their domains at different prices based on where they are sold.
The platform's insistence that the Buy Now Price on Afternic must match the price on external landers seems contradictory, especially when they permit resellers to apply their own markups. This creates an uneven playing field that undermines the integrity of the marketplace. Buyers are left confused, which ultimately drives them away.
GoDaddy's 40% commission discount for parked domains might seem attractive, but if it restricts domain owners from pricing their assets freely, it raises serious anti-competitive concerns. This approach could stifle fair market practices and erode trust among sellers.