What happens if a bidder doesn't pay for their name on Snapnames?

[Skinny]

Hello everyone,

I was bidding on a name and ultimately was outbid.

I thought the domain was sold, but when I visited my order history it indicated the status was Payment Pending?

So has this ever happened to you & what happened to you when the bidder failed to pay after 7 days.

I know they could give me the bid as the second high bid, restart the auction, or keep the name.
But I have read different results for different names.

My problem is that this bidder and I were the only ones bidding on the name from $400 up to $1800 (numbers are fudged, but magnitude is correct).

My concern is that if the buyer doesn't pay I will be given the name (good) but was up bid by a bidder who had no intention of paying (bad) and could have gotten it for much cheaper.

Has anybody ever successfully fought this? All hypothetical, but just wondering if anyone had any info.

Thanks!

 

[ERCollins]

You should get the option to buy it at your highest bid before he starting bidding it up, or it should go back into auction.

However recently I was in an auction like this and they gave the name to the second bidder at the $69 mark. Snapnames claimed it was an error in their system and gave me some money for the error.

 

[amplify]

Agreed with the top. However, if it's a good name you want to keep you have to consider the potential risk that if there was someone before interested in that name, there may be someone new who would outbid you for it. Is the current cost you're paying satisfying for the name or would you want to take the risk of not getting it because someone bid beyond your maximum budget for the name?

I.E. domain was $400 and he bid you up to $1800. Is paying $1800 worth this name to you to officially keep or putting it back on the block for other eyes to see to bid up to $5000 when you already have it in your pocket already? You should definitely speak with a rep and see if your lowest bid can be validated, but they could have the ultimate decision to put it back up for auction as they see a bigger potential that they can make on the name (don't know the service or ToS).

Keep it, complain about it (could result in a new auction) or risk a new auction and get outbid again by a higher paying customer?

 

[Theo]

That's exactly what happened back in the day with "halvarez". Your cost should be the minimum you bid BEFORE the deadbeat entered the auction.

 

[Skinny]

Right on. Thanks for the comments. Much appreciated.

Seems the payment went through so the name didn't drop to me, but it's good to know for next time.