Update: Sedo Premium Name Online Auction #3

Over the past couple of weeks, we have reviewed the Sedo auction which closed on December and spoken with many members of the dotMobi community – developers, brands, and domainers. Sedo's systems problems at the end of the auction created confusion for everyone (including dotMobi) and the result was unsatisfying for us and community participants. The question is, “What is the fair and right course of action for the good of the whole community and everyone collectively involved?”

Permitting the auction to stand, whichever ending time was validated, would invariably disadvantage some auction participants. Therefore, we are supporting the rights of everyone involved by exercising our own rights to void the auction results of December, and plan to conduct a new auction beginning January 23, 2008.

In the meanwhile, we continue to examine Sedo's preparedness to handle the historically high level of bidding the recent dotMobi auctions have drawn. Sedo has had a solid track record for its auction operations in the past, and they have assured us that they are dealing with each of the systems and process issues that have been found to date. We continue to hold Sedo and its commitment to the community in high regard, but we will always be diligent in protecting our partners and friends in the community from problems of this sort.

We believe that our actions now are the best, most fair course of action for the dotMobi community as a whole, and we will continue to protect your interests in everything we do.

– Trey Harvin, CEO, dotMobi

Comments

[CShwom]

How can sedo conduct another auction for domains that the high bids are known?... The right way to do this would be to extend the auction another 1-3 hrs with the highest bids in place, make all that participated aware and be done with it in 3 hours...

[CShwom]

The only "acceptable" time that this auction could have been made void is at the time of sedo system crash... with the 2 extensions post crash, and the email communications conveying that the auction was back on-line, this auction must stand... The extensions require that this auction must stand! it may come with a lot of question, and the handling was poor, but for sedo and mtld to save face they need to chalk this one up as a big lesson learned and move on... but the auction must stand... by extending twice, in a court of US law, the auction will stand... if sedo and mtld do not want to lose complete credibility with all industry, and be known as the pennystock pump and dump domain company, ultimately dirtying up the internet domain industry and challenging the integrity of all types of e-commerce, this auction must stand... I lost quite a number of domains with the extension, and would love another opportunity, but not with these domains... once the auction was extended, and communication sent that the auction was back on-line this auction must and will stand..

if it does not, I ask all of you, in whatever country you are in, to reach out to your congressman, senators, attorney generals, the press, Internet domain authorities to expose mtld and sedo and to ensure that consumers are protected... this is not about fairness, it is about greed... I will be the first to invite as many officials as I can to expose the handling of this auction if it does not stand... class action lawsuit will be right around the corner...

I do hope both sedo and mtld realize that they have a duty to keep this auction as it closed.. if they do not, all auctions from this point forward will be challenged.. The handling of this will set a precedent; hopefully it will be the right one...

CShwom

[Anand Reddy]

There were a large number of prospective bidders, including myself, who were unable to participate in the previous extended auction. The domains were awarded to a select few opportunists. It is only fair and ethical that the auction is cancelled. Kudos MTLD and SEDO.

[chris]

You need to fix this sedo mess immediately. I would start by contacting all of the "winners' from the previous auction. THere are 100 names here, it can not be that hard to do.

[ron]

Did NFL replay SuperBowl XXXVIII again after Janet 's wardrobe malfunction ?

wakeup sedo..........

[Queen Tony]

Big time problems. Do not do this auction this is not right. Deal with each upset bidder separate workout deals, maybe even give them comparative premium names for free but that is it, you have 100 domain owners very upset.

[rose]

The question dot.mobi and sedo ask, "What is the fair and right course of action for the good of the whole community and everyone collectively involved?" is truly an ethical and honorable thing to be asking. Unfortunately, their answer to repeat the auction in a month after all this hype and publicity is a total mockery and insult to what true fairness is. They might consider opening the auction to only those who participated in the Dec 5 auction. I can't see any thread of fairness in allowing those who didn't participate on that day to now have a chance to bid against those who did.

[Yimy]

GREAT NEWS !!!

Mobility Round Table for those affected by the 3rd Sedo dotMobi Auction

http://mobility.mobi/announcement.php?f=60

This is an initiative of Mr Alvaro Albarracin and some other main winners of the last extended auction as well as the first auction.

Let's join!!!!

[MobilePublisher]

MobilePublisher published a short news about this issue (dotMobi auction) on http://mpub.mobi/node/235 .