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10|29|2008 11:41 pm EDT

NameJet Auction Blunders Cause “Re-do”

by Adam Strong in Categories: Domain Auction

NameJet.com announced in an email to customers tonight that several auctions that occured on October 26th will be re-done with an ending date of October 30th.  The company issued the statement and blames technological problems relating to daylight savings time rules and server settings for auctions closing AFTER the closing times.

Typically, when auctions are re-ran, it is because server loads have caused interruptions preventing users from being able to bid.  In this case it looks like the auctions went too long and more bids may have come in after the hammer fell.

Daylight-savings time ends on November 2nd, so it is unclear how this problem may have affected the auctions on October 26th.  According to the email, customers who won domains at auction will have those names taken back, refunds given and the names auctioned again.

The full email sent to email customers follows after the jump.

Dear NameJet Client:
Due to a server time issue related to daylight savings rules, a few auctions on October 26th were closed after the published closing time.  If you are receiving this email, you were a participant in one or more of these auctions which allowed bidding to occur an hour after it was scheduled to have closed.

All of the affected auctions will be restarted.  If you were the winner, credit will be issued for all auctions that have already been billed, and the domains will be removed from your account with the sponsoring registrar.

We will restart the auctions with a close date of October 30th (times will be listed on each auction). These will be added to your list of Auctions within the next 24 hours.  All bids and proxy amounts will be carried over from the time the auction should have closed.  You can then review the auctions and adjust your bid as necessary.  All auctions will be restarted as “private” auctions and only the previous bidders may participate.

We apologize for this situation and assure you it has been corrected.

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  • http://www.opensrs.com/ Ken Schafer – OpenSRS

    “Daylight-savings time ends on November 2nd, so it is unclear how this problem may have affected the auctions on October 26th.”

    Daylight Savings Time started on the last weekend of October until the US changed the rules a few years ago to push it back a few weeks. They’re system must have still been programmed to account for DST in October, hence the glitch.

    Just a hunch but I noticed that the clock in my car reset itself that day as well for the same reason.

    Cheers,

    Ken.

  • Adam Strong

    Yes Thanks Ken I looked it up too. It was previously set to end the last Sunday in October which would have meant the 26th. Just funny that it’s been 2 years since that change was made. You’d think this issue would be fixed.