Reply to: How do you value a domain name?

[Platypus]

Beware !! <snip>

Many thanks - I didn't know the scam, and I've listed on Sedo now, so if the buyer comes back, I'll point him there.

[oraclesmith]

Beware !!

I have a number of domain names and there is a relatively well-known scam going round where you get an e-mail offering to buy one, but this leads on to the 'buyer' suggesting you use a particular domain name appraisal company. Guess what happens next? You guessed it, you pay money for the appraisal but the buyer pulls out. I have never fallen for this trick, but I'm sure it pulls some people in - a bit like the 'act -now - domain name renewal' letters that you get in the post.

The easy way of preventing this is to list the domain(s) for sale on a proper auction site (I use Sedo) and insist on using their domain auction/transfer service as an intermediary. There is no charge for listing but a small fee for a sale/transfer - and you are protected and can receive more like a market rate for the domain.

For example, Sedo have a system whereby if you get a initial bid from the potential buyer, you can put it up for auction and see if anyone is interested in paying more. That way you can test the buyers bid against the market. If the original buyer is eventually outbid, that's just tough !

You can just use their buyer-seller transfer service if you're happy with the price - I have bought a couple of domain names like this.

[Pondlife]

Good idea, thanks.

P.S. check out some of their recent sales... tonguemya**hole.com

Maybe we are due a big SKA announcement after all.

[Platypus]

Also try sticking it on SEDO and see if you get any offers.

Good idea, thanks.

P.S. check out some of their recent sales... tonguemya**hole.com

[ferret]

Always good in situations like this to get them to make an offer first. Spin them a line about you know how valuable the domain is and you are open only to sensible offers. When you get their offer negotiate upwards a much as possible or tell them to eff off and get real and see if they come back much higher. Getting them to make the offer is the best route IMO.

Also try sticking it on SEDO and see if you get any offers.

[Platypus]

Go on, give us a clue. Tell us what it is.

Sorry I can't do that without revealing my true identity! <zorro smiley>

But my idea was for a Text Message based service exactly like this one: Any Question Answered

Suffering succotash!

[BrowneIssue]

I've received an unsolicited email from someone who says they want to buy one of the domains I have registered.

Go on, give us a clue. Tell us what it is.

[chicane]

Is it for a brothel?

swinefludrugs.com

[BrilloPad]

Yes it's quite a good name for a certain sort of service industry - an industry that has grown pretty rapidly recently (and I'm cross that when I had the idea 10 years ago - before anyone else - I didn't follow through with it. Oh well. Could have been a millionaire but I was too effin lazy )

Is it for a brothel?

[Platypus]

Would the name be of value to anyone else?

Yes it's quite a good name for a certain sort of service industry - an industry that has grown pretty rapidly recently (and I'm cross that when I had the idea 10 years ago - before anyone else - I didn't follow through with it. Oh well. Could have been a millionaire but I was too effin lazy )

[BrilloPad]

Would the name be of value to anyone else?

A friend owned a company called "it works" : then some big company decided to create an offshoot of same name. In the end he gor £5k + legal costs : it took months.

[NickNick]

Tell you what, wish I owned www.google.com

reckon that one's pretty valuable.

Also a typo alledgedly of Googol. (which in case you didn't already know is
100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,00 0,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 )

[minestrone]

Is it not the case that if you agree to sell the name then you have effectively lost rights to have the name?

Apple got itunes.co.uk off someone for that.

[Pondlife]

Didn't Dominnos recently purchase pizza.com for $5M?

[snaw]

Tell you what, wish I owned www.google.com

reckon that one's pretty valuable.