LL.com sold for 1k??

[ThreeD]

At first I didn't notice the domain was a IDN (thanks Keith), needless to say I almost lost it when I saw this LL.com sell for $1100

http://sedo.com/auction/auction_his...ion_id=124699&tracked=&partnerid=&language=us

 

[wot]

That piece of garbage was registered in Nov 2011 and is worthless!

And here are a couple more.

ја.com https://www.sedo.co.uk/auction/auct...tion_id=124884&tracked=&partnerid=&language=e Registered 11th Feb 2012

хѕ.com https://www.sedo.co.uk/auction/auct...tion_id=124919&tracked=&partnerid=&language=e Registered 16th Nov 2011

These piles of rubbish are as close to fraud as you can get and at the moment Sedo.com has then plastered all over their "featured domains" and on auction.

It should be obvious to even the dumbest person that the initial bids are shill and that if these names were what they look to be then it would be $xxx,xxx up!

There have been numerous attempts to get Sedo.com to do something about it but nothing has been done-it's a disgrace to our industry and a even worse to real IDN.

---------- Post added at 08:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:12 AM ----------

Normally if I post something like this it gets moved to the IDN section or to the Sedo section and I get warned.

This is too important to be hidden away and should stay on the domain discussion section,maybe even pinned as a warning to what is happening.

---------- Post added at 08:24 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:22 AM ----------

See my blog if you are interested to see just how long this has been going on with no action from Sedo.com

 

[Shackleton]

During the auction they have an explanation in the listing that says:

Important Notice: This is an Internationalized Domain (IDN). Technically the domain is xn--something.com

Unfortunately, some bidders aren't reading the description and are most likely unaware of what they are purchasing. It seems prominent enough.

 

[Keith]

Can you say IDN?

 

[johname]

its xn--p1a1c.com

 

[Keith]

its xn--p1a1c.com

Looks like an $1100 domain to me :tri:

 

[johname]

Shouldn't there be some kind of warning to all bidders that they're dealing with an IDN?

We are looking at a closed auction, would have to see how it was presented live, but I see the concern.

 

[Sull]

To me, the IDN listings on SEDO are no different than anonymous snake oil salesmen selling their wares. They make sales (mostly) on the uninformed and the quick to bid. Most of the IDNs were registered months ago and start with a shill bid. It's a corrupt practice that needs immediate attention in my opinion. I'm hopeful now that SEDO has new management things will begin to clear up there.

 

[wot]

I never see these domains making it to reported sales, I assume that the sales do not complete once the buyers realize their mistake :wave:

Hopefully that is the case and the more they get reported the more likely potential buyers will do some due diligence and will find a reference to them on Google etc.

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and talks like a duck - guess what,chances are it's a duck!

CAVEAT EMPTOR

 

[the_poet]

What a scam! :D

 

[DU]

I don't think Sedo really have an automated mean to distinguish between worthless/phishing-type IDNs and genuine words in non-Latin scripts.

But there are plenty of white lists available that are implemented by different browsers that would allow Sedo to show how the domain would look.

It should be listed on the auction by punycode according to those rules for most people.

Reverse the disclaimer so to speak.

NO ONE IS FINDING these auctions through search - they are finding them via the featured listing (which is clicking on a word that looks legit with a decent bid to further that illusion) or as active (with a decent bid)

I think the mention is sufficient:

I do too as it is quite prominent; however, I'm not sure whether laypeople understand what that means. The name is sold as the actual correct value and not how it will appear.

It's a form of homograph attack through auction. There are plenty of people who don't even understand that there are multiple code pages and what UTF is.

Problem is that people bid without doing research.

How do you research something you don't really understand that looks like something you think you understand?
I spent 4 weeks researching a $100 backpack so I don't understand $1100 on a domain that makes no sense but it's not necessarily that easy. You don't know what it's like to have no technology background.

Yet these names are confusing, I'm not really sure what the best approach would be. Ban IDNs ?

They are for the most part in most browsers in lots of the world based on the aforementioned whitelists

The whole thing was ill thought out was it not.

 

[johname]

The one thing I know 100% is that its wrong to have the auction results page look like this!

 

[Robin]

Lol I have seen many such IDN names on sedo. Sometimes I also read them wrong.
Helpless buyer. People bid in hurry without any research. Anyway Luck seller. :P

 

[wot]

if you wish to learn more about idn's i suggest idnblog/com and IDNF/com ....there is actually another world that does not speak english and they are all getting there own scripts.

If sedo list the names on auction as idn's i fail to see any problems ??

Even if they are plainly obvious IDN posing as English words?

Do you think this is OK?


ѕо.com https://www.sedo.co.uk/auction/auct...tion_id=124997&tracked=&partnerid=&language=e created 15th February 2012

Probably a shill bid to get it off and running form bidder 1,looks like it attracted bidder 2 who has now been raised by bidder 1.

Be interesting to see if bidder 2 falls for it.

 

[the_poet]

The one thing I know 100% is that its wrong to have the auction results page look like this!

One thing I've been wondering... where the hell is bidder 3? :blink:

 

[wot]

I know it's said that the people bidding on these domains don't really know what they're bidding on etc. However you'd have thought people who know about Sedo would have at least a basic understanding of the domain industry.

I feel sorry for those who get caught in this 'scam' but at the same time it defies belief that they wouldn't just a little attention to what they're bidding on, especially if they're bidding $xxx, $xxxx or more. Perhaps Sedo could make it a little more obvious that they're IDNs etc but it does seem to state it pretty clearly.

The names on offer have been registered simply to deceive and make money from those that are new to the business and unwary etc and they do a very good job of it.

Combine that with shill bids to further confuse and you have very effective combinations.Most "buyers" will get out before paying when they realise they have been had the likes of Sedo lose a potential buyer of the future as non payment results in a ban.

It really should be in the interest of auction platforms such as Sedo to be whiter than white but currently barely making it to grey!

 

[wot]

No. I think you need to sell ТЕЕS :hehe:

I think you are just ТЕЕSING me!:cy:

 

[ThreeD]

ahhhh...I didn't notice that. I pasted it into the address bar and it came up as jp.com - it doesn't look like a "typical" IDN :P

Shouldn't there be some kind of warning to all bidders that they're dealing with an IDN?

 

[Ben]

Looks like an $1100 domain to me :tri:

I agree it's a junk domain but you can't see that by just looking at the punycode. xn--wgv71a.com is worth $10000s for example.

 

[Keith]

would have to see how it was presented live, but I see the concern.

There have been quite a few IDN domains at auction lately. Several require a double take but the price always tells the truth!

 

[Kate]

I never see these domains making it to reported sales, I assume that the sales do not complete once the buyers realize their mistake :wave:

 

[jcourtenay]

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and talks like a duck - guess what,chances are it's a duck!

That is the funniest thing I have heard in a long time, very true though.

 

[wot]

And this important thread got moved-amazing!

It really should be where people can see what scams are going on- not hidden away,how can you mods justify this?

 

[Kenny]

And this important thread got moved-amazing!

It really should be where people can see what scams are going on- not hidden away,how can you mods justify this?

Sorry Mods, but I have to agree with wot...
This thread should have remained in DND... imho

Peace,
Cyberian

 

[Ben]

I agree, it's important people realize when they are bidding on an IDN.