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My NameLiquidate.com Journey

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Pierre Barnard

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Hi guys,

So my journey with NameLiquidate.com started around a week ago. I read that some members were selling domains successfully on the platform, and decided to give it a try. I understand that NameLiquidate.com is an initiative by Epik.com, and mostly for domainers that want to liquidate their expiring names, but I needed some cashflow, and decided to test the platform selling different domain types. The site implements a reverse auction model over 168 hours. Your listed domain will start at $998 when you list it, and decrease every hour until it reached $9. NameLiquidate.com will retain a 9% commission upon successful sale. More about the process later.

My first attempt was a 6L domain called FigOil.com. I really had high hopes for this name. For some reason I just could not outbound this name successfully and never received any inquiries. I listed it on NL in the hopes that some other domainer might have more success with it.

Listing Names

Submitting names on NL is rather easy and straightforward. An interesting concept is that you list your name together with the authcode (except if the domain is held at Epik). This is to ensure that there is a smooth transfer of the domain when bought, and I would assume that Epik then also builds up some inventory through this method. In any event, the buyer will have no choice but to have the domain transferred to their Epik account, as I understand.

Upon listing your name, you are able to specify a reserve price. If your reserve is not reached, the domain will not sell. If no reserve is specified, it will default to $9.

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The Auction Process

Once listed, the domain is immediately available on the platform and ready to receive bids. At the same time the countdown will now also begin until your reserve (or $9 default) is reached.

Your domain name is now visible through a link using this format: "https://nameliquidate.com/figoil.com", which I think is great.

Below is a screenshot of how the domain appears on the marketplace. This was 2 days into the auction. It shows the listing views (although there seems to be a delay updating this), domain age, create - and expiration dates, current price, as well as the ability to buy at current price, place a bid and place the auction on your watchlist. You can also share your auction via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

One thing I noticed is that when a bid is received on your auction, you do not get notified via email. This might be a setting that I missed, and I will need to investigate more. This is surely a crucial feature IMO.


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Domain Sold

Once your domain is sold, you will receive an email informing you of the sale and final sales price. In my case, I was disappointed with the price I received for Figoil.com, but not at all surprised. I listed the domain without a reserve, and was willing to sell it for $9 if need be. I wanted to test the platform and that was my primary goal. It ended selling for $35. Email excerpt below.

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Post Sale and Payout

My domain was held at Dynadot and I received an email within 24 hours to authorize the transfer-away, which I did. Within the same 24 hours I received an email from Masterbucks.com, informing me that my payout (minus the 9% commission) was processed. Masterbucks is a company owned by Epik which handles all their payments. This from their website:

"MasterBucks is an online payment dashboard designed specifically for domain name sellers, to control how the proceeds from future domain name sales are distributed and put back to work. Epik customers can create profiles for easy distribution using multiple popular payment methods, or choose to use the proceeds to pay for domain renewals. The easy-to-use Cloud Wallet is integrated across all of the great products Epik offers, for maximum convenience in support of all your domaining transactions."

I have yet to use the MasterBucks disbursement process (which I will report on later). I can see the following available methods: ACH, Wire-transfer, Crypto, XOOM, Western Union and Wise. I was disappointed not to see PayPal listed as one of the payment methods. For someone outside of USA/Canada/Europe I have always relied heavily on PayPal for all my domain transactions. I have seen on threads here on NP that some fellow domainers also list the omission of PayPal from Epik a major drawback, even a deal breaker.

I will probably go the Crypto route, and will updated this thread with my progress.

Below are screenshots of the email received, as well as my MasterBucks dashboard.

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My Second Domain

I had to list my second domain. I had a 4L .com PFIU.com and I had more confidence in this name as 4L .coms were widely regarded as being liquid. To make a long story short, I sold the domain for $210 which was more in line with my expectation. Please see email screenshot below.

upload_2021-8-1_11-18-4.png


Subsequent / Current Listings

So yesterday I decided to really put the system to the test by listing 6 semi decent, two word domains. 5 .coms and 1 .net. I listed the following domains:

CandiesStore.com
CannaJuice.net
CryptoShaping.com
DeltaBurst.com
InvestBucks.com (SH Premium)
CatchAuction.com

Of all the names, I have the most confidence in InvestBucks, as it was a previous SH premium listed name and is older than the other names. As at the writing of this article, I had no bids on any name yet. Well, it is weekend and I have not done much in terms of marketing yet. Below is a current screenshot, and I will report on progress during the next few days.

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Marketing Efforts

Like with any other domain auctions, it is crucial to market your auction successfully in order to get some views (potential buyers) interested, and make people aware that the domain is indeed available. I have faced this same challenge previously with all my domain auctions, whether it be on Flippa, Godaddy, Sedo GreatDomains or any other platform. I have not had much success yet with my marketing efforts as I mostly rely on free methods, using Twitter, LinkedIn and NP to create awareness around the auction.

I have always questioned the effectiveness of any platform's paid (or free) marketing strategies, as it never really yielded the desired results (or my expected results). There must be a better way to market domain auctions, but I have yet to discover it. For now, I mostly rely on Twitter with some hashtags to get the word out. Below is tweet I got some traction from. If anyone has any tips regarding Twitter or any other marketing method, please feel to share, I would really appreciate it. Please also follow me on @Afrinames so we could collectively help each other.

upload_2021-8-1_11-34-41.png


I noticed that NameLiquidate also started Twitter promotions on auctions ending in 72 hours or less, which is really encouraging and helpful! Please follow them on @nameliquidate, an example tweet can be seen below:

upload_2021-8-1_11-37-33.png


Summary

This is really my first review on NP. I want to get more involved in the domaining community. Domaining (domain investing) really is my passion and changed my life. Hopefully this article will prove useful to someone out there. I will add the progress of my journey during the following week.

Thanks to the everyone building these great systems and processes to enable domainers to sell more domains and keep the dream alive.

And thanks for reading.
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
Good day Pierre, and thank you for sharing your experience in such an amazing and detail-orientated fashion. Welcome to the platform, and may your journey through domain investing be filled with great testimonies and success stories! Congratulations are due on both transactions, and we hope they are but two of many in the future.

We've worked to make the entire process for listing names on NameLiquidate easy and straight forward, and have a number of additional upgrades and updates scheduled through the year you may also appreciate. We are thankful for the opportunity to help turn all types of domain names into added liquidity, and ensure that our domaining friends have options other than expiry and deletion releases, that traditionally offer no upside for sharing.

NameLiquidate was originally created to give investors an alternative route to monetization, especially for domains, portfolios, and inventory no longer wanting to be held. While the primary focus for many owners was a "last chance" stop before letting names expire and be deleted, we've had the privilege of seeing some great names go through. The market acts appropriately when they see anything that may be underpriced at the $9-$998 level. As a result, some names go through the process with no bid activity, others may be purchased within minutes of listing. Many savvy investors have also taken to using the domain platform due to the simplicity of bidding and buying, then linking in their own promotions or outbound campaigns to anchor with the unique reverse auction format. The more qualified the visitors and interest, the higher the price the domain will normally sell for.

We are looking at new methods and techniques by which we can use improved communications to help enhance the entire experience. This includes evolution of special saved filter templates that can be applied onto the current inventory levels, allowing for special alerts and emails to be generated around custom buying themes that many investors use to build their portfolio. We are in development stages for a new featured list of editor selections, that will allow for highlight domains to benefit from added promotions and outbounding strategies internally here at Epik. We are also reviewing options to enhance communications for participating owners, who may want more information on "bids" or early watch activity.

It may be helpful to remember, that the system effectively operates as a descending "Buy it Now" platform, so technically it not a bidding system for tracking, but a tool by which investors can lodge the price they would pay, on the hopes they can secure it. NameLiquidate does, however. issue alerts when pricing strategies have been surpassed by third parties, so that they can adjust their purchasing strategy accordingly. Your feedback is appreciated though, and we will be discussing what added transparency may help listing parties in the future, to have better knowledge of how their domains are being interacted with behind the scenes.

Beyond other platform benefits, we recognize that the success of positive sales stimulation will often rely on the ability for a smart name to be presented to the right buyer at any given time. It is one of the challenges that all platforms face, and that is: the price achieved may sometimes reflect less of a validation of domain value, and more the measurement and extent of the audience and size of market it is presented to. It is one reason we have dozens of positive promotions being lined up for NameLiquidate over the coming year. The treasures it can hold on offer are too great to leave only to an appreciated group of seasoned investors. We want the domain names going through daily to truly have their time to shine, by encouraging new aspiring domain investors to take part, along with a host of other parallel points of possible advantage, such as ad agencies, CMO's, marketing specialists, venture capital firms, brand identity specialists, and anyone with an entrepreneurial flare or desire burning in their heart for new ideas.

The truth is that NameLiquidate is not just a platform for liquidating domain assets, but it is a vibrant, robust, dynamic, and persistently evolving network, that churns out new ideas and opportunities every hour of the day. Those who elect to participate in review and creative discernment can be greatly rewarded. Investors who are application-based in their purchasing, can find a literal treasure trove of new ideas, within a perpetual pool of chaos by which they can choose to create new order.

So our goal here is increasingly clear: to ensure the widest range of buyers, doers, change agents, and dreamers are utilizing the platform, so that eager sellers can have an additional and powerful added route to market. That means – especially in cases like FigOil, to go above and beyond just providing an online processing interface, as we recognize fully the unpredictable changes that can be facilitated, by helping great names find the perfect home. It is part of the reason we are investing into new methods and techniques to automate marketing and awareness in the future across hundreds of possible market sectors and buying trends. Our objective is to help supercharge and drive more real awareness and premium purchasing opportunities for the customers that entrust us.

It is truly an honor and privilege to provide support in this fashion, and along the journey, we are making some great friends. May your day be filled with the miracle of positive expectations, and I am thankful again for the time and effort taken to give our platform a try for personal benefits. Have an amazing day!
 
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Good day Pierre, and thank you for sharing your experience in such an amazing and detail-orientated fashion. Welcome to the platform, and may your journey through domain investing be filled with great testimonies and success stories! Congratulations are due on both transactions, and we hope they are but two of many in the future.

Hi @Intelliname and thanks for your positive and detailed reply! You seem to be very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about your platform which is very encouraging. I am looking forward to all the new features and updated which will be implemented. Here's to more sales!
 
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MasterBucks Withdrawal Update

I was really impressed by how smooth and effortless the crypto withdrawal process was using MasterBucks.

Within MasterBucks, you are able to create different wallets (crypto and fiat currencies) which is then linked to your account. Wallet creation is instantaneous with no intervention or configuration on the user's part. The following wallets are available:

Crypto: BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT, USDC,XRP,TUSC
Fiat: USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, CNY

Screenshot below.

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Once your wallet is created (I opted for ETH), you can access it immediately and start transacting. You are able to "Add Funds", "Withdraw Funds", or "Exchange Funds".


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I accessed by USD wallet and selected the "Exchange" option in order to convert my USD to ETH. The process is very fast and streamlined, and I had my Ethereum in my ETH wallet immediately. Exchange screenshot below.

upload_2021-8-3_11-10-52.png


I subsequently accessed by MasterBucks ETH wallet, where I could see the ETH balance, the exchange rate I converted it at, the date/time of the transaction as well as the transaction status. See transaction record below.

upload_2021-8-3_11-15-13.png


I wanted to withdraw my Ethereum to my Binance ETH Wallet, so I created a withdrawal request on my MasterBucks ETH Wallet. I simply completed the ETH amount I wanted to withdraw and my Binance Ethereum blockchain address. A nice feature was to save the "transfer-to" wallet as a template for future use! You can also complete optional comments.

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I immediately received confirmation emails after each transaction. My withdrawal request was approved by MasterBucks a few hours later (it was a Sunday so I believe the process should be faster during working hours). The Ethereum ended up in my Binance wallet minutes later. SUCCESS!

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In conclusion, the crypto payment route implemented by Epik honestly is smooth sailing from start to finish. Previously, I had concerns about the absence of PayPal as a payment method, but the crypto payment option really negates using PayPal, as the withdrawal time from PayPal and the withdrawal time from my local South African Cryptocurrency Exchange (Luno) is essentially the same. Yes, it still takes 48 hours for either one.
 

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NameLiquidate is lowkey great, everyone should use it for their expiring names.
First time I tested the platform I put up a handful of soon-to-be expiring domains.
Sold 2.
I found that quite cool.
 
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Excellent review and analysis. Just to add my two cents: I have recently sold my first name through NameLiquidate and I am still awaiting my domain to transfer out (aporoved the transfer day 2) and my Masterbucks deposit after 5 days (3 business days plus weekend)

I know the email says it can take up to 5 days so I will continue to wait until 5 business days have elapsed before contacting them.

It seems as if the transfer out/ Masterbucks payment was a lot quicker in your case....

Thanks for the review
 
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Just wanted to add:

The domain I referred to above is at GoDaddy (not Epik) so perhaps that is causing the delay.

Just checked my GoDaddy account and still shows 'Pending Transfer'. Surprised it is taking this long.

Anyway, hope others find my experience useful (not trying to hijack the thread!)
 
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Hello @Pierre Barnard

Thank you for adding this journey. Please remove this name : InvestBucks.com from this thread because you sold it to me if you remember
 
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Excellent review and analysis. Just to add my two cents: I have recently sold my first name through NameLiquidate and I am still awaiting my domain to transfer out (aporoved the transfer day 2) and my Masterbucks deposit after 5 days (3 business days plus weekend)

I know the email says it can take up to 5 days so I will continue to wait until 5 business days have elapsed before contacting them.

It seems as if the transfer out/ Masterbucks payment was a lot quicker in your case....

Thanks for the review
Thanks, appreciate! Did you manage to sort everything out?
 
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Hello @Pierre Barnard

Thank you for adding this journey. Please remove this name : InvestBucks.com from this thread because you sold it to me if you remember
Thanks Saeed, I can't seem to edit the post for some reason.
 
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Thanks, appreciate! Did you manage to sort everything out?
Hi @Pierre Barnard

Yes, the issue was on the GoDaddy side. I think GD may have thought my name was a high-valued domain (it's a typo of a genetic keyword which would be worth xxx,xxx+). My domain is XX

Apparently, GoDaddy has an extra level of protection if their systems think the domain is valuable.

Today (about 6 days later) I received an email from GDs [email protected] address with the subject 'Risk Mitigation'. All I had to do was RE-approve the transfer out.

Once I did this. The domain was transferred immediately and about 10 minutes later I had my MasterBucks deposit.

My next hurdle is figuring out how to withdraw my Masterbucks! Lol
 
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Anyone had any success with NameLiquidate recently?

The problem with the reverse auction as I see it - are the pricing levels. It drops from $903 to $761 to $619 to $477 to $335 to $193 to $50 to $9. Nothing in between. Those levels are too broad and not appropriate (imo). Some names are worth $99 or $75, or $25, etc. It should move in much smaller increments, dropping in price as the hours tick by. Or perhaps they should have a bargain bin reverse auction (starting at $199 and dropping in $10 increments to $9). Then, certain names would have $19, $29, $39, $49 prices and would be more appropriately priced.
 
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