Hi there, I received an email a few days ago from a guy who wanted to buy my domain and asked if I had anymore to sell and list them with a price. So we exchanged emails a couple of times and he asked me to do an appraisal to find any Trade Mark Infringements etc. I felt this was an ordinary process to sell a domain. I asked him if he could order the 4 appraisals because I didn't have money (my test). He replied back saying that the domain owner must do it and he's not allowed to even if he tried. The ordering process was in fact easy and fool proof. Ther ewas no verifcation checks if your the domain owner. This morning after I emailed him the valuations, this is what he replied. 'Thank you. I accept your valuation. It's very professional and reasonable. Unfortunately, our client has bought a big package recently and does not have enough money to buy your domain right now. He is asking to wait for 1-2 months. If we buy the domain direct from you we won't be able to transfer it for two months due to ICAAN rule. This rule prohibits reselling during two months after purchasing. Of course, we will do our best to force our buyer to buy as soon as possible. But I suggest you not to reserve the domain for one month. Why wait? I'm sure we can resell your domain to other buyers. We have several potential buyers for your name. If you agree with to pay us 15% commission upon every sale we will start tomorrow. I wrote about reselling in first emails. The buyer will pay 85% to you and 15% to me.If this sale fails I will look for other buyers. I've already bought opt-in lists to promote your domains. I invested about $150 in these opt-in lists. I'm going to use your valuation in my promotio? Is it ok with you? We should use escrow.com or other reliable service for escrow and transfer. For example, if you list domains with Domain-Cost.com we can avoid the brokerage fee (10% at Sedo.com). They don't charge commission upon sale and offers free escrow. So we can save up to 10%-15%. Let me know what you think about my offer. I'm very interested in doing business with you.' - I obviously felt very let down but decided to do quick research on google and found this -blackhatworld.com/blackhat-seo/making-money/399864-authorizedappraisal-scam.html I am so fuming! Annoyed! Foolish! You name it!!!! I quickly emailed the payment gateway I paid through to ask for a refund and explained everything, attached screenshots etc. This guys name is 'Robert Silberman' from website-domain-hosting.com, unusual that when you go to that website it forwards to webhostingclue.com. I dug even further, searched 'website-domain-hosting.com' on who.is, the domain was registered by a chinese/asian name. What ever you do, do not ever access or order through domain-cost.com and approvedappraisal.com. I'm going to do everything in my power to get a refund of my 78 euros for 2 really great wordpress domains. I never thought I would fall for a scam but this was so surreal, it appeared to be normal. How stupid was I! Now I'm selling my domains on Flippa.com.
Sorry you got hit, if you would have searched for appraisal scam you wouldn't have gone through with it. I think we need more keywords so more people might run into thread like this. NEVER PAY FOR AN APPRAISAL, IF A BUYER WANTS A NAME THAT BADLY THEY SHOULD PAY, OTHERWISE, IT'S A SCAM!
I wasn't suspicious until after I paid and he quickly turned me down. I then stupidly searched for domain-cost.com scam on google and found the forum mentioned above. I've reported all the websites to godaddy and reported this to UK Action Fraud and the police. I'm making a website to make people aware and list all the scam sites and suspected email addresses with example of email templates. So annoyed I fell for it. Great forum! I love how its free and unrestricted unlike dnforums.
I have also received emails about 2 domains from website-domain-hosting.com. From Joshua Schvartzman > > President > > Website Domain Hosting Inc He asked if I wanted to sell one of my financial names. I replied with make me an offer. He responded how about $8000 usd. Which I knew wasn't real as the domain wasn't worth more than $30. Playing along, I told him to send the $8k to my PayPal account. The next day he demanded an appraisal. Hahahaha clowns!! He got very agitated as I repeatedly told him if he wanted an appraisal he will pay for it.
part 1 - another Domain Appraisal Scammer Hello, > > I noticed that you currently sell the domain in the subject line (correct?). > > We are interested in acquiring this domain. Please respond with a desired price in the subject (in USD, Euros or UK pounds). > > If you have other names for sale please email me your domain list with prices. > > Regards, > > Robert Janowitz > > President > > Web Domain Hosting Inc. ---------- Post added at 03:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:10 PM ---------- But I need a professional valuation (domain appraisal) from you first. Without a professional appraisal we both cannot be 100% sure in the final sale price. It will minimize my investing risks. Of course, we must engage an independent valuation company I know and trust. I don't trust automated services from companies I've never heard about. I also need an appraisal service which verifies a possible trademark infringement. It's important for me to know that you domain has no problems with trademarks. You should not worry about it. You don't need to pay a fee for this trademark verification service. Some good appraisers include this option (trademark infringement verification) as a free bonus to the appraisal service. To avoid mistakes I asked domain experts about reputable appraisal services with the trademark verification option. Please check this blog with suggestions from other sellers and buyers: forum-windows-club.com/Archive/027819364.htm If, for example, the valuation comes higher you can adjust your asking price accordingly. It will be fair. After you send me the professional valuation via email (usually it takes 1-2days to obtain it) we'll continue our negotiations. What is your preferred payment method: Escrow.com, International wire transfer, PayPal.com or something else? Hope we can come to an agreement fast. ---------- Post added at 03:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:12 PM ---------- I said no I'm not paying for anything. You want you can buy it at the price quoted. his reply I see, but it's a standard practice to show a professional valuation to buyers. Nobody will do business without it. I'm a businessman and have no intention of changing rules which help both parties to avoid additional risks. ---------- Post added at 03:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:14 PM ---------- Lots of sources out there. No need to pay for any valuation to sell a domain. They want it they can get it.
Yup... That's the same email I got.. Word for word... Apparently they have ALOT of presidents at that company.... lol... ---------- Post added at 08:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:29 AM ---------- Hey Mods! Is there any way we could sticky this post, or somehow make it more prominent to try to help others in the forum not fall victim to this scam?? Thanks
I've been in blackhatworld.com They are full of scammers. They are also full of angry people that like talking others down. You better keep low profile. If you want to ask for any JV, there will be tons of people accusing you of fraud and demand that they don't pay in front. If you accept payment as they received money, they will run away with money. If you complain that you are being scammed, the mod will delete all evidences. Latter you will be banned for "trying to pull a fast one". I think the mods have good intention, but simply don't want trouble. There are too many trouble already they just sweep that under rug. That being said if you're really really careful, you can get good honest ethical JV there with good honest people. In fact, I have had it for that forum. Going there damage my sanity. If you have people's skills though, talk to me, and I'll guide you there. You can share what you learn and JV with me. Dealing with people is not my strength. You will be burned. After you learn, open JV here with trustworthy members.
3rd email from these clowns this week!!!! ------------------------------------------- Hello! We are interested in purchasing ####. I noticed that you currently sell this domain. Please respond with a desired price in the subject. Our company is investing in domains and web projects. If you have other names for sale please email me your domain list with prices. Best Regards, Aaron Rubinstein CEO Web Domain Hosting Inc. --------------------------------- ***Mods please sticky this thread!!!!***
Another email !!! Hello! We are interested in purchasing xxxxxxx I noticed that you currently sell this domain. Please respond with a desired price in the subject. Our company is investing in domains and web projects. If you have other names for sale please email me your domain list with prices. Best Regards, Aaron Rubinstein CEO Web Domain Hosting Inc.
I'm being contacted by the same guy, he's trying a similar game with me I just answered him that there's no problem at all: he can deduct the whole sum of the appraisal from the final price, when he'll buy the domain
domain-cost.com scam I hate to tell you that I also fell your this, what was i thinking.. I contacted SWREG for a refund but they forward your "complaint" to [email protected] You get a default message back that states their service is real and that they have many satisfied customers. I have to go ask my own creditcard company to take action. Just for the record, they appraised my domain at $7950,- ... I did a check a few days later at another REAL appraisal website and it turned out my domain is worth just $66,- Random appraisals can be found on their website, here an example (not my site) http://www.domain-cost.com/appraisal...n=caritube.com just change the domainname at the end to a random domainname, if you find one you'll know they have been scammed. I think it's just a generated html page with complete nonsense on it. I think none of these persons behind this "company" are real..
Thanks for sharing a story. After being victim of domain-cost.com, we've decided open an anti scam organization. Please feel free to share your stories and ask the people you might know who have been a victim of such scammers, share stories with us at : E-mail:[email protected] Website: www.stop-scam.net Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sto...97405007016707 We want your stories to aware people from being victim of Scam. We are also thinking of throwing complaints to the payment terminal where the people were sending money to pay the for the "appraisal service", but we need to have more people. As more people we will know, as higher our chances to get closed domains-cost and have a possibility of reimbursing our money. Thank for your attention! Hope to hear from you.
I just fell for this too....appears the mirror site is also trademark-valuation-agency.com/appraisal.htm Email came from: business at cheap-web-hosting-search.com (obviously spoofed) I have notified godaddy - domain-cost.com is hosted there. Why is this site still up? Wish I would have done my reserach first. The ridiculous thing is... I work for a web hosting company and I should have absolutely caught onto this. However what got me was the fact that I had just uploaded a bunch of domains into Sedo...so the timing seemed right for interest. Well at the very least I can warn my entire customer base......
Request a charge back from your bank or paypal. Everybody can see the new domain registrations, the crooks must be targeting that segment of the market.
another name to look out for I recieved an email of interest in one of my domains. I asked people here of an appropriate price in newbies section. 33 reads, no replies hehe huhuhuh whaaa whaaa but this mornings email was an offer to buy, so i was a bit dubious when offered 10k and asked here if it was perhaps a scam and searched google for domain appraisal scam, 4th website down i clicked and saw the exact duplicate of my email basically word for word and format,here is a copy. I offer you 10 000 usd for this. I have 105 000 budget for 10-12 domains. I hope you know the procedure. In order to process with the deal I need two things: 1. I need a valuation certificate. It should be from a reliable site I trust. It will minimize our risks. 2. It's important for us to know that you domain has no problems with trademarks. Some evaluators include this option in the appraisalsal service. I need the evaluation service with the TM verification. It's not a problem to obtain a valuation. It's a problem to find a valuation service with the trademark verification. I've found only one such service with the TM verification via web forum. Please read suggestion of other domain buyers and sellers to find out the right valuation company: windows-7-forums.com/Archive/271406583.htm If the valuation comes higher you can change your asking price. After you send me the professional valuation with the trademark verification via email (usually it takes one day to obtain it) we'll continue. How do you want to be paid: PayPal, wire or CC? Best regards, Michael Bitterman Unix Hosting Plans Inc. email is linux at unix-hosting-plans dot com There is a lot of talk at that link and i looked, it wasnt a microsoft site and it just confirmed my suspicions. Upon returning to namepros to read about 3 people reply its a scam. Thankfully I have no funds because I did get a little heart flutter and think you ripper(aussie slang for wow cool, im set i thought) alas the dreamer dreams on Karma will get them, every dog has its day. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. I mean if he had said $1,500 I probably wouldn't have twigged. I told him to pay for it himself, and he could have been a bit more original with his wording than using word for word as it appeared on the 4th site down when i searched domain appraisal scam. Might update to see if he tries to go on with it.
scam - another one (1 hour ago) [email protected] to me Hello! What is your price for xxxxxxxxxxxxx.net? It was listed for sale on Sedo auctions. I am a private investor and very interested in purchasing this domain. I invest in web projects, domains and online stores. If you are interested in future cooperation, please let me know about your projects and aims. Best Regards, David Kellerman Independent Investor ------------------------------------- ... my reply, bla bla --------------------------------- [email protected] to me I offer you 10 000 usd for this. I have 105 000 budget for 10-12 domains. I hope you know the procedure. In order to process with the deal I need two things: 1. I need a valuation certificate. It should be from a reliable site I trust. It will minimize our risks. 2. It's important for us to know that you domain has no problems with trademarks. Some evaluators include this option in the appraisal service. I need the evaluation service with the TM verification. It's not a problem to obtain a valuation. It's a problem to find a valuation service with the trademark verification. I've found only one such service with the TM verification via web forum. Please read suggestion of other domain buyers and sellers to find out the right valuation company: http://www.windows-7-forums.com/Archive/493628705.htm If the valuation comes higher you can change your asking price. After you send me the professional valuation with the trademark verification via email (usually it takes one day to obtain it) we'll continue. How do you want to be paid: PayPal, wire or CC? ===================== end of pathetic scam ================== Bad thing is that after all this years, they are still doing it, so they must have at least some success in scamming people.
Wow! I recieved similar mailings a year ago. Is this scam still working? Did anyone went to the police so this scam was at least reported? Report bankaccount from scammer as fraudulent? Wonder what kind of damage this scam has done... :kickass:
once again on best-unix-hosting-plans.com scam a couple of scammer's emails were sent from 95.72.201.86 - it's Kashira, Russia, small town near Moscow.. ..i knew it was all crap from the very beginning (google "best-unix-hosting-plans.com"), just wanted to play around a bit >>> Hello! What is your price for ******.com? It was listed for sale on Sedo auctions. I am a private investor and very interested in purchasing this domain. I invest in web projects, domains and online stores. If you are interested in future cooperation, please let me know about your projects and aims. Best Regards, David Kellerman Independent Investor >>> Hello, Thanks for your interest in *******.com The domain is listed at a fixed price of $700 Thank you >>> 700. Ok. Did you sell names before? Are you a member of domain seller communities? >>> Can I ask you why it matters? >>> I need to know your level of experience. >>> do not worry - we can perfectly handle any push/transfer transaction >>> Great. To complete the transaction I need the following: 1. I need a valuation certificate. It should be from a reliable site I trust. It will minimize our risks. 2. It's important for us to know that you domain has no problems with trademarks. Some evaluators include this option in the appraisal service. I need the evaluation service with the TM verification. ...blah-blah.... How do you want to be paid: PayPal, wire or CC? >>> to complete the transaction I need the following: your full name and government issued photo ID, your credit card number with expiration date and CV code from the back, your full address and birthday date... ..and we only accept payments in gold coins.. still interested? >>> Kiss my ass pider ************************************* take care and always check sender's email/domain/ip spread the info *
Another one - today I received three emails from these guys, not for the first time. Do they want to stalk me, sell crap domains or sell a scam appraisal?
Sorry to hear you got burned here. Hopefully calling and filing a charge back with your card provider will resolve the issue. The appraisal scams have really increased over the past year..A big part of that is probably do to that type of post being listed on BHW and dozens of other blackhat websites I'm sure. When I get these sometimes I like to play tricks with them and make them think they are actually about to score some quick affiliate cash.
