Bozo offers $10. for four figure domain then threatens cease and desist

[xynames]

Researched the guy he’s some kind of SEO and website builder.

Made an offer where he stated he was “interested in the domain for $10.”

Resisted the impulse to laugh in his face and just told him the offer was too low.

He responds with a “Cease and Desist coming shortly” email.

Took a look, has no trademark, nothing. No one does. Plus I’ve had the domain over ten years which far predates any possible rights he might try to acquire in the future.

In situations like this a ten dollar offer is evidence of a bad faith attempt to acquire the domain below market he’d have been better off just starting right off with a cease and desist. If he had any grounds. Which he doesn’t.

 

[Embrand]

Was it bozo.com?

 

[xynames]

I’ve gotten a variety of bozos lately making absurd offers one who offered $0.99 and then started spamming me when I told him it was a ridiculous offer.

By and large best to ignore such offers although the one in a hundred ends up going to a real sale at an acceptable price.

 

[jberryhill]

he’d have been better off just starting right off with a cease and desist. If he had any grounds

It would be helpful if more people did just that, instead of sneaking around with lowball offers and jumping out of the bushes with a trademark registration from some odd jurisdiction.

Anyone should be willing to consider that there may have been a trademark of which they were not directly aware, so it would save a lot of time in many instances if the tm claimant would simply say so in the first correspondence. If they want to couple that with a settlement offer of some kind, that's fine, but I really don't understand the approach of:

"I'd like to buy that domain name for $100."

"No, sorry."

"It's my trademark and I'll take it away from you!"

Now, either they had a decent TM claim or they didn't. But if they don't spit it out the first time around, I tend to assume they don't believe they have a winnable case, so they were trying to get a reply email with a price in it (which they will then submit as evidence in the UDRP and attempt to claim you contacted them).