Buy domains/ Afternic - Anyone else?

[wot]

Just received this from "Buy Domains"

Dear "Name spelt incorrectly"

Congratulations! You have received a lead on "DOMAIN NAME" because you elected Expanded Promotion through ActiveExchange.

Customers are most likely to buy when pricing is set on a name. Your BuyDomains Sales Executive is available to help you develop a winning pricing strategy that will maximize your chance of a quick, profitable sale.

The Asking Price is the price at which your domain is promoted Your domain is sold immediately when the asking price is met.

The Floor Price is a binding, minimum price for which you are willing to sell your domain. Your Sales Executive will negotiate with the customer at prices between the Floor and Asking prices.

---Get the Highest Sale Price for Your Domain with an Afternic Appraisal---

Afternic Appraisals are based on our unparalleled and proprietary Domain Name Index Scoring and Valuation System.

No other company matches Afternic and BuyDomains' combined 17 years of experience in buying and selling domain names. Visit https://www.afternic.com/appraise.php to purchase an Afternic Appraisal for only $19.95; expedite your request by notifying your Sales Executive of your request.

Remember: please set your Asking and Floor Price as soon as possible. And congratulations on the interest in your domain name!

Good selling!
The ActiveExchange Team



This is my reply:

What is going on here?

It is normal procedure for "buyer" to make an offer and then start negotoiations.

It is not normal to set a "buy now" price and miss out on potential higher prices.

Are you acting on behalf of 'buy domains" or Afternic?"


It seems a strange way to proceed, according to the sales rep potential "buyer" has expressed an interest but not even a minimum $250 bid?

Now they want me to add a "Buy Now" ,sales rep will then negotiate between "floor price" and "Buy Now". I think I would simply add an outrageous "Buy Now" price - what would you do?

Also suggesting an Afternic appraisal would be a good idea - yeah right - I might be cabbage looking but I am not green!

More importantly, has anyone else received this email or similar from "Buy Domains / Afternic? Just want to see if it is a come on. And how many sales are likely to be at "floor price"?

 

[Spade]

Ok, what this is is when you list a domain name with BuyDomains - people call BuyDomains and say, Ok. I want this domain name, what is your asking price on it?

If there isnt an asking price, they are going to come to you and say well, what do you want for it? Typically these are end-users, because anyone else would very the owner through whois and contact them directly.

Considering BuyDomains wants to sell at the highest possible price as well, I think it wouldnt hurt to ask for a bit. I think their Minimum is like $488? (someone feel free to correct me).

And many times their asking price is well into the x,xxx even on horrible names. Recently the company I worked for acquired a horrible domain name through BuyDomains that was barely 2 years old. They were asking 2k - we negotiated down to 900 ish. But still, rediculous if you ask me.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

Justin

 

[wot]

The names are listed at Afternic, BD associate/owner so normally an expression of interest will come via a min bid from Afternic.

If BD act on behalf of us as if they are selling their own names at highly inflated prices then that is great. If their/my account exec is under pressure to get sales then will we suffer?

 

[gh]

If there isnt an asking price, they are going to come to you and say well, what do you want for it? Typically these are end-users, because anyone else would very the owner through whois and contact them directly.

I checked a couple of the names listed in buydomain. The whois has the buy domain contact information. Do people need to transfer the domain over to buy domain or just change the who is contact information?
If the prices are negotiable who has the final decision?

 

[midnight251]

I got the same email from Buy Domains a few months back and set a fairly high but not unreasonable asking price, and have heard nothing since.

 

[Ronald Regging]

When they first started allowing the Expanded Promotion I setup a few names with it. Most of them I don't even remember what I set as the Asking Price. Probably something pretty high, but not unreasonable for an end user who really wanted it.

I had mixed feelings about it, mostly because in almost a years time I had not a single offer on Afternic. Also, adding on 10% (total 20%) seemed ridiculous. But I've changed my tune in the last 20 minutes

I logged into my webmail and saw a bunch of emails from Afternic. "Offer received for LLLL.com" - "Offer received for LLLL.com" - "Escrow started for LLLL.com" - "Congratulations: LLLL.com is sold!"

At first, I was like, what the hell, I didn't even see the offers let alone accept a sale... But then I looked at the emails and found out that an offer was made initially, and Afternic was negotiating on my behalf, and ended up getting my Asking Price.

Considering the domain and the final price, I have to say I am extremely pleased with the results. But in a very short time since they offered Expanded Promo (and with only 3-5 domains using it), I went from absolutely no offers from the previous year, to having a very nice sale if everything goes through.

Even with the extra 10% commission, they sold it for far more than I expected, so I have to say I am very impressed. *crosses fingers*

 

[wot]

When they first started allowing the Expanded Promotion I setup a few names with it. Most of them I don't even remember what I set as the Asking Price. Probably something pretty high, but not unreasonable for an end user who really wanted it.

I had mixed feelings about it, mostly because in almost a years time I had not a single offer on Afternic. Also, adding on 10% (total 20%) seemed ridiculous. But I've changed my tune in the last 20 minutes

I logged into my webmail and saw a bunch of emails from Afternic. "Offer received for LLLL.com" - "Offer received for LLLL.com" - "Escrow started for LLLL.com" - "Congratulations: LLLL.com is sold!"

At first, I was like, what the hell, I didn't even see the offers let alone accept a sale... But then I looked at the emails and found out that an offer was made initially, and Afternic was negotiating on my behalf, and ended up getting my Asking Price.

Considering the domain and the final price, I have to say I am extremely pleased with the results. But in a very short time since they offered Expanded Promo (and with only 3-5 domains using it), I went from absolutely no offers from the previous year, to having a very nice sale if everything goes through.

Even with the extra 10% commission, they sold it for far more than I expected, so I have to say I am very impressed. *crosses fingers*

Congrats - I have heard zip and I had dropped my prices in accordance with their reps request.

I have subsequently repriced my names and they are all for sale at other venues.

 

[Ronald Regging]

I'm just hoping my selling experiences aren't the same as that of Sedo, meaning 100% deadbeat buyers

 

[Spade]

Interesting to hear Herb. I put several domain names up with BuyDomains expanded promotion, but also upped my asking price substancially to cover the 20% fee. Perhaps I will add a few LLLL.com's to the mix and see how they do.

If you dont mind sharing, what was the domain, and the final sales price?

Justin