Customer repeatedly demanding personal info, Red Flag ?

[Seasoned]

Curious if this is normal behavior or not.
Been a Flippa member for a while had got selling and buying experiences.
My latest sale is getting weird though.
Buyer is long term member, good feedback.
He never sent a question before bidding, but based on history I accepted his bid.
After winning he starts demanding I sign contract. No biggie, I ask him to sign and send it, but never receive it.
Then there were some issues with payment, but he successfully sent it to Escrow.com
But now he keeps demanding my personal info and also wants to CHANGE the wording on the flippa sales agreement ..
He also keeps telling me we don't have a contract because he doesn't know who I am/ I told him he has my first name, phone number and business name. (we're both in America, but he's foreign)
He then demands to know where my biz iz incorporated.
And when I offer to push the domain to another account (I told him he can create it or I can for him) on same registrar, he insists we must change it to his.
Anyway, this is starting to feel weird.
How do I convey to this person that we're already under contract and that he needs to back off ?
Is this normal behavior from a customer ?
Thanks all.

 

[TheBaldOne]

First, I would contact Flippa and ask them to look into the fact he wants to change the Flippa sales agreement.

Second, I would point out to him that the Escrow.com system protects both him and you, he needs no other information.

Third, I would think that if the buyer keeps this up that you ask both Flippa and Escrow.com if they would not black mark you for cancelling the sale as the prospective buyer is acting in an unacceptable fashion (send them copies of correspondance between the prospective buyer and yourself).

If this prospective buyer continues to muck about then cancel the sale and publish the prospective buyer's name so as to allow other sellers to know in advance what to expect if dealing with him.

Just my 2 penny worth of advice (but remember most people want change from that).

 

[johname]

He seems afraid you can yo-yo the domain back after he pays for it.

Just try to get him to actually send payment to Escrow.com

Is the domain set on private?

While the personal contract not normal, knowing who you are doing business with is. Good Luck

 

[Seasoned]

I don't know if you have used Flippa, but sellers have to verify ownership before even listing.
He already sent payment to Escrow.com. Escrow.com holds the payment until he receives the domain. I often find that people who themselves are sketch worry about other being sketch. So that concerns me.

 

[johname]

If he already sent payment, once it clears, then tell him you are only required to safely transfer the domain to him.

It sounded to me he didn't pay yet. (this is when you have to coddle a buyer)

 

[ecalc]

The customer is always right except when they're wrong. Create a strong paper trail. Include the domain name, escrow #, transaction # and cc: [email protected] on every email with the buyer. For future sales you may sleep better using an escrow service that takes possession of both the cash and the domain name. Good luck!

 

[alcy]

speaking of alternatives to escrow.com for op to consider perhaps.. do any of you here have epik.com escrow experience? it seems low fee, and reliable.

they also do paypal payouts which escrow.com does not.. at least not to canada.

would it be something you'd try? any experienced escrow.com users can point out the main differences between between the two?

http://www.epik.com/services/escrow/

thoughts?

 

[Lysted]

If the buyer is nervous (kind), then you really cannot do anything. Does not matter what escrow service. It is strange in way since you mentioned that he is a regular buyer. I think flippa will tell you what other names they bought?

Since the Escrow.com contract is already in place (assuming that you are proceeding through escrow), he cannot do much because he will have to pay the escrow fees anyways if he backs out - which I do not think he will try to do. He should know that he is protected by escrow (that is what escrow.com is for and that is what they charge for). Escrow.com is the 'contract' (you know how many pages long it is) - when escrow.com contract is in place, there should not be another contract for the same thing - as there cannot be two contracts for the same thing. This is what we would recommend

a) When instructed by escrow to transfer the domain name - Change/refresh the whois of the domain to his (as per what the escrow transaction states) - that is what escrow.com goes by.
b) Transfer the name as you said by internally transferring the name at the current registrar
c) Send instructions copying escrow and mark the transaction complete in escrow (select username/password option)
d) Within few hours of marking the transaction complete, reach out to escrow to start the inspection period. Sometimes they wait for the buyer to 'accept the merchandise'. Once they have looked at the whois, they should start the inspection period.

The transaction will automatically get accepted at the end of inspection period. If escrow.com has to get involved, let it be. But if he gets the domain, then he is not likely to complain.

Best

 

[LucidDomains]

Let us know how this works out.

 

[Seasoned]

Lysted, thank you so much for your input. Your ideas pretty much mirror what I was pondering to do or not.
I'll keep everyone posted...

 

[DnEbook]

Offer a receipt for the sale and move on

 

[Seasoned]

Bad news.... Never heard back from them over the weekend. I created a new account on the current domain registrar. Pushed it to new account and gave them the login info.
They replied that they refuse to accept it because I didn't transfer it to their registrar.
They also said they consulted a lawyer (yeah right and I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell) and made changes to Flippa's contract. Really, something I never agreed to.
So now they have the domain and additional website files and are refusing to accept anything.
Thoughts on my next move ? [I know what I will do, just curious to see if everyone else is thinking the same thing] Arghhhhh

 

[forge]

"So now they have the domain..."

Is the domain now in their name/control? If so, you need to let Escrow know ASAP so you can be paid. I'd advise notifying Flippa also of this problem buyer. Troublemaker at the very least.

There's nothing wrong with asking for a contract, and I don't understand your reluctance to supply your full name, but this guy is playing "funny" games nevertheless.

 

[Seasoned]

He has my name/business name, but he wanted all kinds of other info.
Per Flippa rules, he would need to ask to change a contract before placing a binding bid.
I kept telling him he could send me a signed copy of Flippa's default sales agreement, but he never did and then added in some lie about consulting a lawyer. (This little domain is under 1k, he isn't contacting any lawyer , lol )
Anyway, Escrow.com support was uber cool, I sent them a video attachment AND screenshots of whois, etc.
They in turn cc:d the buyer and started inspection period themselves.

 

[Seasoned]

He rejected the domain, writing me many nutty emails, letting flippa handle it now. (dispute)
I am glad I rarely sell sites/domains, it is and always will be the Wild West in many respects.

 

[Name Trader]

It sounds like their biggest complaint is that the domain is not in their registrar of choice. Probably too late now. But you could have told them to put in a transfer request to their registrar of choice and you would have transferred the domain too them. Problem resolved. This might still be the best plan, seeing as Escrow have already started the inspection period. Usually after the inspection period closes Escrow.com pay you out. But if they have filed a dispute with Escrow.com, it might not get paid. It's interesting you created a new account for them at the current registrar? I guess you put their info in the whois so Escrow.com could verify it and start the transaction period. Presumably you did this without their permission? That would piss me off too. Why were you simply reluctant to accept a transfer to their registrar? I think you need to make certain what Escrow.com are going to do when the inspection period has closed. Has the buyer filed a dispute with Escrow.com after they started the inspection period? You say they now have the domain, but they could only secure the domain if they've changed the password on the account. If they have done that you should inform Escrow.com of that fact. What if they change the whois back to you? It sounds like a terrible fight is still going to take place about this payment. Still. I suppose Escrow.com are used to handle disputes. We don't usually hear about the buyer/seller being cheated. But it happens.

 

[LucidDomains]

How much we roughly talking about it? $$ or $$$ or $$$$ or more?

 

[Seasoned]

Since he isn't approving the transfer request back to me, I thought I would just use the log in info I gave him/
He changed the password, he changed my challenge question to two new challenge questions.

He is denying all of this but is complaining that the domain registrar is sending him emails for promos and I am using HIS info with approval.
I explained to him that he just ADMITTED he is receiving emails from the Domain Registrar but refusing to return my domain. I also explained that I was following escrow.com instructions (escrow.com has screen that informs you, you must transfer exactly to the mailing address, etc they have listed) Now I see why he was trying so hard to transfer it away. Well this is not fun.

It sounds like their biggest complaint is that the domain is not in their registrar of choice. Probably too late now. But you could have told them to put in a transfer request to their registrar of choice and you would have transferred the domain too them. Problem resolved. This might still be the best plan, seeing as Escrow have already started the inspection period. Usually after the inspection period closes Escrow.com pay you out. But if they have filed a dispute with Escrow.com, it might not get paid. It's interesting you created a new account for them at the current registrar? I guess you put their info in the whois so Escrow.com could verify it and start the transaction period. Presumably you did this without their permission? That would piss me off too. Why were you simply reluctant to accept a transfer to their registrar? I think you need to make certain what Escrow.com are going to do when the inspection period has closed. Has the buyer filed a dispute with Escrow.com after they started the inspection period? You say they now have the domain, but they could only secure the domain if they've changed the password on the account. If they have done that you should inform Escrow.com of that fact. What if they change the whois back to you? It sounds like a terrible fight is still going to take place about this payment. Still. I suppose Escrow.com are used to handle disputes. We don't usually hear about the buyer/seller being cheated. But it happens.

Have you used escrow.com ? They give seller's 3 methods of transferring the domain. Escrow instructs seller's to ONLY put the domain in account associated with buyer's info on file.

The buyer never got back to me after a couple of days and I moved along the transaction. On further notice I have done some digging and they put all their domains under their wife's maiden name on Uniregistry. As I said, Escrow requires domains match the exact buyer's info.

The whois still shows in buyer's name. He is still refusing to return it. Pretending he doesn't have access. Escrow.com support is being cool though.

Flippa will probably ban him since he is refusing to reply to the dispute. {and mocking me that he doesn't want to) This nightmare never would have happened on Sedo.

 

[Seasoned]

How much we roughly talking about it? $$ or $$$ or $$$$ or more?

Oh it's nothing, around 1k.

 

[LucidDomains]

1k is still 1k.

Let us know how you get on.