news Domain.io acquired by Aftermarket.com - New Marketplace Is Launching Soon

[silentg]

We are excited to announce some major developments here at Aftermarket.com. We have acquired Domain.io, the advanced portfolio management system that will serve as the foundation for our new platform. This strategic move marks the beginning of our journey to become a leading force in the domain industry. Our mission is clear: to be the premier platform for buying and selling domains. We're committed to offering fair commissions and continuously adding value through innovative technology. We will be launching our full platform and domain marketplace this fall, with our registrar syndication network following shortly after.

Marketplace & Platform Features​

As we prepare for the full platform launch, here's a preview of what's in store:

• Premier Marketplace: A user-friendly domain marketplace featuring direct payment options and seamless domain transaction handling.
• Flexible Commission: An industry first for a marketplace, allowing you to split, pay, or pass commission fees to the buyer. Our un-brokered commission rate is just 10%, offering a competitive alternative to rising commission fees.
• Direct Lead Handling: Respond to offers directly or automatically assign them to a broker with complete transparency.
• Portfolio Management: All of the advanced tools from Domain.io, including bulk DNS management, cross-marketplace verification, DNS/SSL/Whois monitoring, expiration tracking, and more.
• Customizable Landers: High performance SSL landing pages with flexible checkout options.
• No Subscription Fees: Aftermarket.com will be free to use, offering industry-leading features without recurring costs.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1822971470232072524

https://www.aftermarket.com/blog/a-new-aftermarket-com

 

[Future Sensors]

That's a perfect domain name for this.

Wish them the best of luck in further expanding their reach in the domain aftermarket.

 

[Jannes]

When they add boost, will it be called Afterburner? (since Afternic missed the opportunity)

 

[Future Sensors]

https://www.aftermarket.com/blog/a-new-aftermarket-com

Here's the full text. The value proposition looks pretty interesting.

---

Coming Soon: A New Aftermarket.com​

We are excited to announce some major developments here at Aftermarket.com. We have acquired Domain.io, the advanced portfolio management system that will serve as the foundation for our new platform. This strategic move marks the beginning of our journey to become a leading force in the domain industry. Our mission is clear: to be the premier platform for buying and selling domains. We're committed to offering fair commissions and continuously adding value through innovative technology. We will be launching our full platform and domain marketplace this fall, with our registrar syndication network following shortly after.

Marketplace & Platform Features​

As we prepare for the full platform launch, here's a preview of what's in store:

• Premier Marketplace: A user-friendly domain marketplace featuring direct payment options and seamless domain transaction handling.
• Flexible Commission: An industry first for a marketplace, allowing you to split, pay, or pass commission fees to the buyer. Our un-brokered commission rate is just 10%, offering a competitive alternative to rising commission fees.
• Direct Lead Handling: Respond to offers directly or automatically assign them to a broker with complete transparency.
• Portfolio Management: All of the advanced tools from Domain.io, including bulk DNS management, cross-marketplace verification, DNS/SSL/Whois monitoring, expiration tracking, and more.
• Customizable Landers: High performance SSL landing pages with flexible checkout options.
• No Subscription Fees: Aftermarket.com will be free to use, offering industry-leading features without recurring costs.

Proven Industry Leadership​

We're proud to introduce the new leadership team that will be driving Aftermarket.com forward:

• Frank Pavilonis, CEO: With over a decade in the domain business, Frank has played key roles at some of the industry's top companies, driving success wherever he goes. His deep understanding of the market and forward-looking vision are central to Aftermarket.com's mission to become the leading platform in the industry.
• Aaron Oxborrow, CTO: As the founder of Domain.io, Aaron brings unparalleled technical expertise to Aftermarket.com. His innovative approach to portfolio management and passion for domains will be instrumental in shaping the new Aftermarket.com.

What This Means for Domain.io Users​

Domain.io will transition completely to Aftermarket.com. We're committed to ensuring a seamless migration for all users. Here's what you need to know:

• Domain.io is now free and will no longer collect subscription payments.
• Annual plan subscribers will receive prorated refunds.
• User accounts and domains will automatically migrate to the new Aftermarket.com platform at launch.
• Seller portfolio pages will redirect to Aftermarket.com URLs after the migration.
• We'll continue to support ns1.domain.io / ns2.domain.io nameservers for at least one year.
• All existing Domain.io users will get early access to the new Aftermarket.com.

Looking Ahead​

We’re excited about our future and can’t wait to share the innovative features we’ve been working on. We invite you to stay connected with us throughout this transition:

• Follow us on Twitter/X and LinkedIn for continued updates.
• Questions? Reach out anytime at support [at] aftermarket.com.

We welcome your thoughts and feedback as we develop and refine our new platform.
Best regards, The Aftermarket.com Team

---

 

[Bravo Mod Team]

Interesting!

With this acquisition, Domain.io users will be paying a commission on their sales?

Edited out the rest of this post.

 

[Bravo Mod Team]

That's a perfect domain name for this.

Agreed! Aftermarket.com has provided this service before under various ownerships.

The domain has a rich history that can be found on NamePros and domain blogs:

• 2010: Thought Convergence’s Aftermarket.com has been reborn
• 2014: Igloo acquires Aftermarket.com
• 2015: Igloo.com Relaunches, Integrates Aftermarket.com
• 2021: Aftermarket.com sells for $280k

Awesome to see it being brought back to life, again!

Do you think there will be brand confusion given Afternic's dominance?

Afternic vs. Aftermarket.

 

[Future Sensors]

With this acquisition, Domain.io users will be paying a commission on their sales.

If you consider both the Buyer and the Seller to be 'users', certainly. Note this, however:

Flexible Commission: An industry first for a marketplace, allowing you to split, pay, or pass commission fees to the buyer. Our un-brokered commission rate is just 10%, offering a competitive alternative to rising commission fees.

 

[Future Sensors]

Afternic vs. Aftermarket.

I've lost track already.

Can anyone name the main differences?

 

[Bravo Mod Team]

Flexible Commission: An industry first for a marketplace, allowing you to split, pay, or pass commission fees to the buyer. Our un-brokered commission rate is just 10%, offering a competitive alternative to rising commission fees.

Yep. For a $10k sale, that's $1k in commission. For a $100k sale, that's $10k in commission.

It doesn't matter much who pays it because that's $10k going to the marketplace instead of going to you as the seller.

That money could go to the seller.

 

[Future Sensors]

Yep. For a $10k sale, that's $1k in commission. For a $100k sale, that's $10k in commission.

It doesn't matter much who pays it because that's $10k going to the marketplace instead of going to you as the seller.

That money could go to the seller.

I understand how you feel about this. Take Swetha, who now routinely sells their high priced domains either via direct BIN, or arranges external Escrow where the buyer bears the commission costs completely. If the buyer really wants the domain, and the extra costs are not a problem, this can result in more money for the Seller in these cases.

 

[rh2000]

Agreed! Aftermarket.com has provided this service before under various ownerships.

The domain has a rich history that can be found on NamePros and domain blogs:

• 2010: Thought Convergence’s Aftermarket.com has been reborn
• 2014: Igloo acquires Aftermarket.com
• 2015: Igloo.com Relaunches, Integrates Aftermarket.com
• 2021: Aftermarket.com sells for $280k

Awesome to see it being brought back to life, again!

Do you think there will be brand confusion given Afternic's dominance?

Afternic vs. Aftermarket.

Yeah. I remember them. I had listed domains there years ago.

 

[Bravo Mod Team]

If the buyer really wants the domain, and the extra costs are not a problem, this can result in more money for the Seller in these cases.

This assumes that the seller has not already factored in the commission of the platform into their asking price on that platform, right?

For example, let's say you want $100k net for your domain, so you list it for $125k on Afternic:

• $25k goes to Afternic.
• $100k goes to you.

That extra $25k can make or break a deal due to budgetary constraints. This increases the cost for the buyer, decreases the chance of buyers being able to afford it, and results in the same money for the seller.

It will have a negative impact on STR. Profit unchanged.

 

[rh2000]

Interesting!

With this acquisition, Domain.io users will be paying a commission on their sales.

If you're tired of this happening and having to switch providers, just use our landers.

We've got you covered with $0 fees and 0% commission.

People should be running to this opportunity with Godaddy raising commission prices. I don't know how long you can keep this service free but I am thinking about parking all my domains here.

 

[alcy]

sadly it takes many years to bring traffic to a market. with zero guarantee of success in the end.

 

[Bravo Mod Team]

I don't know how long you can keep this service free but I am thinking about parking all my domains here.

 

[Future Sensors]

so you list it for $125k on Afternic

This seems like a particularly bad idea to me.

In that example, Afternic is indeed taking a huge amount of commission, especially with the recent +5% increase.

 

[Future Sensors]

Just independent of the trip Bravo and I just made.... suppose the 10% commission at Aftermarket.com is shared equally between Seller and Buyer, then 5% for each party is an excellent outcome. I believe this will work, and wish the marketplace every success.

 

[aoxborrow]

Interesting!

With this acquisition, Domain.io users will be paying a commission on their sales.

If you're tired of this happening and having to switch providers, just use our landers.

We've got you covered with $0 fees and 0% commission.

a. you can respond to buyer directly or use any of the existing buttons on domain.io, just free

b. very cool to see the mods shilling their own product as 4th reply in this thread

 

[Bravo Mod Team]

a. you can respond to buyer directly or use any of the existing buttons on domain.io, just free

We replied with the sentiment that others had sent to us privately.

It’s better to have it discussed publicly to provide an opportunity for clarification. Otherwise, the sentiment propagates without a chance to address it.

Please share how the free option will work.

We support you!

b. very cool to see the mods shilling their own product as 4th reply in this thread

We've removed that part from our reply. We got carried away after some people told us about their frustration with the sale.

Sorry about that.

 

[dirk]

I was enthusiastic as I was already moving some to domain.io. lots of SSL issues lately so I dunno.

New website seems to be beta tested live. Again, I dunno.

Dan set the bar, from what I can judge so far they are waaaaaaaaay behind.

 

[NectarNames]

I subscribed to domain.io a few weeks ago. I can verify I have already received my refund! Thank you! @aoxborrow

 

[dirk]

I subscribed to domain.io a few weeks ago. I can verify I have already received my refund! Thank you! @aoxborrow

I agree. They 're quick.

However, I'm experiencing a lot of SSL issues. It works, then it's not. Then it is, then it's not again. Very strange (no cache).

I like them a lot but a warning thrown will make a lander not resolve at all. Will test signing myself and using a reverse proxy to use their Landers, might do the trick.

Also, updating a domain doesn't really seem to work... Then it does, then it doesn't.

Will probably stick to my own again with imported leads to Dan or sedo unless AM wil come up with a brilliant interface.

 

[aoxborrow]

However, I'm experiencing a lot of SSL issues. It works, then it's not. Then it is, then it's not again. Very strange (no cache).

It looks like the SSL system was stuck the last week or so, I just restarted it. The current system is falling behind with all the new domains, but I have a completely revamped system for landers at Aftermarket.com that will only take a few minutes (tops) to issue certs. If you still have any domains with SSL issues please DM or email me the names.

Also, updating a domain doesn't really seem to work... Then it does, then it doesn't.

There is a 5 minute cache on the domain landers. If you use the View Site button from within your account, it adds the ?nocache string to the domain which bypasses the cache:

 

[Future Sensors]

It looks like the SSL system was stuck the last week or so, I just restarted it.

That's a long time without noticing.

 

[aoxborrow]

I agree, it's because it fails in a silent way -- the SSL cert is issued successfully, but the parking server didn't pick it up. I will add checks/visibility for this on newly parked domains. The new system won't have this particular problem.