Domain sold, buyer pays but then disappear

[matrigaldo]

Hello.
During last weeks i have sold some domain names through eBay, most of them were just minisites i have developed few weeks before the expiration, with the intention to increase (by little, i know) the value of those expiring domain names.

Well, now i'm in a strange situation: some buyers have regularly paid the items within 24/48 hours as i requested, but then they have disappeared. I have sent them about 1 email per day, but received no replies. The problem is the domain names are going to expire or just expired. Fortunately they are on Name.com, then i'm able to do an account change for some other days, but anyway it looks like a weird situation. It hasn't happened with only one buyer, but with at least FIVE, and they have paid amounts over the reg fee.

Did it happen to you too? What should i do?

Especially one domain has been expired on Sep. 16, and until today i have received no replies to my 12 emails from the buyer, i don't really know if the domain is still renewable at normal cost, if it's pushable (Name.com) etc. But the buyer DOESN'T REPLY, even if i have clearly written in the listing (and reminded them on every email) the domain was going to expire.

I'm afraid they (or just some of they) will reply to me when the domains will be no transferable anymore. In this case what should i do? Refund them even if i think it wouldn't be fair and honest?. Or take the risk they do some claims on PayPal?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Kate]

Are you sure you are not losing E-mail due to the spam filters ?
Try to contact the buyers through ebay.

 

[1901gt]

email their paypal's email?

 

[kingsize]

You are being scammed. Once you transfer the names, they will do a Paypal charge back and retain the domain plus the money.

 

[tricolorro]

You are being scammed. Once you transfer the names, they will do a Paypal charge back and retain the domain plus the money.

You can''t do a PayPal charge back for domain names.

PayPal does not allow charge backs on intangible items which includes domain names,
ebooks, etc.

 

[matrigaldo]

Are you sure you are not losing E-mail due to the spam filters ?
Try to contact the buyers through ebay.

email their paypal's email?

I have contacted them either through their PayPal email or eBay.

You are being scammed. Once you transfer the names, they will do a Paypal charge back and retain the domain plus the money.

This is what i'm afraid of.
But their eBay accounts are good, with decent feedbacks, all positive.

You can''t do a PayPal charge back for domain names.

PayPal does not allow charge backs on intangible items which includes domain names,
ebooks, etc.

Theorically they don't. But usually they do.

 

[yandig]

This happened to me once in the past. After you've done your best to contact them via email, ebay message, etc. - just realize that you've done your part. It's their responsibility to respond, and they've dropped the ball for whatever reason. Just let the names expire unless you want to renew them and keep them. More than likely, they won't contact you at this point.

If they contact you in the future regarding this issue, just keep copies of all your correspondence.

 

[Bannen]

When you send emails to these buyers, make sure you keep a copy of your emails for yourself. Do this either by cc'ing yourself any email you send to them, or by setting your email program to save all sent items.
If you stated clearly in your ebay listings when the domains were expiring - and that you wouldn't be renewing them - , and keep all follow-up emails to prove that you tried in good faith to contact the buyers before expiry, then there is no onus on you at all to provide a refund or to renew the reg fees if/when the buyers contact you later. If they contact you while the name is still in redemption period, you can suggest to the buyer that if they still want the name, they would also have to send you the renewal fee so you can get the name out of redemption, since the renewal fee wasn't part of the original deal. If they refuse to do this, you don't owe them a refund and you don't need to pay for the renewal yourself.
As long as your original ebay listing was clear about expiry date and about you not renewing, then if they don't contact you in time to keep from losing the name, that's their loss and responsibility, not yours.

 

[Domainace]

This is a common problem on Ebay (though I have also had it with end users who have paid mid-xxx for the name).

For cheaper names, if they are not worth renewing, I would just let them drop. For names you renew, if they come around you will have to ask the renewal fee.

A lot of buyers on Ebay are compulsive, don't know what they're doing, or have serious ADD. They buy something and forget about it.

Do your best to contact them, both by email and Ebay message. After 3-6 months, I would say it's safe to assume they will never come back. I don't think they can charge back after that period either.

If they contact you after this, you can just pay a refund if the name is no longer available.

If the name you are selling has at least 6 months before expiration, things are much easier. This is one reason I avoid selling names that are approaching their expiration date on EBay.

 

[Flightfool]

Maybe they died.

 

[matrigaldo]

When you send emails to these buyers, make sure you keep a copy of your emails for yourself. Do this either by cc'ing yourself any email you send to them, or by setting your email program to save all sent items.
If you stated clearly in your ebay listings when the domains were expiring - and that you wouldn't be renewing them - , and keep all follow-up emails to prove that you tried in good faith to contact the buyers before expiry, then there is no onus on you at all to provide a refund or to renew the reg fees if/when the buyers contact you later. If they contact you while the name is still in redemption period, you can suggest to the buyer that if they still want the name, they would also have to send you the renewal fee so you can get the name out of redemption, since the renewal fee wasn't part of the original deal. If they refuse to do this, you don't owe them a refund and you don't need to pay for the renewal yourself.
As long as your original ebay listing was clear about expiry date and about you not renewing, then if they don't contact you in time to keep from losing the name, that's their loss and responsibility, not yours.

Well, i didn't mention i was going to not renew them, but the expiration date was clear. I also wrote the names will be "pushable" for few days after that date thanks to the Name.com system. That's all.
But i remind the buyers (they are FIVE (5) different buyers) all these things, and even the domain will become non-trasferable after a while.
And yes, i keep all email tracks and copies by myself, it is an habit i have.

This is a common problem on Ebay (though I have also had it with end users who have paid mid-xxx for the name).

For cheaper names, if they are not worth renewing, I would just let them drop. For names you renew, if they come around you will have to ask the renewal fee.

A lot of buyers on Ebay are compulsive, don't know what they're doing, or have serious ADD. They buy something and forget about it.

Do your best to contact them, both by email and Ebay message. After 3-6 months, I would say it's safe to assume they will never come back. I don't think they can charge back after that period either.

If they contact you after this, you can just pay a refund if the name is no longer available.

If the name you are selling has at least 6 months before expiration, things are much easier. This is one reason I avoid selling names that are approaching their expiration date on EBay.

The domain names were going to expire within few days / 1-2 weeks since auction end date. One of them was expiring the same day of the auction, but i clearly wrote in the listing, either date or the advice the name will be transferable on another account for few days.

And, well, i don't know what to do. Some names aren't so bad, i was unsure about the renewing, then i tried to sell quickly using eBay (bad choice), at price i believed fair. And some people bought, even after a bids battle. Now i don't really know, because if the buyers don't want to acquire them (we're talking about 7 domain/websites, with 5 buyers), maybe i would renew 3 of those domain names. But i need to know before they go in the redemption period (or well, when i must pay lot more for renewing?), i don't want to renew them now, then the buyers will come back claiming the domains and i will be forced to give them.

Then it's a little confusing. I don't think i will sell expiring names on eBay again.

Maybe they died.

Lol. Pessimist.

 

[Flightfool]

Hey sh#% happens.

 

[Bannen]

Maybe they died.

LOL
Of swine flu

Or maybe he killed them

 

[DNBro]

Same situation happened along with me many times in ebay and NP. Last year I have sold couple of llll.coms with other domains on ebay auction to seller for more than 1K, immediately after auction i got payment in paypal account. but domains are registered with various registrars, buyer provided only godaddy account details. even after repeated request, he haven't responded. Later i have created account under various registrars and transfered those domains to account and sent email details to buyer.

In this case you can create an account to transfer domains to buyer and send account details to buyer through mail, later he access the account, he can renew the names in case not deleted from his account.

 

[hollywood]

In this case you can create an account to transfer domains to buyer and send account details to buyer through mail, later he access the account, he can renew the names in case not deleted from his account.

Great idea, thanks for sharing it - repped you

 

[matrigaldo]

In this case you can create an account to transfer domains to buyer and send account details to buyer through mail, later he access the account, he can renew the names in case not deleted from his account.

This is a GREAT idea. I will create them if i haven't received nothing until the end of september. Thank you, rep+.

 

[daj]

Contacting eBay members
It will give you their phone number. You can try contacting them that way.

 

[DJ-Sound]

If these auctions are closing at low prices, it is more likely that the buyers are just building feedback and have no interest in the domains.

 

[matrigaldo]

Contacting eBay members
It will give you their phone number. You can try contacting them that way.

Well, i'm in Italy right now, and i wouldn't love spending lot of money calling them for domain names they should be interested in acquiring, after have paid for them.
But it would be a solution for high prices auctions.
Not this case, we're talking about 15-30 dollars on the average.

If these auctions are closing at low prices, it is more likely that the buyers are just building feedback and have no interest in the domains.

As told, we're talking about 15-30 dollars on the average, not really low prices.
But if they are building feedback at those prices, they're very welcome

 

[Domainace]

...you can create an account to transfer domains to buyer and send account details to buyer through mail, later he access the account, he can renew the names in case not deleted from his account.

For me, this doesn't seem like a good idea. If the buyer can't complete a push, he is not likely to be able to even visit his new account that you make for him.

I don't think this protects the seller either. I assume in 90% of the cases, I will never hear from the buyer again. The 10% who do come back will ask where their domain is. When you tell them you made an account for them, and that they let it expire, they will claim to have never gotten that information and probably demand a refund. So you are out the domain name and the money. And, as far as the buyer is concerned, that account you made never existed.

However you work it, the buyer is being irresponsible. I can't think of any good way to cover yourself if they come back 6 months late unless you are ready to either:

1- hand over the domain or
2- hand over a refund

If the domain is one you were going to drop anyway, then fine. But if it's a keeper, I'd rather wait a good while - from 6 months up to one year - and then sell the name again. That way you don't risk losing out.

Think of it this way...

If you paid $20 for a chair at a small antique shop and promised to come back for it, and then you disappeared for a year, would you expect the shop to still be holding the chair for you? I might ask for a refund, but I sure as heck wouldn't expect to burden them with storage for a year.

If you're talking $200 or $300, it's a different story. But for the $15 -$30 range I think you are entitled to resell if the buyer hasn't collected after a year.