debate Domainers Stealing Domains from Domainers

[Dandelion]

Hey Folks,

This issue has been bothering me for a while now and I just needed to get it out for us to have a debate on it.

Why are Domainers so willing to steal domains from other Domainers?

I don't mean outright conventional stealing, I mean stealing through the auctions. We all have lost good domains to this scenario, and it keeps happening every day at Sedo, Namejet, and here at Namepros.

When someone set their auctions at $1 starting bid, they so to encourage bids, not to sell at $1. If we placed a $1 bid and the auction ended with no further bids, I think we are under moral obligation to confirm with the seller whether they are truly willing to sell at that price.

I mean, why would someone pay €59 to auction a name at Sedo and another Domainers takes the domain at $20 because the auction was set at a $20 starting bid? To me, it is morally unacceptable and should be discouraged. And I see this happening every day.

While we do not have control nor a say about what happens at Sedo and other private platforms, I think we should do something about Namepros. Won't it be nice if we confirm from a seller whether they are willing to sell at bottom price. Isn't it wicked and inconsiderate to aggressively enforce what seems to be your right in this case?

Anytime you sneak a domain at a low starting bid, lower below capital, you help push another Domainers out of business.

Note: I am not judging anyone nor accusing anyone of anything wrong. Just stating what I assume should be a standard in this industry.

So, let's have your own line of debate about what you believe and why. I also added a poll to help better understand what's the majority believes should be the case.

Happy Weekend!

 

[DaveX]

Yes, but 99.99999% of the time, the seller insists on completing the sale no matter the price.

 

[Dandelion]

Title to this thread is very misleading, @dande I think many would appreciate if you modified it.

Winning a domain in auction at a steal is in no way near or related to domain theft, and associating NP marketplace with such a claim is way more irresponsible than risking a potential loss of a higher-value domain to an auction that didn't end at an expected result.

Reserve auction would have to be actively monitored by a bot or a person, and seeing as anyone can participate on NP marketplace without paying a dime who's going eat that maintenance? I find reserves a waste of everyone's time for the most part.

If you don't want to lose your name at a steal, there are a variety of strategies to employ for the auction, there are no "assumptions" that beginning at $1 the ending will be cupcakes and ice cream. This is part of the risk/reward and if you are worried, go fixed price or begin the auction at a comfortable minimum.

I wish I could edit the title but the time has elapsed. Someone should tag the mod to help out.

However, the purpose of the title is to get attention to this thread, not as if it's a news headline. We all understand the context of the post.

 

[wwwweb]

The market always provides, Nobody forces anyone to list anything for sale, and if the name is good as honey, the bees will swarm. Nobody is going to pay more than they have to, if they do that is called charity.

If you want to really pick on something it should be the want ads on namepros. The mods need a new strategy there, as people are eating their lives responding to ghosts.

90% are from totally unqualified, or unfounded parties with no feedback, activity,
or trade history looking for something that doesn’t exist.

 

[trap3]

Even chimpanzees know how to set reserve/starting bids.

ooh ooh aah aah eee eee

 

[d-e-x]

Reserve price would be solution for this problem and starting bid $1 for all auctions.

 

[d-e-x]

It's the old, use some freak sale to make your case. Again, a seller decides the starting bid, if domainers aren't bidding more than $1, the domain probably sucks.

He is not an only one, that happened to me few times.
And thanks to God a dominers who can recognize a potential was not here at right moment.

@dande - Thanks!

Now, lets face the truth here, if we set starting price $1 auction will get a bids, if starting price is higher $20, $30... very few people will bid and that is a fact.

Rules should be changed here on NP
As I said before, starting price $1 for all auctions and reserve price (if seller wish) would be solution.

 

[martbele]

I can't vote on this one..!

We're talking about auctioning a domain name, not stealing it.

THIS IS A GAME..!​

When I auction my names I always ask to myself : «Am I willing or not to let it go for $1?» That's the nore important question. I'm not telling myself: «Am I ready to let someone else steal my name for $1?». If I would do it, I would not be a pro. Be serious..!!!

I do it for 2 reasons :

1. Clean-up my portfolio, and/or
2. I don't want to renew it one more time

... In order to maybe someone else can do something better with it, and BTW catch a couple of bucks.

Keep it simple & Stay on the positive side!​

 

[Keith]

The issue is in the rules.

If you start an auction and set an opening bid, the domain should be a guaranteed sale once the first bid is placed. There should be no option to add a BIN. If you want to list at a firm price that should be a thread that doesn’t allow any offers below bin.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

I wish I could edit the title but the time has elapsed.

It is not simply the title choice. The poll is deceptive as well. Most people are opposed to stealing, i would hope, but if people vote they are against stealing does not, necessarily mean they are against what you are calling stealing. I think it will be meaningless what the poll results are, and I did not vote for this reason.

It is unfortunate because a reasonable poll on related topics would have been really helpful. Like how many would like to see a reserve option? Or how many feel that buyer and seller should, at mutual agreement, have option to not go through with a deal if the auction never went past $1 or $2 (my understanding now is that there is an obligation on both to complete when a domain auction has bids.

I have been both sides of buying and selling at low end values. Yes, disappointing, but I still hold that by starting an auction with a low initial bid you signed up for that.

Bob

 

[bmugford]

As others have mentioned, even without a reserve, you can just set a high enough starting bid instead.

If it gets a bid then you know it is in a range you are willing to sell it.

If it doesn't get a bid, then you are not obligated to sell it for less than you want.

It is a pretty easy solution.

Brad

 

[Dandelion]

He is not an only one, that happened to me few times.
And thanks to God a dominers who can recognize a potential was not here at right moment.

@dande - Thanks!

Now, lets face the truth here, if we set starting price $1 auction will get a bids, if starting price is higher $20, $30... very few people will bid and that is a fact.

Rules should be changed here on NP
As I said before, starting price $1 for all auctions and reserve price (if seller wish) would be solution.

Thank you for this point. Everyone is saying "set your starting bid at the price you want to sell" as if we don't know that already. The truth is that most auction will not get a bid if the starting bid is above $1. It's so suprising how many people here who can't reason beyond the obvious rules.

 

[equity78]

Well I do realize some love to talk AdNauseam about certain topics, but the facts are:

• Namepros management will not and cannot tell members what price to auction their names for.
• They cannot influence bidding or selling habits in anyway.
• There is no mechanism here for reserve prices, so that's out, there are certain features on a no fee platform that are not going to exist.
• One needs to understand the psychology of auctions.
• Several members run successful auctions here, so maybe those who are not need to look inward.

Here would be a fun exercise, can we get a look at some of the names where the buyer got a "steal" for $1? That would be interesting since the poll is not doing any good as most are opposed to the language used to create the poll. The tags kind of discredit the "oh I did not mean it as stealing" when it says domain theft and morally wrong.

So let's see those $1 bargains.

 

[bmugford]

Thank you for this point. Everyone is saying "set your starting bid at the price you want to sell" as if we don't know that already. The truth is that most auction will not get a bid if the starting bid is above $1.

Good domains get bids. If they don't get bids, they likely are not that good.
If you allow reserves all you are going to get is a cluttered auction forum with stupid reserve prices.

It's so suprising how many people here who can't reason beyond the obvious rules.

You basically accused people who simply win auctions of "stealing" domains and doing something immoral, but now it is others who don't understand "reason"?

Brad

 

[equity78]

Here is a $1 auction where it just sold at the buy it now of $1,000 after several bids. https://www.namepros.com/threads/gr...ppraisal-9400-usd.1158999/page-2#post-7444429

 

[equity78]

See GoDaddy is no fool you want to set a reserve price? We know a lot of bidders don't want to waste their time like @Bob Hawkes mentioned not knowing where a reserve is, but we want to accommodate both sides, and for the privilege of all that we will collect $4.99 a pop. How many want to pay @Paul Buonopane to code the tech for a reserve price?

 

[Dandelion]

Here would be a fun exercise, can we get a look at some of the names where the buyer got a "steal" for $1?

So let's see those $1 bargains.

Interesting, but that will be a tough job because most of the auctions are gone and sometimes removed or edited.

I recently placed GoBreed.com and it ended at $2. Fortunely the winner backed out.

 

[Dandelion]

See GoDaddy is no fool you want to set a reserve price? We know a lot of bidders don't want to waste their time like @Bob Hawkes mentioned not knowing where a reserve is, but we want to accommodate both sides, and for the privilege of all that we will collect $4.99 a pop. How many want to pay @Paul Buonopane to code the tech for a reserve price?

Count me in if it works well. There got to be something that really works and it won't be bad if full fledged auction page can be built in here. 4.99 a pop (I think) won't be a big deal.

 

[d-e-x]

Well I do realize some love to talk AdNauseam about certain topics, but the facts are:

• Namepros management will not and cannot tell members what price to auction their names for.
• They cannot influence bidding or selling habits in anyway.
• There is no mechanism here for reserve prices, so that's out, there are certain features on a no fee platform that are not going to exist.
• One needs to understand the psychology of auctions.
• Several members run successful auctions here, so maybe those who are not need to look inward.

Here would be a fun exercise, can we get a look at some of the names where the buyer got a "steal" for $1? That would be interesting since the poll is not doing any good as most are opposed to the language used to create the poll. The tags kind of discredit the "oh I did not mean it as stealing" when it says domain theft and morally wrong.

So let's see those $1 bargains.

I have sold here on NP .info domain for $4 and 2 weeks later I have sold that same domain on Sedo for 3000 EUR

 

[Dandelion]

So
So, if the seller is not willing to let go at $1, then what? (If you don't mind my asking. Just curious here)

You graciously let the seller keep their domain. Do you think that too much to ask for?

 

[equity78]

I have sold here on NP .info domain for $4 and 2 weeks later I have sold that same domain on Sedo for 3000 EUR

Of course and congrats, these are two separate worlds, I have bought names here as well for $100 at auction and then sold for $2,000.

Many names have been scoffed at by domain investors in a domain investors community that sold for big money in the real world. But to be fair that's not what this thread is about.

This thread is really, I want a free shot to auction names and if the closing price satisfies me I will take it, if not I don't want to sell the name, and I also want to say the winning bidder is stealing, morally wrong and a vulture.