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Epik marketplace

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topdom

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Let's share our experience with Epik marketplace.
Let me start.

1. Good if a domain is registered at Epik and parked at Epik,
and the buyer knows what to do. Transfers are instant.
Money goes to masterbucks, and can be moved out or spent later.

2. When a domain is parked there (by default), even if there is
only a contact form, it is part of the marketplace.
And this is basically the only way an enduser would find a domain at Epik,
and decides to buy using their marketplace.

2a. Problem is: many nonbuyers think these are real sites,
and say things like: I haven't received my order, or
no response to my job application.
So landing page should be improved.

2a1: How to improve landing pages.
First we can't design a landing page for each domain.
There must be a better default, or we should be able to
design another default.
Backgrounds should be simpler. There must be icons for payment
options (they are below the fold). People should know Epik is a domain selling place.

When we enter a building, first we don't want to get lost, and have
an easy exit option. And we must know what kind of thing to expect inside.
Otherwise we would hesitate.

3. Negotiation. Epik seems to be respecting privacy here.
Buyers/people who inquire don't respond normally to messages or offers.
I think people are confused.

3a. Marketplace negotiations should be linked from "marketplace".
not just account>offers.

3b. When there is a new message or offer it should be highligted on the dashboard.

3c. It is not clear when offers expire, or whether they are binding.
Seller's offers are more important, because the buyer can accept an offer, and pay, and domain
can be lost permanently. So sellers need to be careful.
It is not clear how to revoke an offer.
Sending a message: I'm cancelling my offer, may not help,
because domain can be sold and lost anyway.
We don't know how to stop it.
More problematic if domain is fresh (recently transferred),
so it can't be moved out, and an offer may be accepted,
although we wanted to cancel it, and can be sold.

3d. It is not clear which one has the priority:
public price, or private prices in counteroffers.
Sounds like both can be accepted by buyer.
But there are many other possibilities.
Like: always choose the cheaper one.
Disable both if they both exist..
Dozens of such possibilities can exist.
And we don't know what the real rule is.

3e. We click a negotiation link.
Sometimes we are shown bottom of the page ,
and we can only see a page resembling homepage of a site,
nothing about negotiation, UNLESS we are lucky enough to
realize that we can scroll up and see the real content there.
And of course endusers would just quit without
doing anything.

4. Epik can be slow sometimes. And
I click Epik.com and arrive at a totally different error site: bitmitigate.com
How would an enduser feel about it.

So, in short , it may be working perfectly, but it is
very confusing, and we wouldn't play a game if we don't know the rules.
We sellers can learn the rules, but this doesn't help much.
Buyers also need to feel confident enough about what to expect.

Enter a tunnel just because someone tells you to do so,
even if there is no hint of exit on the other side.
Or read a book , just because your teacher tells you to do
read it, because it is a good book.
This doesn't work.

Why use Epik marketplace.
I like selling domains at registrar marketplaces if domains are registered there.
But usually endusers go to their "own" registrar,
and that registrar hires an agent, and that agent goes to some marketplace
which would probably be Dan or Sedo, or AN.
Sales are instant, no work needed, and this can be advertised to potential endbuyers.
Also no need to worry about removing prices in case domain expires.

All marketplaces suck. it doesn't have to be this way.
GD and AN should unite. Endusers should use AN directly instead of hiring an agent
at GD who can do anything: go to AN, Dan or Sedo to secure a low price on seller side.
Dan should make sure domains resolve, so parking there makes sense,
and accept and decline buttons should have small size, and priority should be given
to visiting negotiation window. Looks like Dan was designed with bulk buyers in mind,
not endusers who would buy just one domain.
Sedo should respect seller privacy, give more info about buyers, and minimize cookie window.
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
All fine with Epik mk. Only one issue here sometimes landers not loading via VPN (US) or too slowly (full load around 1-2 minutes).
 
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Haven't made a buck yet w epik though alls well that ends well..

Been renewing have some good .coms there still like US10y and US30y

Privy to epik since a np member seeing it rise here as the people's choice personal services like calling and rob monster as well..

Excellent thread here

Thanks for the 4/21 special birfday wish np!

- Dennis Zabala
 
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The only real problem with Epik is that Afternic Fast Transfer is not enabled with them, that's it. If this one fixed - it would be an absolutely amazing, almost flawless registrar.
 
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Nice abouts afternic imo best chance right, now for all domainers new and the like is ol original template godaddy listed 25k ea domain theirs. And got an email expedited their broker negotiated passive income 14k for one np i believe advance
 
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Epik now hiding contact info of potential buyers, and others trying to contact domain owner. Not a fair business at all. Pure cheating. Domain just parked, there is no offer, and people give their info to us so we can respond, but Epik hiding that info. This is like: I call someone, and a third party is listening to my call and censoring the most critical part of the conversation, and the person I call has no idea what the hell might be happening. Looks like Epik decided to be not accountable for its actions.
Registrar part is ok, but marketplace part is far from ok, and getting worse and worse, and of course intentionally.
Maybe RM said to his employees,..do whatever, maximize profits, I'm busy, I will check what you are doing once a year.
And if so, those programmers would create room for extra profit for themselves without committing a crime,..just abusing their position.

....
I suspect a class action lawsuit can be possible, if arbitrage is happening systematically at a marketplace (and of course I'm not talking about Epik here). It would be easier to prove than shillbidding.
....
My suggestion to Epik: make this (showing contact info, and not doing censorship) a paid service. Like 100 USD per year for each Epik user.
 
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