High $xx,xxx offer @ GD Auction

[eurorealtor]

Hello Everyone,

1. last week I have received an inquire for my domain via parking page @ DNS. I have quoted minimum offer $50K with $100K Buy it now. The email leads to large Chinese developer / real estate company.
2. Next day I have received an inquire for the same domain @ Afternic, so I have quoted the same floor price and buy it now price.
3. Next day I have received high $xx,xxx offer @ GoDaddy auction and I have accepted the offer.
4. The buyer started an escrow @ escrow.com immediately, but it has been 5 days and the buyer failed even to choose the payment method.
5. On mondayI called GD to check on the transaction and I have been told to wait till wednesday (today) and email auctions @ GD.
6. Monday night I received an email from claim to be GoDaddy sales representative who claim to have a buyer for the same domain and will pay about $25K less than the original accepted offer. She introduced herself with American common name, but the email address is Chinese name & last name @ go daddy.com and even I could recognize it wasn't written by native English speaking person.
7. I replied to her that the domain has been sold and I am under agreement but if the original buyer will fail to proceed the transaction, I may "think" about it if the commission is right.
8. She replied the commission is 5 to 20%.
9. I emailed auctions @ GD today to find out what is going on, tried to get info where is the original offer from and also forwarded the fishy email from claim to be GD associate with the lower offer.
10. GD Auctione replied:
"Support Staff Response
Dear Tomas,
Thank you for contacting Aftermarket support. We will not provide any information about other shoppers to anyone. We will reach out to the buyer and remind them to complete payment at escrow.com. Should they fail to do so within the next 10 days or if we determine that they will not be completing the transaction as agreed it may be cancelled so that you can relist the domain for sale.
We will review why you were contacted by that representative regarding your domain.
Please reach out to us if you have any other questions.
Regards,
Kyle H
Aftermarket Support"

I do have a feeling it may be a scam, or she may be connected to the original buyer and trying to get $25,000 off of the original offer. Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Tomas

 

[DomainVP]

Too many games.

I'll give you some serious advice that someone once gave me; power doesn't move.

Meaning that you are the one with the power in this negotiation. Stop moving so many parts and communicating back and forth; calling GD, replying to lower offers - no, no, no. It makes you look like you have less power behind your asking price.

If you have an $85k offer, why even reply to the $25k offer?

With all of the eMail tracking going around I would have opened that email, read it, and trashed it immediately with no response.

All you need to do right now is sit back and wait. They will either buy it, or they wont.

Good luck.

 

[AbdulBasit.com]

I think this is where you went wrong:

"I replied to her that the domain has been sold and I am under agreement but if the original buyer will fail to proceed the transaction, I may "think" about it if the commission is right."

You should not have talked in that way, else IMO could have got what you initially asked for.

 

[Silentptnr]

I would follow GD instructions otherwise you'll be on your own.

 

[jideofor]

It is same person. trying to fool you. I think you should stick to your price no matter the form they show up in.

 

[DomainVP]

told the buyer not to pay and made an offer

I'm sure every broker does this.

GDB (GoDaddy Buy Service) charges a 20% fee for a successful acquisition.

So for a $65,000 sale they will charge the buyer $13,000, totaling $78,000. So it saves the buyer money, they securely buy the domain, and everyone wins... except for you!

When you receive an inbound from a broker their job is to get you to sell for as LOW as possible.

GoDaddy is a great company with outstanding service, but just know your position when you are contacted by a broker.

If I am contacted by a broker, I don't even respond anymore. I will open the eMail once, save it to hard drive, then trash it. Every communication after which does not have a price I just delete without opening it (iphone preview).

It get's them very flustered... which is exactly where you want a buyer to be.

When the buyer can't solve a problem through dialogue, they will just throw money at the problem.

Congrats on your sale! Sure you left some money on the table, but I'm sure you made a great profit.

 

[ealfert]

Raise the price by $25K for them trying to play you. Show them 2 can play at that game. Then agree to sell it at the original $75K agreed to price. If they are a serious buyer, and the sale would have completed at $50K, then they will pay $75K versus $50K if the other option is to not get the domain.

 

[Name Trader]

I sold a domain on GoDaddy to a chinese buyer recently on GoDaddy for $5k (which invokes Escrow.com). I never had another offer. The buyer opened an Escrow transaction, and the GoDaddy/Escrow systems opened another ticket. I suspected a duplicate transaction at Godaddy immediately. Even though I didn't know at the time there were duplicate transactions. I asked both GoDaddy and Escrow about it but they both said no. GoDaddy even went further and wiped their hands of the situation, telling me to ask Escrow.com about this transaction at every turn. (This is the last time I will ever agree to a sale of a domain over $5k at GoDaddy). This went on for 2 or more weeks. Then the buyer, in their frustration emailed me directly. And there it was, as plain as the light of day. A different Escrow transaction number than mine. After pointing this out to both GoDaddy and Escrow, things got resolved within a reasonable time, and I eventually got paid.

The moral of this story is the buyers should not go and open their own escrow transactions. But should wait for the GoDaddy/Escrow transaction to appear.

The takeaway from this story, as it relates to yours @eurorealtor, is there could well have been two separate Escrow transactions, since the buyer also started an escrow transaction. And so there were 2 transactions, and never the twain shall meet.

Of course, it could also be the original buyer playing around. But I'm just saying, it might not be the case.

 

[biggie]

doesn't sound like serious buyer to me

 

[Alan Shiflett]

Feel free to send me an email or dm with the domain name this is related to (and feel free to forward me the fishy email) and I can look into it for you. ashiflett (at) godaddy.com

 

[Joe Styler]

I'm not really sure because I don't have all the details to make an accurate comment. What I can see is that the buyer last October who did not pay the $85k they bid was banned from our auctions and has not been back since we banned them. I don't see any other sales or offers from our side since that $85k offer did not complete. I am not sure if that buyer was related to the company who bought the name or not this time. If they are a big company then they likely have many employees they can use to buy the domain or can use a broker etc but I don't see any other activity on our side for the domain or from that buyer.
It does not seem likely that we would have a person in China call you to try and offer you $20k less for a domain you already agreed on a higher sale price for. I dont know for sure that this did not happen but it would not be in in our best interests for several reasons, we want the auctions to complete and for people to be safe and feel confident in our auction house, and of course we would make less money on the sale if it closed for $20k less. Sorry for the limited information but I can only comment on the pieces I know confidently.

 

[Name Trader]

GoDaddy's support was appalling.

 

[Bonsu]

It has occurred to me, but not sure how much he could help, if no one else from GD has.

@Joe Styler is trusted and guaranteed. He helped me in my first sale even after go daddy stalled payment for over 5 months

 

[DomainVP]

On a side note. You guys know that people can not mail-track you if you block images in your email right?

Sure you can block images, but that's like smashing your TV because you don't like the channel.

I want someone to see that I read their eMail one time, I also want them to see that I did not open their other messages. Use your opponents tools against them, it is the best strategy that works every time.

It's more psychologically damaging for them to see how little you care than for them to assume you are using some kind of blocking software - which there are dozens of plugins for.

And NO all brokers most certainly does not act in that fashion. If that is what happened.

GDB tries to get the best price for their client, and they they have 30 days to try and get that price. They most certainly tell the buyers that their services will result in lower prices... well... because look at this situation, it worked.

I don't really concern myself with the small nuances of the process because it does not effect my price point either way, but it would be nice to know for a fact what GDB says to its clients when they want to acquire a domain.

 

[Bonsu]

I have no need for updating. I have brains, that never goes out of fashion. You should try and get some.

Try be calm. There's no need for this

 

[eurorealtor]

It's shame you can NOT reach GD Auction department on the phone for domain you sold for nearly 6 figures. Their emails rise more questions than answers.

 

[hookbox]

Tag joe styler from Godaddy and he will possibly look into it for you.

 

[hookbox]

It has occurred to me, but not sure how much he could help, if no one else from GD has.

He has always done a great job of helping where he can. I wouldn't rely on any random GD employee to help you out. If anyone can Joe can.

 

[eurorealtor]

Too many games.

I'll give you some serious advice that someone once gave me; power doesn't move.

Meaning that you are the one with the power in this negotiation. Stop moving so many parts and communicating back and forth; calling GD, replying to lower offers - no, no, no. It makes you look like you have less power behind your asking price.

If you have an $85k offer, why even reply to the $25k offer?

With all of the eMail tracking going around I would have opened that email, read it, and trashed it immediately with no response.

All you need to do right now is sit back and wait. They will either buy it, or they wont.

Good luck.

Well, the another offer was $25K lower than the original one, which is $60K.

 

[jedaprin]

Tell them you want $88.888

 

[eurorealtor]

Ok, so after few months of domain being 'down" and under privacy, zje.com finally redirects to the large Chinese Developer / Real Estate company, who made the initial inquire over DNS and who, I believe made the $85,000 offer via GoDaddy, but never paid. So I believe I have been played by GoDaddy associate(s) who IMO told the buyer not to pay and made an offer for $65,000 only instead and than sold it to the original buyer with profit. Unless GoDaddy unwell the customers name (never gonna happen), I will never stop believe thad I have been played by "them". Your opinion @joestyler ? Just FYI Escrow.com associate has confirmed that the buyer with $85k offer who never paid was a Chinese buyer.

 

[promo]

On a side note. You guys know that people can not mail-track you if you block images in your email right?

And NO all brokers most certainly does not act in that fashion. If that is what happened.

Regarding Godaddy having great service. Wow.. Just wow. Not my experience for sure. Horrible in all regards to issues pertaining to aftermarket sales.

 

[promo]

How about you tell us about your different method and its valid reasons instead of sending roll eyes towards people that disagree with you?

Regarding Godaddy customer service being great. I have no doubt at your level is adequate service. They are quite good at assisting with stuff like updating nameservers and selling add ons. I am talking about handling large sales, coordinating responses regarding after market sales and even coordinating between buyer and seller reps. Its a mess and its hampered by obviously ill thought out bonus incentives for selling add ons and appropriating leads on after market sales.

Sounds like you do little business there. Unfortunately I am forced to do a lot of business through them.

 

[promo]

5X 5 figure sales? My my. Sounds like you should be the DomainVP. Oh wait you already appointed yourself to that position.

If you do very little business at GD why are you telling us about their great service?

Edit
Yeah I have been forced to do business there since I had a client that absolutely wanted to use them because of reasons non disclosed. It made me a 6 figure commission all in all though. So I did it but have the right to complain about their crappy service.

I meet Joe styler in person he is a nice guy that often can set things straight. But cant be right you have to run to the boss each time you want things handled right.

 

[Kate]

You don't need to block images, blocking ALL images is an old-hat strategy that was used in the past. You may be comfortable with that, and thats fine NOBODY IS JUDGING YOU.

Just to be clear, we are talking about remote images, not embedded images. I use Thunderbird and by default it won't display remote images, unless you enable them (or you set a rule for certain senders).
I believe that even Microsoft Outlock behaves the same and most other mail clients too.
Web bugs are used to track if you read a message but will also give away your IP address.
Needless to say, I only enable remote images for known, legit senders or newsletters.