How Would You Respond To This?

[jideofor]

I sent out an email to an end user and I got this. How would you respond and is there a way to make a sale? Funny people abound.


Hello and thanks for your Email.
Indeed, as the owner of the legally formed company (company name), it would have been nice to have the same domain name. Unfortunately, while creating the digital tools, I realized that someone had already gotten the domain name CompanyName.com.
This is very unfortunate, specially because people like you basically can take advantage of the loopholes of the internet system per se.

It would be nice to have such domain name, but to be honest …….. I don’t need it. I solved my problem otherwise and I have a useful and active domain name. As such, keep it …… and enjoy it.
I only wonder to whom you are going to sell such name. It will be interesting to find out.



He uses the hypenated version Company-Name.com. it is a geo domain name with a service angle and sort of brandable as well.

 

[garptrader]

This attitude among developers and small business owners is what makes selling domain names so difficult. Companies will spend serious money on all kinds of normal business expenses. Retail rents can run five figures monthly and six figures annually. But domain budgets are often low $XX.

 

[wwwulff]

I would never answer him if there are other potential end user, but is he the only likely buyer, I would offer him to buy it for a low and fair price

 

[ivey]

Set a reasonable price you are willing to accept and offer the name to them at that price. Then say:

Your name is arguably one of the most important part of your business/brand. You invest in what you value. A name is literally online real estate... You don't go in the physical world telling a property owner they are squatting because you wan't to build your business on their land/address? A quality name is not going to sit waiting for you to start a business to lay claim to it. Nothing of value in this world is free. So lets stop the unprofitable squabble and lets do business.

Otherwise have a nice day!

Regards,
Your name...

 

[HKIBC]

Definitely deserves a reply. You have to understand his disappointment and not a little anger at finding his company name already taken and on top of that some sonofagun offering it "back" to him for an outrageous sum! So be friendly and polite. First off, be sure to thank him for taking the time to answer you. Tell him you are always available and willing to talk should he ever change his mind. In closing, wish him success in his business endeavour.

Important: make sure it's worded properly so as not to be misconstrued as sarcasm! This is to say, never, ever use expressions like: "Have a nice day!" or "Best of luck!". That comes across as sarcastic and unfriendly and defeats the whole purpose of your reply. Obviously (at least to me), your offer made this a pretty bad day for him.

Use the Force, Luke! At least this is how I "handle" potential clients. It comes easy to me, because I understand and "feel" their point of view. No matter how angry they come at you, this kind of polite, noncommital reply always diffuses the aggression to a large degree, opening the door to possible future communication. Just make a note of it in whatever you use to keep track of stuff and make sure not to "spam" him again.

 

[onewordonly]

If they were serious I think it would be more professionally written and an inquiry included to see if you would sell it. From reading between the lines I would say they are on a budget and not worth wasting time.

 

[Asfas1000]

Jideofor, are there any other end users for this domain ?

 

[HKIBC]

Jideofor, are there any other end users for this domain ?

Not important as far as this exchange goes! Don't make the mistake of letting any other unexplored or otherwise possibilities influence this particular dialogue! The others have not replied. This one has! He is obviously interested, even if his attitude is that of a pissed off Rhino. Par for the course. Sticks and stones. That's a diamond in the rough to be treasured, er... handled carefully

 

[Asfas1000]

The others have not replied.

OP only said he emailed this end user. Waiting for him to clarify if there exist other end users.

 

[HKIBC]

OP only said he emailed this end user. Waiting for him to clarify if there exist other end users.

He's implied there are no others at this time. Alternative buyers are, of course, important and very desirable. However, only insofar as pricing and advanced negotiations go (read: much further down the line). Were there others, throwing them at him at this juncture would be wasteful and counterproductive! You leave that as your ace in the hole for use later

 

[deez007]

Definitely deserves a reply. You have to understand his disappointment and not a little anger at finding his company name already taken and on top of that some sonofagun offering it "back" to him for an outrageous sum! So be friendly and polite. First off, be sure to thank him for taking the time to answer you. Tell him you are always available and willing to talk should he ever change his mind. In closing, wish him success in his business endeavour.

Important: make sure it's worded properly so as not to be misconstrued as sarcasm! This is to say, never, ever use expressions like: "Have a nice day!" or "Best of luck!". That comes across as sarcastic and unfriendly and defeats the whole purpose of your reply. Obviously (at least to me), your offer made this a pretty bad day for him.

Use the Force, Luke! At least this is how I "handle" potential clients. It comes easy to me, because I understand and "feel" their point of view. No matter how angry they come at you, this kind of polite, noncommital reply always diffuses the aggression to a large degree, opening the door to possible future communication. Just make a note of it in whatever you use to keep track of stuff and make sure not to "spam" him again.

Very Well said!

 

[Asfas1000]

He's implied there are no others at this time. Alternative buyers are, of course, important and very desirable. However, only insofar as pricing and advanced negotiations go (read: much further down the line). Were there others, throwing them at him at this juncture would be wasteful and counterproductive! You leave that as your ace in the hole for use later

Well, whether other potential buyers exist is one thing and whether they have been contacted is another.

If the company name is totally unique , the buyer knows they are the only end user. I find it unlikely they will pay a lot for the domain. Otherwise they may fear that a competitor might get it. So it is important to know this little detail.

 

[HKIBC]

...If the company name is totally unique , the buyer knows they are the only end user. I find it unlikely they will pay a lot for the domain.

Well, there are ways of kicking such comfortably exclusive buyers off their comfy porch, so to speak, but lets put that aside for now...

Otherwise they may fear that a competitor might get it. So it is important to know this little detail.

Agreed. In fact, this should be well established before you register/catch the domain! This said, I firmly stand by what I've said before: this is immaterial at this point of the negotiation process. Timing is everything!

 

[MasterOfMyDomains]

Not even a $50 offer? Just a sarcastic reply. He doesn't need your name
I only wonder to whom you are going to sell such name. It will be interesting to find out.

 

[eyedomainous]

^There are always other Geo end users. As a reply, I like to 'flip-the-script' and end with a call-to-action.

Indeed, as the owner of the legally purchased (domain name), it would have been nice to have placed the name with a company of the same name.

Unfortunately, while offering the best digital branding tool to the company, I realized that they had taken advantage of a loop hole in the internet system that allows users to hyphenate someones existing domain name. This is very unfortunate, specially because people like me basically secure digital assets before your actual business competitors could.

As for your interest in what will happen to (domain name) now. Out of respect for your business, and in appreciation of you taking the time to share your feelings I put the future of (domain) in your hands.

For a limited time I will exclusively hold the domain for you on a Pay What You Want basis. If the price you offer is above the lowest price I can afford to accept for the domain - then the name is yours. No haggling. If I do not hear from you in the next few days, I must offer the domain to buyers interested in redirecting traffic in the (geo) namespace.​

 

[HKIBC]

^There are always other Geo end users. As a reply, I like to 'flip-the-script' and end with a call-to-action...

Well, I'm Chinese, so I lean more towards Uncle Sun Tzu's win without fighting version of... Force And rule number one of that is: make the "enemy" feel complacent, relaxed first... works wonders!

Sure enough, prodding a pissed off Rhino is likely to get you action. Not neccessarily the kind you are looking for, though. Like an UDRP claim! But, hey, whatever works for you

 

[MasterOfMyDomains]

The recipient stated he feels like he is being taken advantage of. He is savvy, has a domain name.
It's not like something he has to have. His reply i interpret as making fun of you.
Now figure out how to convince him he is wrong.
Yes, win without fighting, but sometimes there is nothing to fight over.
This is very unfortunate, specially because people like you basically can take advantage of the loopholes of the internet system per se.

^ That's the long tail version of the other two words people call us domain investors.

Like the indian boy who called today trying to sell web development. I don't need it. He can keep trying to convince me otherwise, win without fighting. It's a losing battle. Ya he got sarcasm too

 

[Ken Bluttman]

Work out a deal with him. He has a right to be pissed. But communication has already started. Even if you make a small profit or just break even, that's better than a loss. It's just business. Don't take it personally.

 

[eyedomainous]

Living in the USA, what works for me, when someone falsely accuses 'people like you' of 'taking advantage' of someone or something, is a Just reply that addresses an unfair charge -before seeking a resolution.

Letting an unfair claim against a group stand not only emboldens the accuser to repeat the offense, but
"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes". Mark Twain

Cultural conditioning aside, Complacency never won a fight for dignity and human rights.

Well, I'm Chinese, so I lean more towards Uncle Sun Tzu's win without fighting version of... Force And rule number one of that is: make the "enemy" feel complacent, relaxed first... works wonders!

Sure enough, prodding a pissed off Rhino is likely to get you action. Not neccessarily the kind you are looking for, though. Like an UDRP claim! But, hey, whatever works for you

 

[jideofor]

Okay folks, I had been silent until I see a turn of event.

Well, I did reply his email politely, apologized for making him angry if my email appeared so, I clarified things and made him understand that there is no way something is going to keep waiting for him wherein someone else is nursing same idea as he.

I also stated that the domain name was never acquired to take advantage of anyone, attached a screenshot of similar domains owned by other persons and told him there is a demand for such domain names.

I then went further to give examples of Facebook recent purchases, with links to blog post--Work.Place and GameRoom.com--telling him that Facebook never accused anyone of taking advantage of their business and they are still acquiring names. Same goes for other big and small companies out there because they understand the importance of acquiring domain name that fits their brand.

I asked if would he rather be happy to see another company get a domain name wherein he had second chance to acquire the domain name and if he would like a bargain, he should feel free to discuss further as I was not asking for the moon.

He replied thus:

Hello

Thanks for the clarification and the nice words and my apologies if any of my words were harsh or disrespectful.

Of course I would be interested to acquire the domain name, as it would simply be the logical thing to do (domain name equal to company name), and as such, I offer you $ 30 for it. I know it is not too much, but more than what you paid initially, covering hence any additional expense you might have had. This way, you will recover your initial investment and my company will excel by finally owning something which by nature and principle belongs anyway to it.
I look forward to finalize this very important transaction

You can still see a sense of pride and entitlement in the magnified phrase. I told him $30 wouldn't do but ,if he can meet me at $200-250, as someone else seems interested in the domain name and since he wasn't friendly in his first reply, I never thought he would respond, which was a reason for reaching out to other party. He hasn't replied since then and I do not think he would be willing to pay more than $30 for it due to pride and sense of entitlement. Pathetic.

 

[BrandClub.com]

Okay folks, I had been silent until I see a turn of event.

Well, I did reply his email politely, apologized for making him angry if my email appeared so, I clarified things and made him understand that there is no way something is going to keep waiting for him wherein someone else is nursing same idea as he.

I also stated that the domain name was never acquired to take advantage of anyone, attached a screenshot of similar domains owned by other persons and told him there is a demand for such domain names.

I then went further to give examples of Facebook recent purchases, with links to blog post--Work.Place and GameRoom.com--telling him that Facebook never accused anyone of taking advantage of their business and they are still acquiring names. Same goes for other big and small companies out there because they understand the importance of acquiring domain name that fits their brand.

I asked if would he rather be happy to see another company get a domain name wherein he had second chance to acquire the domain name and if he would like a bargain, he should feel free to discuss further as I was not asking for the moon.

He replied thus:

Hello

Thanks for the clarification and the nice words and my apologies if any of my words were harsh or disrespectful.

Of course I would be interested to acquire the domain name, as it would simply be the logical thing to do (domain name equal to company name), and as such, I offer you $ 30 for it. I know it is not too much, but more than what you paid initially, covering hence any additional expense you might have had. This way, you will recover your initial investment and my company will excel by finally owning something which by nature and principle belongs anyway to it.
I look forward to finalize this very important transaction

You can still see a sense of pride and entitlement in the magnified phrase. I told him $30 wouldn't do but ,if he can meet me at $200-250, as someone else seems interested in the domain name and since he wasn't friendly in his first reply, I never thought he would respond, which was a reason for reaching out to other party. He hasn't replied since then and I do not think he would be willing to pay more than $30 for it due to pride and sense of entitlement. Pathetic.

This is the dark side of domain investing.
This story happens over and over again ...
Best of luck, BC

 

[jideofor]

This is the dark side of domain investing.
This story happens over and over again ...
Best of luck, BC

I do not expect anything from him. Moved on already.

 

[Haykay2005]

^There are always other Geo end users. As a reply, I like to 'flip-the-script' and end with a call-to-action.

Indeed, as the owner of the legally purchased (domain name), it would have been nice to have placed the name with a company of the same name.

Unfortunately, while offering the best digital branding tool to the company, I realized that they had taken advantage of a loop hole in the internet system that allows users to hyphenate someones existing domain name. This is very unfortunate, specially because people like me basically secure digital assets before your actual business competitors could.

As for your interest in what will happen to (domain name) now. Out of respect for your business, and in appreciation of you taking the time to share your feelings I put the future of (domain) in your hands.

For a limited time I will exclusively hold the domain for you on a Pay What You Want basis. If the price you offer is above the lowest price I can afford to accept for the domain - then the name is yours. No haggling. If I do not hear from you in the next few days, I must offer the domain to buyers interested in redirecting traffic in the (geo) namespace.​

Well said

 

[SpongyBob]

Lol. Reply by thanking him for giving us such entertainment.

 

[AbdulBasit.com]

I wouldn't bother responding to such person who has no interest in buying and simply wasting his and your time.