I got an offer | Does this look like a scam to you?

[ruzeen]

Quoting directly from my email:


Hello!

My client is an investor from Saudi Arabia. He is going to buy xxxxxx.com.

Please respond and specify a desired price in the subject line.

My client has $247,000 budget for 35-40 domain names. He is very interested in financial, shopping, adult, gambling, mobile phones and weight loss related domains.

Please let us know your preferred payment method (PayPal, Western Union, escrow etc.). If this is your first time domain sale I may help you with the sale/transfer process.

Are you a member of domain seller communities/forums? Probably, we know each other under some nicknames?

Regards,

(Signed with Name)

Switzerland
X
X
Phone: xxx xxx xxx xxx

**************************

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email communication may contain private, confidential, or legally privileged information intended for the sole use of the designated and/or duly authorized recipient(s). If you are not the intended recipient or have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately by email and permanently delete all copies of this email including all attachments without reading them.

 

[equity78]

Most likely an appraisal scam.

 

[Kate]

200% appraisal scam.

 

[ruzeen]

Thanks guys. Definitely a scam. His next response after my reply was:

xxxx - Ok. Great! Before we proceed my investor needs only one thing from you:

As you may know all major domain brokers does not allow listing above $1000 or higher if you don't have an official appraisal. Since the sale price is not low in our case, my client needs an official certificate of price (appraisal). He also needs to know you have no trademark problems. It won't be a problem since I know an official appraiser that offers this option (trademark infringement verification) for free as a part of the appraisal service.

I'm also interested in a good valuation and a high sale price because my client pays me a commission (10-15% of the sale price) on every domain purchase. So I'm not interested in low sales too.

Of course, you should not use a free automated service like Estibot or similar services. My client won't accept them. I was working for Estibot and knew they were using automated scripts for free appraisals. In our case we need a real manual valuation.

To avoid mistakes and wasting money on useless automated services I asked in the forum about reliable manual valuation/TM verification services. Please read this: http://answers.archive-google.com/answers/threadview9630825.htm

The process is very easy:

1. Go to the appraisal site and order the valuation with the TM verification. Submit your domains to them and let them know you have a buyer with $X,XXX offer so you need the appraisal near this value. After several hours you will get the results.

2. Then send these results via email and we'll proceed with the deal.

If you are new to the appraisal process I can help you with a step by step instructions.
Regards,

(Signed name)

Switzerland
X
X
Phone: xxx xxx xxx xxx

 

[timestamp]

I wish I get offers like that. I'm wondering does it have to do something with whois privacy... or my domains just sucks.

 

[Cyphix]

I wish I get offers like that. I'm wondering does it have to do something with whois privacy... or my domains just sucks.

Why do you want fake offers?

 

[infmoney]

100% appraisal scam. They will accept whatever price you throw at them then they will ask for you to buy an appraisal so that neither of you get screwed blah blah blah.

Don't even reply to them.

** SORRY, didn't read your other reply. But this is a very common scam.

 

[ruzeen]

Thanks for replying, everyone. I'm new to domaining - this totally helps.

NP has great support - I'm glad.

 

[mitok]

Domain registrars should send "appraisal scam warning" together with confirmation of domain registration

These scammers targeting mostly new domain registrations and some beginners could easily be scammed.

This scam was active too long. Unfortunately there are still people who get scammed.

 

[mikeowoicho]

Scammers, just mark them as spam.

 

[alien51]

Reply with your asking price + a short message: "Don't reply to me asking for an appraisal. I don't entertain appraisals."

If he replies back with that same email you posted, atleast you have proven that you are either talking to a software bot, or a complete nitwit.

 

[ecuadorbusiness]

The last time I answered a mail asking for my selling price I told them "I am not paying any appraisal of any kind". They never answered, conclusion: scammers.

 

[Joseph Green]

His next response after my reply was:

xxxx - Ok. Great! Before we proceed my investor needs only one thing from you:

As you may know all major domain brokers does not allow listing above $1000 or higher if you don't have an official appraisal. Since the sale price is not low in our case, my client needs an official certificate of price (appraisal). He also needs to know you have no trademark problems. It won't be a problem since I know an official appraiser that offers this option (trademark infringement verification) for free as a part of the appraisal service.

I always tell them to use those services themselves and they can deduct the fees, not to exceed 5% of our sale price, from our transaction if and only if the domain is sold at the price we previously discussed.

Cat has their tongue after that.

 

[tomcarl]

lol, I've gotten this exact email a few different times.

The last one, he explained how his rich client from Japan had $50k to invest in 20-30 domains, then he asked me how much I was asking for mine? I replied and said $40 bucks for the hell of it to see if they'd still ask for an appraisal.

The guy responds "I would suggest raising your price to $4,000 as my client is very interested in the name and willing to pay it and I make money on commission"

I responded that he should buy the domain from me for $40 and sell it to his client himself for the $4,000.

Haven't gotten an email since.

Not a smart business man.

 

[alien51]

I responded that he should buy the domain from me for $40 and sell it to his client himself for the $4,000.

Haven't gotten an email since.

I never thought of that strategy. lol

That's a clever one. Counteroffer it dead low.

The other post was a good one too. Ask him to pay for the appraisal himself, then you will just deduct the cost of the appraisal from the domain price. lol

 

[badesahad]

I bet there are many who still fall under this trap and lose their money... It is great that you have shared your experience here.

 

[Nictic]

this is a scam. I saw the same message in another forum.

 

[ruzeen]

Thank you for all your responses everyone, yeah, got some smart ideas too

 

[nicktoronto]

I just got one today with exactly the same words.

Thank you so much for your help and for posting the scam.

Nick



Hello!

My client is an investor from Saudi Arabia. He is going to buy xxxxxx.com.

Please respond and specify a desired price in the subject line.

My client has $247,000 budget for 35-40 domain names. He is very interested in financial, shopping, adult, gambling, mobile phones and weight loss related domains.

Please let us know your preferred payment method (PayPal, Western Union, escrow etc.). If this is your first time domain sale I may help you with the sale/transfer process.

Are you a member of domain seller communities/forums? Probably, we know each other under some nicknames?

Regards,

(Signed with Name)

Switzerland
X
X
Phone: xxx xxx xxx xxx

**************************

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email communication may contain private, confidential, or legally privileged information intended for the sole use of the designated and/or duly authorized recipient(s). If you are not the intended recipient or have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately by email and permanently delete all copies of this email including all attachments without reading them.[/QUOTE]

 

[ActiveDomain]

I also got the exact same scam e-mail.

 

[TC27]

Yes spam, I have received that one before.

 

[Abdul Aziz R]

I got this one today. What you think about it:

 

[timestamp]

Looks phoney to me. You don't have domain name with 6 characters. Classic scam!

 

[Rado_Ch]

I never thought of that strategy. lol

That's a clever one. Counteroffer it dead low.

The other post was a good one too. Ask him to pay for the appraisal himself, then you will just deduct the cost of the appraisal from the domain price. lol

Have you heard about the one, where this guy received this exact appraisal scam and asked the scammers for $3.5 million in silver dollars? Hilarious email conversation, at the end the guy calculated that such an amount in silver dollars would weigh a little over 100 tons and suggested a suitable cargo airplane for the purpose :D

 

[Abdul Aziz R]

Looks phoney to me. You don't have domain name with 6 characters. Classic scam!

He wrote a domain name that I have it (6 characters), but he said he have question, but he didn't mention it.