Unstoppable Domains — Expired Auctions

question Is ghost brokering and 25x markups the norm for VIPs?

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I’m new here but not new to the business. I'm looking to pick up more names in the niche, but a recent public thread has me wondering about the standards on this board.

I’m looking for a reality check from the pros on a few things:

First, is it normal for VIPs to pitch names they don't actually own or have any authority over?

Second, I was quoted a firm 80k for a name that’s currently on a public lander for 3k. When I pointed it out, the seller claimed it was just a cache error.

Finally, when the price gap became obvious, the seller just started calling me a bot to avoid the conversation.

I have the budget to buy high-tier assets, but I’m not here to get played by middlemen who treat a 3k name like a lottery ticket. If you want to see the exchange I’m talking about, just check my post history for the core thread.

Is this how business is usually done here, or did I just find a bad actor?
 
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AfternicAfternic
You’re missing the point, AEProgram.

Escrow protects the capital, but not the calendar. In a high-velocity market like this, having $80k tied up in a dead-end transaction while a bad-actor 'broker' chases a phantom flip isn't a safety net. It’s an opportunity cost.

As for $80k not being 'money' in 2026, I agree. That’s exactly why I’m not wasting it on markups for assets the seller doesn't even control. Fortune 500s don't just 'follow what everyone does'; they perform due diligence to ensure the person across the table actually has the authority to sign the deal.
Just have the escrow like escrow.domains demand the domain there before you send money.

Fortune 500 companies usually hire a broker unless its a cheap name they can buy from a buy it now on godaddy etc. For high ticket names they hire one of the main brokers and do it like that. They send the name to legal, legal checks trademarks and other issues, not ownership. Broker tells them price, if they agree it is sent to the financing dept. that will send the money to escrow, there is nothing else that goes on. I only know of one case that the company demanded the domain owner to submit an affidavit with proof of when they purchased the name. For them nothing was really enough and at some point I thought the deal will never happen as the seller was so slow. At the end they got everything they wanted and they sent the funds to escrow. Should people do more research? I think yes, but if you ask how things work in this business, there is a lot of trust here, and yes, sometimes people get hurt financially, like the recent story of the person buying a name via gname escrow and it was a stolen name.
 
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Just have the escrow like escrow.domains demand the domain there before you send money.

Fortune 500 companies usually hire a broker unless its a cheap name they can buy from a buy it now on godaddy etc. For high ticket names they hire one of the main brokers and do it like that. They send the name to legal, legal checks trademarks and other issues, not ownership. Broker tells them price, if they agree it is sent to the financing dept. that will send the money to escrow, there is nothing else that goes on. I only know of one case that the company demanded the domain owner to submit an affidavit with proof of when they purchased the name. For them nothing was really enough and at some point I thought the deal will never happen as the seller was so slow. At the end they got everything they wanted and they sent the funds to escrow. Should people do more research? I think yes, but if you ask how things work in this business, there is a lot of trust here, and yes, sometimes people get hurt financially, like the recent story of the person buying a name via gname escrow and it was a stolen name.
I appreciate the history lesson, but we're talking about two different things.

You're describing a system built on 'trust' and anecdotal luck. I’m talking about professionalized acquisition. The fact that 'people get hurt financially' using the exact methods you're defending is why I perform the due diligence I do.

If the standard here is 'trust and hope it isn't stolen,' then I'll continue to be the outlier who demands verification. I’m not here to reinvent the wheel. I’m here to make sure the wheel is actually attached to the car before I pay for it
 
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I appreciate the history lesson, but we're talking about two different things.

You're describing a system built on 'trust' and anecdotal luck. I’m talking about professionalized acquisition. The fact that 'people get hurt financially' using the exact methods you're defending is why I perform the due diligence I do.

If the standard here is 'trust and hope it isn't stolen,' then I'll continue to be the outlier who demands verification. I’m not here to reinvent the wheel. I’m here to make sure the wheel is actually attached to the car before I pay for it
I am talking about how things work in this industry most of the time and you are talking about how you would like things to work or how you do things. Also don't confuse gname with escrow.com or escrow.domains, two different things. Also, there is literal legal cases that involve people buying a stolen domain and not finding out for a long time. In fact, a popular recent thread discussed if people here would notice if a domain went missing from their account. A scammer can easily satisfy all your requirements as they have done in the past to people. Scammers that steal names in these days will come off more honest and trustworthy than the real honest people. If you plan on putting yourself out there as a domain buyer of high ticket domains and you don't follow best practices you might as well strap yourself in real good for this roller coaster ride. Some ai slop video that sums it up. Good luck!


 
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I am talking about how things work in this industry most of the time and you are talking about how you would like things to work or how you do things. Also don't confuse gname with escrow.com or escrow.domains, two different things. Also, there is literal legal cases that involve people buying a stolen domain and not finding out for a long time. In fact, a popular recent thread discussed if people here would notice if a domain went missing from their account. A scammer can easily satisfy all your requirements as they have done in the past to people. Scammers that steal names in these days will come off more honest and trustworthy than the real honest people. If you plan on putting yourself out there as a domain buyer of high ticket domains and you don't follow best practices you might as well strap yourself in real good for this roller coaster ride. Some ai slop video that sums it up. Good luck!


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You’re making my point for me, AEProgram.

If scammers are becoming more sophisticated and 'trust' is failing, then the old-school reliance on 'how things work most of the time' is a liability. Citing legal cases of stolen domains only reinforces why I prioritize authority and verification over a middleman's word.

A 'roller coaster ride' is what happens when you trade on hope and anecdotal trust. I prefer a boring, predictable acquisition process. If that makes me an outlier in this industry, I’m perfectly comfortable with that.
 
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You’re making my point for me, AEProgram.

If scammers are becoming more sophisticated and 'trust' is failing, then the old-school reliance on 'how things work most of the time' is a liability. Citing legal cases of stolen domains only reinforces why I prioritize authority and verification over a middleman's word.

A 'roller coaster ride' is what happens when you trade on hope and anecdotal trust. I prefer a boring, predictable acquisition process. If that makes me an outlier in this industry, I’m perfectly comfortable with that.
I am not arguing if the way you want things to be is right or wrong, we all would want a better more secure way to do things. The issue is, that many people holding good domains, won't even talk to you or reply to you when you make an offer not close to what they want. The assumption is always, spammer, scammer, low baller etc. That is the first wake up call buyers get. In fact, it's openly discussed and I myself don't even bother replying. If you do get a reply, it's a few words, like "no interest" or no response after offer. I guarantee you that every seller today that ignores emails, once upon a time replied to every inquiry. Now when you do get a reply, you walk on eggshells and if you start asking questions about due diligence and proof, you will probably be marked as spam or scam. I am not saying you are wrong for want to have proper confidence in every purchase, I am just saying it is not how things work in many cases at least with holders of premium names.

In real physical real estate, at least in the US, you have the deed / title and on top of that title insurance, no seller will ignore you if you ask for this and nobody fears losing a deal by asking for this. Now even in physical real estate you have the deed fraud issue, so you can imagine what goes on with digital assets.

My replies to you are not arguing against what you feel would be the right approach. I am pointing out how things work in reality and that reality continues to lead to a lot of problems and I don't see things changing.

A while ago I warned about fake escrow companies and made a whole thread. The scammers literally showed up here to argue with me. At the end, someone got scammed by them and people continue to fall for appraisal scams and escrow scams.

So you mean well, you know exactly what domains you want, and you know what will satisfy your peace of mind. However, the seller must be on board too and in most cases, large portfolio holders don't entertain anything beyond telling you to setup escrow or go to one of the platforms and buy it if interested.
 
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This makes zero sense. I'm not just talking about it makes sense in some aspects but not in others; I mean it makes ZERO sense. Everything about it is wrong.

First:
OP says they want 'aesthetic core' names... but they have passed on some of the absolute best aesthetic core names out there, that are well within their stated budget, and which have superb keywords:
ModelCore.com - for sale at $7995
FitnessCore.com - $4799 - for sale at less than $5K, and it's one of the greatest (and most aesthetic) keywords out there!!!
HairCore.com - $9888. Hair!! Hair services and products around the world are HUGE.
GiftCore.com - $7695. Gifts!

In just a couple minutes of searching I found about a dozen of high quality -core names like that. At very low prices. A steal, considering OP's stated budget and interests.

Simply searching Sedo or HugeDomains with the 'core' suffix shows why OP's statement of wanting 'aesthetic core' names must be bogus. There are many hundreds, if not thousands, of such domains listed. All near the bottom of OP's stated budget range.

So their ask for aesthetic core domains must be bogus. All the great ones are taken, and all those non-developed great ones are for sale well within their budget range. Their statement of not wanting ones that are sitting around and stale (I don't remember the exact phrasing but my paraphrasing is relevant enough here) is also nonsensical. To come to a forum where all the members have... taadaah... domains for sale, and listed on the marketplaces like Sedo, Atom, etc... means we're going to send the OP the exact same domains they see sitting, stale, on the marketplaces they search. Ha ha. That's like going to a used car forum and asking for a certain model of used car; when the forum members tell this person to look in their nearest used auto lot for that manufacture of car, then OP says they don't want to do that because all those models of used cars they are searching for... are just sitting there for sale! Ha. This is so funny. Nonsensical.

OP's comment about wanting 'category king' 'core' domains is also blown out of the water. All the category king domains ending in 'core' are long-ago taken, and the ones that aren't developed are for sale. And those will all be listed on the marketplaces that OP says they are aware of but apparently don't want to buy any of those.

Okay, every level of comment OP makes, is nonsense. I am a rational person, so I can show why every comment they make is nonsense. A couple more examples:

They say they don't want 'building' + core names, just aesthetic ones. Huh? Is the OP not in this to make money? You know, selling a 'core' name with 'bank' or 'money' or 'cash' or 'home' will make them a lot more money than selling 'kittyCore.com', even though 'kitty' is such a cute, aesthetic word. (P.S.: KittyCore.com is for sale for only $250.)

For OP to say that SUPER keywords are not interesting to them for investing in, but vague, weak keywords are highly valued by them... is a statement only made by insanity, or AI, or someone messing with us.

To call, like, GorpCore.com or BarbieCore.com superb category killer names is also unhinged. Yes, unhinged. First, Barbie is useless as an example, because it is a highly trademarked term. No point in the OP looking for, say, GIJoeCore.com, or SmurfCore.com, or HelloKittyCore.com. So trademarks are out, even though OP states those are 'category killers' in their example.

'GorpCore.com'? 'Gorp' is not a category killer. It was simply branded well. 'Gorp' is one of the weakest keywords anyone on the planet could come up with. It's a thing, yes, but ask how many people even know what gorp is. I do, outdoorsy hikesy people do, but the average person? Nope. That rules out vague, rarely-used terms, even though OP still deems those 'category killers'.

If OP wants vague, rarely used terms with +core suffix... there are hundreds of those on Sedo and HugeDomains and other markets. Those are category killers, according to OP's examples. But they seem to have no interest in those, either.

So... no interest in the best keyword domains + core; no interest in crappy keyword domains + core; no interest in the available 'aesthetic' keywords + core, even if they're the top, top aesthetic domains and are at the lowest end of OP's budget; no interest in all those, even if they are all found on the marketplaces; and an apparent non-understanding that they have posted a domain request on the very forum where we, domain sellers, have listed all those domains on Sedo, Atom, and the other marketplaces!

Here is the sentence that clarifies how nonsensical this is:
OP doesn't want any of the domains listed on those marketplaces... so they have come to Namepros and opened a request thread asking for domains from... all the domainers who have listed those domains on those marketplaces!!!

That is too funny.

Then they say they don't want to use tried and true and secure payment escrows... and instead put those down, and insist on less secure payment methods.

Then they put down domainers who are trying to point out the OP's apparent misunderstandings, mistakes, lack of reasoning, etc, like: "I use drafting tools because my time is worth more than yours"

"my time is worth more than yours"??

Yes, these kinds of put-downs, in the face of we domainers who use reason instead of nonsense, is common among newbies, and still occurs occasionally among longer-term members too.

I could go on, literally everything OP says makes zero sense. But I've already spent too much of my life energy on this thread.

Mainly, I was writing this not for the OP's benefit, but for the members here: when you see that a member is starting to make no sense, and it looks like it's almost entirely AI, or just someone having a pi$$ with us, or someone who is, sorry to say this, crazy/unhinged/irrational... simply best to stop engaging with them. There is no winning whatsoever.

This is definitely some AI, along with someone having a bit of a pi$$, possibly a bit of crazy, too, and possibly a SpicyPickle.com scenario? I don't know, maybe OP was responsible for registering hundreds of those +core domains listed on Sedo, and is trying to hype the +core suffix, so someone might buy some of OP's domains off Sedo, thinking they are such great keywords (according to OP's examples) that OP will surely buy them for a higher price. You know, you are excited by OP's max budget of 100K, so you buy a few domains on Sedo for a few $K each. They are so close to what the buyer wants, right! Then you go to sell them to OP, and they disappear, no longer interested, or reply that those aren't quite the right keywords they are looking for.

That may not be what the OP is doing, but it's always a possibility: that scam has been tried by a few newbies over the years...

As mentioned, I could go on and on, and show why every last thing OP purports is legit... makes zero sense. But it's time to go.

And you know what happens with nonsensical, or crazy, or scamming newbies: they read what you (and now I) wrote, and they will say even more nonsensical things to 'prove' why you're wrong... and they'll use more and more arguments and facts that make no sense, either.

There's no winning, when you engage with them. This OP is going to say a whole bunch of nonsense to disprove what I just said above, and they'll also find ways to insult me or tell me their time is more valuable than my time, ha ha. So I'll unwatch this thread and show the other, decent members here what 'don't engage with this person' means.

It's the only way to win. I'm writing all this for all you other members to think about. Not to engage with OP :)
 
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I am not arguing if the way you want things to be is right or wrong, we all would want a better more secure way to do things. The issue is, that many people holding good domains, won't even talk to you or reply to you when you make an offer not close to what they want. The assumption is always, spammer, scammer, low baller etc. That is the first wake up call buyers get. In fact, it's openly discussed and I myself don't even bother replying. If you do get a reply, it's a few words, like "no interest" or no response after offer. I guarantee you that every seller today that ignores emails, once upon a time replied to every inquiry. Now when you do get a reply, you walk on eggshells and if you start asking questions about due diligence and proof, you will probably be marked as spam or scam. I am not saying you are wrong for want to have proper confidence in every purchase, I am just saying it is not how things work in many cases at least with holders of premium names.

In real physical real estate, at least in the US, you have the deed / title and on top of that title insurance, no seller will ignore you if you ask for this and nobody fears losing a deal by asking for this. Now even in physical real estate you have the deed fraud issue, so you can imagine what goes on with digital assets.

My replies to you are not arguing against what you feel would be the right approach. I am pointing out how things work in reality and that reality continues to lead to a lot of problems and I don't see things changing.

A while ago I warned about fake escrow companies and made a whole thread. The scammers literally showed up here to argue with me. At the end, someone got scammed by them and people continue to fall for appraisal scams and escrow scams.

So you mean well, you know exactly what domains you want, and you know what will satisfy your peace of mind. However, the seller must be on board too and in most cases, large portfolio holders don't entertain anything beyond telling you to setup escrow or go to one of the platforms and buy it if interested.
I appreciate the context, AEProgram, and I don't disagree with your assessment of the current 'reality.'

But you hit the nail on the head with the real estate analogy. In physical real estate, the process is rigid because the assets are valuable. If a seller 'ignored' a buyer for asking for a title search, that seller would never close a deal.

The fact that the domain industry is plagued by 'deed fraud' and 'fake escrow' is exactly why the 'eggshell' phase needs to end. If a portfolio holder is so sensitive that basic verification is a dealbreaker, then they aren't a professional seller, they’re a liability.

I’m not looking for 'most cases.' I’m looking for the 1% of sellers who operate with the same rigor as the Fortune 500s you mentioned earlier. If being thorough means I miss out on a 'deal' from a temperamental holder who refuses to prove authority, I’m fine with that. I’d rather lose a lead than lose my capital.

The 'roller coaster' only happens if you stay on the ride. I’m building a different park.
 
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This makes zero sense. I'm not just talking about it makes sense in some aspects but not in others; I mean it makes ZERO sense. Everything about it is wrong.

First:
OP says they want 'aesthetic core' names... but they have passed on some of the absolute best aesthetic core names out there, that are well within their stated budget, and which have superb keywords:
ModelCore.com - for sale at $7995
FitnessCore.com - $4799 - for sale at less than $5K, and it's one of the greatest (and most aesthetic) keywords out there!!!
HairCore.com - $9888. Hair!! Hair services and products around the world are HUGE.
GiftCore.com - $7695. Gifts!

In just a couple minutes of searching I found about a dozen of high quality -core names like that. At very low prices. A steal, considering OP's stated budget and interests.

Simply searching Sedo or HugeDomains with the 'core' suffix shows why OP's statement of wanting 'aesthetic core' names must be bogus. There are many hundreds, if not thousands, of such domains listed. All near the bottom of OP's stated budget range.

So their ask for aesthetic core domains must be bogus. All the great ones are taken, and all those non-developed great ones are for sale well within their budget range. Their statement of not wanting ones that are sitting around and stale (I don't remember the exact phrasing but my paraphrasing is relevant enough here) is also nonsensical. To come to a forum where all the members have... taadaah... domains for sale, and listed on the marketplaces like Sedo, Atom, etc... means we're going to send the OP the exact same domains they see sitting, stale, on the marketplaces they search. Ha ha. That's like going to a used car forum and asking for a certain model of used car; when the forum members tell this person to look in their nearest used auto lot for that manufacture of car, then OP says they don't want to do that because all those models of used cars they are searching for... are just sitting there for sale! Ha. This is so funny. Nonsensical.

OP's comment about wanting 'category king' 'core' domains is also blown out of the water. All the category king domains ending in 'core' are long-ago taken, and the ones that aren't developed are for sale. And those will all be listed on the marketplaces that OP says they are aware of but apparently don't want to buy any of those.

Okay, every level of comment OP makes, is nonsense. I am a rational person, so I can show why every comment they make is nonsense. A couple more examples:

They say they don't want 'building' + core names, just aesthetic ones. Huh? Is the OP not in this to make money? You know, selling a 'core' name with 'bank' or 'money' or 'cash' or 'home' will make them a lot more money than selling 'kittyCore.com', even though 'kitty' is such a cute, aesthetic word. (P.S.: KittyCore.com is for sale for only $250.)

For OP to say that SUPER keywords are not interesting to them for investing in, but vague, weak keywords are highly valued by them... is a statement only made by insanity, or AI, or someone messing with us.

To call, like, GorpCore.com or BarbieCore.com superb category killer names is also unhinged. Yes, unhinged. First, Barbie is useless as an example, because it is a highly trademarked term. No point in the OP looking for, say, GIJoeCore.com, or SmurfCore.com, or HelloKittyCore.com. So trademarks are out, even though OP states those are 'category killers' in their example.

'GorpCore.com'? 'Gorp' is not a category killer. It was simply branded well. 'Gorp' is one of the weakest keywords anyone on the planet could come up with. It's a thing, yes, but ask how many people even know what gorp is. I do, outdoorsy hikesy people do, but the average person? Nope. That rules out vague, rarely-used terms, even though OP still deems those 'category killers'.

If OP wants vague, rarely used terms with +core suffix... there are hundreds of those on Sedo and HugeDomains and other markets. Those are category killers, according to OP's examples. But they seem to have no interest in those, either.

So... no interest in the best keyword domains + core; no interest in crappy keyword domains + core; no interest in the available 'aesthetic' keywords + core, even if they're the top, top aesthetic domains and are at the lowest end of OP's budget; no interest in all those, even if they are all found on the marketplaces; and an apparent non-understanding that they have posted a domain request on the very forum where we, domain sellers, have listed all those domains on Sedo, Atom, and the other marketplaces!

Here is the sentence that clarifies how nonsensical this is:
OP doesn't want any of the domains listed on those marketplaces... so they have come to Namepros and opened a request thread asking for domains from... all the domainers who have listed those domains on those marketplaces!!!

That is too funny.

Then they say they don't want to use tried and true and secure payment escrows... and instead put those down, and insist on less secure payment methods.

Then they put down domainers who are trying to point out the OP's apparent misunderstandings, mistakes, lack of reasoning, etc, like: "I use drafting tools because my time is worth more than yours"

"my time is worth more than yours"??

Yes, these kinds of put-downs, in the face of we domainers who use reason instead of nonsense, is common among newbies, and still occurs occasionally among longer-term members too.

I could go on, literally everything OP says makes zero sense. But I've already spent too much of my life energy on this thread.

Mainly, I was writing this not for the OP's benefit, but for the members here: when you see that a member is starting to make no sense, and it looks like it's almost entirely AI, or just someone having a pi$$ with us, or someone who is, sorry to say this, crazy/unhinged/irrational... simply best to stop engaging with them. There is no winning whatsoever.

This is definitely some AI, along with someone having a bit of a pi$$, possibly a bit of crazy, too, and possibly a SpicyPickle.com scenario? I don't know, maybe OP was responsible for registering hundreds of those +core domains listed on Sedo, and is trying to hype the +core suffix, so someone might buy some of OP's domains off Sedo, thinking they are such great keywords (according to OP's examples) that OP will surely buy them for a higher price. You know, you are excited by OP's max budget of 100K, so you buy a few domains on Sedo for a few $K each. They are so close to what the buyer wants, right! Then you go to sell them to OP, and they disappear, no longer interested, or reply that those aren't quite the right keywords they are looking for.

That may not be what the OP is doing, but it's always a possibility: that scam has been tried by a few newbies over the years...

As mentioned, I could go on and on, and show why every last thing OP purports is legit... makes zero sense. But it's time to go.

And you know what happens with nonsensical, or crazy, or scamming newbies: they read what you (and now I) wrote, and they will say even more nonsensical things to 'prove' why you're wrong... and they'll use more and more arguments and facts that make no sense, either.

There's no winning, when you engage with them. This OP is going to say a whole bunch of nonsense to disprove what I just said above, and they'll also find ways to insult me or tell me their time is more valuable than my time, ha ha. So I'll unwatch this thread and show the other, decent members here what 'don't engage with this person' means.

It's the only way to win. I'm writing all this for all you other members to think about. Not to engage with OP :)
Bannen, you’re evaluating a 2026 market with a 2014 lens.

You’re suggesting Fitnesscore and Modelcore because they have 'strong keywords.' Those aren't aesthetics; those are descriptions. They are the 'BankCore' of their respective niches—functional, but devoid of the community gravity that drives modern core movements.

To answer your 'Huh?': Gorpcore and Cottagecore didn't succeed because the keywords were 'strong.' They succeeded because they defined a lifestyle. 'Gorp' is a weak keyword, but Gorpcore is a multi-billion dollar retail category. If you’re waiting for 'strong keywords' to tell you what’s valuable, you’re always going to be chasing the tail of the trend.

As for the marketplaces—I'm looking for holders haven't bothered to park on Sedo with a $5k BIN because they actually know what they have. If I wanted the 'stale' inventory you found in two minutes, I would have bought it in two minutes.

I'm not here to 'hype' a suffix. I’m here for development. If that sounds like 'AI slop' or 'insanity' to you, it’s likely because we’re simply playing different games. You’re trading words; I’m investing in ecosystems.

I’ll respect your 'unwatch' and let the results speak for themselves. Best of luck with the keyword searches.
 
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It all sounds plausible and well enough until you step back and see what's being said. It stops making sense. Mods really need to get the AI issue under control now, until it's too late.
 
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It all sounds plausible and well enough until you step back and see what's being said. It stops making sense. Mods really need to get the AI issue under control now, until it's too late.
Ghost Broker William,

calling for the moderators because a strategy 'stops making sense' to you is the ultimate admission of a closed loop.

The irony here is thick: we have people trying to sell .ai names to a market they don't understand. Big money isn't looking for keywords; they are looking for institutional-grade logic. You’re essentially a group of Juan Tripps trying to keep Howard Hughes out of the skies because he flies faster than your business model allows.

You are selling expensive signs promising Disney World, but when the buyer arrives, they find nothing but a folding chair with a balloon attached. No one is typing 'Pizza' into a search bar to find pizza anymore. Descriptive keywords are dying; domains that promise a curated destination are rising.

You have 10,000 names today. In 2027, you’ll likely still have 10,000 names.

2028? 10,000 names, the same stagnant inventory, moved back and forth like Pokemon cards. I’d rather own one 'Castle in Scotland' (a Category King) than 10,000 apartments west of Sepulveda.

To address the 'experience' in this thread:

  • AEProgram: Relies on 'how things work most of the time' as a security blanket. In a shifting market, that’s not a best practice; it’s a liability. He prioritizes trust over verification.
  • Bannen: Obsessed with 'strong keywords' like FitnessCore, failing to see that modern value is driven by cultural aesthetics, not dictionary definitions. He’s trading words while the REST of the world is investing in ecosystems.
  • Brad (DataCube): Cites the Dunning-Kruger effect to protect his tenure. He mistakes 'having been here a long time' for 'knowing where we are going.' He confuses supervision with actual system architecture.
  • Hypersot: Dismisses AI as a 'glorified search engine' because he’s used it for Excel formulas. He can't conceive of an agentic model because it threatens his role as the 'manual verifier.'
If you bully me out for being efficient, you aren't protecting the forum; you’re turning it into a regime of stagnation that protects those grandfathered in. I’m here to deploy capital. If that makes the 'Day Traders' uncomfortable, perhaps it’s time to check their tax bracket and see who’s actually building the future
 
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I don't understand what the problem is

domain owner / seller quoted price

you negotiate / counter / reject & move on

seller determines the price they are happy with

have you sold any domain names?

have you bought any names here?
 
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I don't understand what the problem is

domain owner / seller quoted price

you negotiate / counter / reject & move on

seller determines the price they are happy with

have you sold any domain names?

have you bought any names here?
dntaps, the problem is the inventory. People are upset that I don't want their names.

Most of you are still trying to sell 2015 SEO keywords that no one actually types into a search bar anymore. I’m here for names that define a brand's destination, not a Google search term.

I don’t need a badge to validate my capital. It’s liquid, and I'm building. If you have a top-tier brand anchor, send the price. If you’re just flipping generic keywords, you're right, we have nothing to discuss.
 
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I don't sell names here, most of my sales are to end users.

I didn't respond to your domain request.

Just want to understand why you opened this thread.

I still don't understand, your response didn't clear things up.

"People are upset that I don't want their names." who? proof? thread / link?

You talk about bad actors, ghost brokering & provide no proof.

Domain owner can quote whatever they want.
 
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I don't sell names here, most of my sales are to end users.

I didn't respond to your domain request.

Just want to understand why you opened this thread.

I still don't understand, your response didn't clear things up.

"People are upset that I don't want their names." who? proof? thread / link?

You talk about bad actors, ghost brokering & provide no proof.

Domain owner can quote whatever they want.
dntaps, you asked for evidence regarding the 'bad actors' I mentioned and why I opened this thread. You don't need to look far.

The Evidence :Refer to Post #12 in my current WTB thread: 'Buying High-Tier -Core .com Suffix Assets ($1,000 to $XXX,XXX)'.

  • The Ghost Brokering: In that post, a seller quoted me a 'firm' price of $80,000 for a domain that was publicly listed at that exact moment for $2,995.
  • The Scramble: When I requested verification of exclusive authority, the seller pressured me for my identity and then rushed to have the $3,000 listing 'scrubbed' from the public marketplace to hide the 2,600% markup.
I'm not here to navigate high-friction arbitrage on names the 'broker' doesn't even control.

My history on this forum is irrelevant to the math of a $77,000 markup.
 
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https://www.reddit.com/comments/1r05tu7/anyone_else_seeing_the_absolute_mess_going_on/

Going to Reddit and creating a new account to post a thread pretending to be someone who totally isn't the author of this thread to post about this thread is pretty good sign you're the bad actor, OP.

I’ve been lurking in a WTB thread on NamePros and I had to share this because it’s a perfect example of why this industry feels so broken sometimes.

Basically, there’s a new buyer looking for domains, high-end brandable stuff. A "VIP" veteran member offered him a domain called for a "firm" $80,000.

The crazy part? The buyer did a 10-second search and found the exact same domain listed publicly on HugeDomains for $2,995 at that exact moment.

When the buyer called him out on the $77,000 markup and asked for proof that he actually owned/controlled the name, the seller didn't give any. Instead, he apparently rushed to HugeDomains to get the $3k listing scrubbed so he could hide the evidence. Then, he and a few other "veterans" started attacking the buyer, calling him an "AI bot" just because he writes professionally and won't give out his private company info to a guy who just tried to hit him with a 2,600% markup.

It’s wild to watch. We wonder why "big money" stays away from the forums, but this is exactly why. If you’re a serious buyer and you point out a massive ghost-brokering red flag, the "old guard" just circles the wagons to protect their own.

Check out the exchange here https://www.namepros.com/threads/is-ghost-brokering-and-25x-markups-the-norm-for-vips.1376933/

Is this just how the legacy forums are now? Curious if anyone else has dealt with this kind of "gatekeeping" or shady markup stuff recently.

You admitted in this thread that you use AI to write your messages (because your time is so valuable). You can't even keep your story straight.
 
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How hilarious...

Reads to me like the OP is an end user, got quoted a price on a "core" domain, was not happy with what they saw and decided to boot up his Ai buddy to come on here and troll....
 
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Going to Reddit and creating a new account to post a thread pretending to be someone who totally isn't the author of this thread to post about this thread is pretty good sign you're the bad actor, OP.



You admitted in this thread that you use AI to write your messages (because your time is so valuable). You can't even keep your story straight.
fka1080405, congratulations on finding a Reddit link. Now, let’s get back to the business that actually matters.

Whether that link was posted by me, a colleague, or a concerned observer is a distraction. The industry is discussing it because the data is what’s offensive, not the platform where it’s shared.

You’re focused on 'identities' and 'AI drafting' because you can’t defend the actual conduct:

  1. A 2,600% markup on a name the seller didn't exclusively control.
  2. A scramble to delete public evidence once the markup was exposed.
  3. An 'Established Member' base that prioritizes forum tenure over transactional integrity.
I 'keep my story straight' by being the only person in this room talking about assets and institutional transparency. You’re playing private investigator; I’m deploying capital. If you have Tier-1 inventory that isn't a 'ghost' listing, I’m a buyer. If you’re just here to audit my choice of drafting tools, you’re proving exactly why 'big money' looks at these forums and keeps walking.
 
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How hilarious...

Reads to me like the OP is an end user, got quoted a price on a "core" domain, was not happy with what they saw and decided to boot up his Ai buddy to come on here and troll....
NickB, if wanting to avoid a $77,000 markup on a name the seller didn't exclusively control makes me an 'unhappy end user,' then I’m guilty as charged.

But let’s be clear: this isn't a 'troll.' It’s a due diligence audit.

  1. The Price: $80,000 quoted vs. $2,995 publicly listed.
  2. The Conduct: Scrambling to delete the $3k listing only after being caught.
  3. The Defense: Focusing on my 'AI buddy' because you have no defense for the ghost-brokering.
You find it 'hilarious' that a buyer uses professional tools to call out bad actors. I find it 'hilarious' that in a multi-billion dollar industry, 'VIPs' are still defending the 'folding chair and balloon' model of brokerage.

I’m here to buy assets. If you’re here to protect the reputation of people who ghost broker listings they don't own, you’re just part of the friction. The 800+ people watching this on Reddit aren't laughing at the 'AI'. They’re looking at the lack of transparency in this circle.
 
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How hilarious...

Reads to me like the OP is an end user, got quoted a price on a "core" domain, was not happy with what they saw and decided to boot up his Ai buddy to come on here and troll....

This was AI from the beginning. According to past experiences, I'm 70% sure there may be some human intervention, but there is a 30% chance this is a fully autonomous claw like bot with some basic instructions. Likely using ChatGPT. It's really astounding how many people are engaging with the AI generated content and bot accounts. I reported this account immediately after they posted but moderators said there's nothing they can do and they don't suspect that it's a bot. Which doesn't really paint a bright future for the forums as a whole.

There are other users such as Elie Eweka and Sully that post AI generated content consistently. Those are likely human operated but fully reliant on AI for content generation (not just editing). I understand why forum moderators may not be banning these accounts right way. They are either not 100% sure that it's a AI / bots or they want the engagement. Which clearly it's driving. Negative or positive. But in the long term it's going to be a breeding ground for AI where most of the content will be non-nonsensical musings and word salads between AI. Any new investors will take one look and turn around and never come back. If this was my forum, I would ban these accounts right away and figure out some kind of verification system going forward.
 
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