Is SEDO helping scammers with fake domains like wíne.com or físh.com ?

[Erdy]

I call domains like wíne.com and físh.com as fake since these are not true idn's. Köln.com is an idn since in German there is this word Köln and it is written with ö.

físh.com is like a counterfeit product. It is a copy of the original. Maybe you didn't understand what this topic is about. Look closer to físh.com and you will see that is not fish.com it has an í instead an i.

The main aim obviously is to trick unaware buyers making them believe they are buying the real thing while they aren't. There are many people out there who don't know much about domains let alone idn's.

Do you really think the poor guy, who has to pay 2250 usd for físh.com after yesterdays sedo auction, knew what he was buying? I don't think so. This is almost like ebay scams but with the exception that sedo makes it difficult not to pay when you get scammed. I think sedo should stop helping scammers.

Even I was almost bidding yesterday on físh.com. I knew 2250 usd was incredibly cheap but I expected the prices to go higher during the last few minutes. Then when the last 10 minutes came and the price was still the same I though, ok, just put $3000 and see what happens. From my ebay experience I know that bidding last moments can be fun. And there were so many bids which made the deal look like real. Only by chance I have realized it at the last moment that it wasn't the real thing. I could have been carried away by the last minute bidding race and excitement or whatever.

Then I wrote an email to my sedo representative and the respond I received is very disapointing. He says they made it clear in the description. On the other hand I don't care about the description. They must make it clearer on the main auction list as well.

Here is a picture on what I mean:

Edit:
Fake fìx.com went through for 46,001 USD. With ì instead i this domain is not even worth one dollar.
http://www.sedo.com/auction/auction...=us&auction_id=5400&tracked=1&partnerid=27222

Please let them know what you think on this issue. Their email address is [email protected]

 

[circa1850]

Marketing is not as hidden as the ones with the "i" in them like wine, fish, or fix.

Fix was way too clever with the accent mark to the left and hidden in the down stroke of the letter "f"

In my opinion, Sedo has and is sacrificing their reputation with the core group...us.

 

[MillersCrossing]

A couple of points ...I own FIX.TV, not any IDN BS, but the real deal....how much harder will this name now need to be marketed to reassure potential resellers, and especially end users that this is not another FIX SCAM....thanks SEDO.....

Secondly, this is nothing but pure collusion on the part of the seller and SEDO....SEDO knows it cannot "take" domainers with starting prices for FIX & WINE in the low thousands, but end users are a bunch of ignorant tossers, to be "had' at any oppurtunity....

And Sedo protesting innocence whilst being the parent company of 1&1 makes a mockery of itself in the process......

Is SEDO not making enough money?? Remind me to make a donation this Christmas...

 

[circa1850]

A couple of points ...I own FIX.TV, not any IDN BS, but the real deal....how much harder will this name now need to be marketed to reassure potential resellers, and especially end users that this is not another FIX SCAM....thanks SEDO.....

That has been one of my primary points and issues with this whole fiasco all along.

Perhaps these were bidders new to the domain industry. Perhaps they did not know what to look for. Perhaps this is the new money and new clientele that we all want to attract.

Many on this thread feel it will have little to no impact at all on the domain industry. Tell that to people like you that have the real deal. Tell that to the 26 bidders on the bogus "fix". Tell them to come back and bring more money.

The worst part about it is Sedo is turning a deaf ear and a blind eye to all of this. Fish, wine, fix, oil, on and on and on. That's what we want to do...we want potentially new customers to get scammed and not come back. Great business model.

Sedo must realize that it does not have to be this way or go down like this...yet they are choosing to conduct business in this manner. That is what makes no sense to me.

 

[DNWizardX9]

A couple of points ...I own FIX.TV, not any IDN BS, but the real deal....how much harder will this name now need to be marketed to reassure potential resellers, and especially end users that this is not another FIX SCAM....thanks SEDO.....

IDNs are not bs. The fake latins are but IDNs represent vast languages in the form of domain names.

 

[MillersCrossing]

IDNs are not bs. The fake latins are but IDNs represent vast languages in the form of domain names.

DNWIZARD,

sorry, didnt mean to disparage idns in their own right.....they of course are valid as much as no IDNs are, I am referring to sellers who try and pass off IDNS as non IDNS, which of course command a much higher resale value.

 

[DNWizardX9]

Fìx.com
http://www.sedo.com/search/details.php4?domain=f%ECx.com&tracked=&partnerid=&language=us

230 uniques/month yea okkkk

looks like this guy is pumping fake traffic to the domain. It was just registered February 3rd!

 

[circa1850]

Fìx.com
http://www.sedo.com/search/details.php4?domain=f%ECx.com&tracked=&partnerid=&language=us

230 uniques/month yea okkkk

looks like this guy is pumping fake traffic to the domain. It was just registered February 3rd!

I wonder how many times the other fake "fix" was viewed, you know...the $46K?

 

[sibaong]

What did the wine one end at? I had the page open to check when there was 8 minutes left and then closed it by accident.

wìne.com | Bidding History

Winning Bid: 31,001 EUR (Reserve met!)

Winning Bidder: Bidder 13

Auction ended: Feb/13/07 04:38 PM CET

 

[Sam]

$31,000? ridiculous

 

[circa1850]

Add that to the list of domains Sedo recently sold and won't collect a penny for.

 

[GijsZePa]

Fìx.com
http://www.sedo.com/search/details.php4?domain=f%ECx.com&tracked=&partnerid=&language=us

230 uniques/month yea okkkk

looks like this guy is pumping fake traffic to the domain. It was just registered February 3rd!

Don't think so....everybody is curious about this domain...the name is fake..but the traffic isn't (I think)

Martin

 

[sibaong]

http://i9.tinypic.com/2ngtphc.jpg :tu:

 

[wot]

http://i9.tinypic.com/2ngtphc.jpg :tu:

Action at last Sedo and thanks SIBAONG , with your permission -I will use the link on my blog .

But, as already pointed out on another forum:

"The issue is Sedo allowing these fakes to be put up for sale in the first place. Because now, it looks like Sedo are making "IDN" synonomous with "fake" and hurting the reputation of IDNs. Or as Sedo still quaintly calls them, "Multi-lingual domains".

Perhaps a different ID code for real IDNS?

 

[circa1850]

Okay...got a feeling that this will be joihntodeski First Time Poster!first and last post.

Finally, a positive step with the IDN icon. This should deflate the abusers and tricksters for a while.

Perhaps Sedo got tired of the flack from these forums as well as outraged auction winners.

 

[S-L-O-W]

Finally some action!

 

[sibaong]

Action at last Sedo and thanks SIBAONG , with your permission -I will use the link on my blog .

But, as already pointed out on another forum:

"The issue is Sedo allowing these fakes to be put up for sale in the first place. Because now, it looks like Sedo are making "IDN" synonomous with "fake" and hurting the reputation of IDNs. Or as Sedo still quaintly calls them, "Multi-lingual domains".

Perhaps a different ID code for real IDNS?

No problem wot, nice blog :tu:

 

[circa1850]

Perhaps Sedo may have been reading these threads on these forums as well as our emails sent. It was a slap in the face to legitimate domain holders and Sedo shooting themselves in the foot on this experiment.

Perhaps we should all pat our selves on the back and say "Job well done!"

See, I think we can make a difference! :kickass:

 

[Erdy]

The IDN icon is an improvement but I'm not happy with this. I want to see the conversion next to the IDN whereever the IDN occurs. Thus the conversion should be seen on the main auction list as well.

Look at this auction:
http://www.sedo.com/auction/auction_detail.php?language=us&auction_id=6043&tracked=1&partnerid=27222

This is one very strange IDN because it looks completely normal.

I copy and paste this bold text from that page m¡x.com. If you don't know what an IDN is even thought you see the IDN icon there is no sign on the main auction list indicating that this domain is not mix.com but is xn--mx-4ca.com.

I can see what is going to happen. Some people will look at the auction list and see mix.com. They will look closer and won't see anything abnormal. If they copy and paste to a text editor, like notepad then they will see the fake but if you copy and paste the m¡x.com to a browser it looks pretty normal.

With m¡x.com they have taken the fakes one step further. This is a fake that looks completely normal even if you paste to your browser or if you look closer.

They should put the damn conversion xn--mx-4ca.com next to it on the auction list. See my picture on opening message.

 

[uber]

I think the REAL mix.com is rather wasted....
http://www.mix.com/

nice pic tho :hearts: (why wouldn't Billy Youdelman park it?)

 

[RogueWriter]

The IDN icon is an improvement but I'm not happy with this. I want to see the conversion next to the IDN whereever the IDN occurs. Thus the conversion should be seen on the main auction list as well.

Exactly.

 

[mvl]

The punycode is now on the auction page (where you submit your bids) for every IDN domain:

http://www.sedo.nl/auction/auction_detail.php?language=nl&auction_id=5821

Domain Name without content.
Important Notice: This is a Multi-Lingual (IDN) Domain Technically you are acquiring the domain xn--chp-sma.com

 

[Bramiozo]

The IDN icon is an improvement but I'm not happy with this. I want to see the conversion next to the IDN whereever the IDN occurs. Thus the conversion should be seen on the main auction list as well.

Look at this auction:
http://www.sedo.com/auction/auction_detail.php?language=us&auction_id=6043&tracked=1&partnerid=27222

This is one very strange IDN because it looks completely normal.

I copy and paste this bold text from that page m¡x.com. If you don't know what an IDN is even thought you see the IDN icon there is no sign on the main auction list indicating that this domain is not mix.com but is xn--mx-4ca.com.

I can see what is going to happen. Some people will look at the auction list and see mix.com. They will look closer and won't see anything abnormal. If they copy and paste to a text editor, like notepad then they will see the fake but if you copy and paste the m¡x.com to a browser it looks pretty normal.

With m¡x.com they have taken the fakes one step further. This is a fake that looks completely normal even if you paste to your browser or if you look closer.

They should put the damn conversion xn--mx-4ca.com next to it on the auction list. See my picture on opening message.

1) clearly mentioning that the name is an IDN
2) clearly placing a notice about the nature of the domain and the meaning of IDN AND it's technical representation being the punycode.

Due diligence now rests securely with the buyer, period.

Action at last Sedo and thanks SIBAONG , with your permission -I will use the link on my blog .

But, as already pointed out on another forum:

"The issue is Sedo allowing these fakes to be put up for sale in the first place. Because now, it looks like Sedo are making "IDN" synonomous with "fake" and hurting the reputation of IDNs. Or as Sedo still quaintly calls them, "Multi-lingual domains".

Perhaps a different ID code for real IDNS?

Who is going to decide what a real idn is and what are the criteria ?

 

[VURG]

The improvement is good enough for me. Punnycodes on the Active Auction pages would probably be better but I think that accidental bids should now be significantly reduced.

With mix, the x is too large. Correct?

 

[circa1850]

The improvement is good enough for me. Punnycodes on the Active Auction pages would probably be better but I think that accidental bids should now be significantly reduced.

With mix, the x is too large. Correct?

I don't see mix on the auction anymore???

It is a tremendous improvement. If you scan the auction list now the bids look like bids for novelty names rather as they were to begin with. Still several legit IDN's, but I think Sedo is now trying to recover from the fallout over this.

There is no way someone can convince me that the novelty wine and fix transaction was completed once the buyer became aware of the actual domain name.

I also think it is a shame that domainers have to police ebay, registrars, and now sedo to conform to standards of practice.

 

[RogueWriter]

I also think it is a shame that domainers have to police ebay, registrars, and now sedo to conform to standards of practice.

Try policing affiliate marketing!!!