discuss Missing Out On A Huge Offer

[Cush]

I wanted to pose a question to those of you here, as I am sure we have all been in this boat before.

A few years ago I purchased a .tv name from someone because I liked the name, and had an idea for a project for it. I developed the project, but the server was hacked, so I deleted the project and never did anything with the name again. I renewed it 2-3 times but also had it listed on a few marketplaces online.

Due to a lack of wanting to renew the name again, I dropped the price to $189 and it sold a few months later. I wasn't happy, but I figured it's one less name in my portfolio of hundreds that I need to worry about.

About 2-3 weeks after selling the domain, I had forgotten that it was listed on Afternic, and I received an email that someone just paid and bought it for $XX,XXX. I was sick to my stomach.

So, my opinion discussion to you all is, have you found yourself in the same boat where you sold a name for next to nothing, only to receive a massive offer on it a short time later?

Of course, I have been on the flip side as well, acquiring names for a few dollars and selling them for thousands or tens of thousands, but that also is rare.

I look forward to everyone's experiences!

 

[VadimK]

Best just don't look back. It's sold - sold. Next time try to remove it from all platforms.

Everything we sell can be reselled later for a larger profit by a person with a totally different vision. It doesn't mean at all you made a mistake by selling it. You saw it your way and it was right for you, at a time. In Russia we say ''С глаз долой, из сердца вон'' - roughly to be translated as ''out of your sight - out of your heart'' (mainly about people, but I clearly see it to be applied to domains as well ))

I haven't been in this situation to my knowledge, but I know there is a domain I sold for 2000 that is now selling to $100000 on all platforms by some Chinese investor. If he sells it for this money - good luck, no way I'll be jealous, sad or mad if I get to know about it one day. Lots of other domains to sell. Your five digit sale is still out there ahead, waiting for you.

It's all cool. Best of luck!

 

[enterscope]

Yes I liquidated some Squadhelp domains for cheap $20-$40 and a seen a few of them in the recently sold list. It happens, but that's why you work hard to not be in a desperate situation so you don't have to sell.

 

[bmugford]

Yes, it happens. I have been on both sides of this.
If you could predict the future the business would be way easier.

Brad

 

[bmugford]

Yes I liquidated some Squadhelp domains for cheap $20-$40 and a seen a few of them in the recently sold list. It happens, but that's why you work hard to not be in a desperate situation so you don't have to sell.

Exactly. Sometimes you are compelled to sell domains for some reason.
People don't have unlimited capital or time, so sometimes you have to make hard decisions.

All you can do is move forward.

Brad

 

[LoveCatchyDomains]

About 2-3 weeks after selling the domain, I had forgotten that it was listed on Afternic, and I received an email that someone just paid and bought it for $XX,XXX. I was sick to my stomach.

This sounds very odd.
So you sold the domain elsewhere, and still had it listed on Afternic?
Afternic then sold it successfullly and the buyer paid $XXXXX and notified you?

Why? Why would they notify you, if you no longer owned it? They successfully completed a sale with a buyer with you listed as a seller? Or, were they demanding that you ante up the domain, and you had to clarify the situation to them? In which case the sale would likely be cancelled?

How could that happen? If, instead, they happened to complete the sale with a different seller and buyer, and told you that information about the transaction, that's probably not good either. Should a marketplace be sharing such transaction information with a third party?

This does not sound right. Did you check to see if the email was real?

 

[LoveCatchyDomains]

This sounds very odd.
So you sold the domain elsewhere, and still had it listed on Afternic?
Afternic then sold it successfullly and the buyer paid $XXXXX and notified you?

Please note, by the way, that I'm not implying that the odd part was that you still had the domain on Afternic despite having sold it. Apparently this is a recurrent issue on various marketplaces. The odd part was if Afternic then completed a sale with you still listed as an owner and wanted to pay you OR completed the sale with the new owner and the buyer,and then notified you as the old owner to let you know of their transactions (and make you feel bad. )

Either way, it doesn't make sense. I somewhat doubt that Afternic would make such mistakes either way. But perhaps I'm wrong, so feel free to clarify.

 

[Cush]

This sounds very odd.
So you sold the domain elsewhere, and still had it listed on Afternic?
Afternic then sold it successfullly and the buyer paid $XXXXX and notified you?

Why? Why would they notify you, if you no longer owned it? They successfully completed a sale with a buyer with you listed as a seller? Or, were they demanding that you ante up the domain, and you had to clarify the situation to them? In which case the sale would likely be cancelled?

How could that happen? If, instead, they happened to complete the sale with a different seller and buyer, and told you that information about the transaction, that's probably not good either. Should a marketplace be sharing such transaction information with a third party?

This does not sound right. Did you check to see if the email was real?

It's simple. I had it listed on multiple platforms. I sold it on one platform and forgot to remove it from Afternic.

They thought I still had it since it was listed under my domains, and I received the email saying "Congratulations! Your domain, (name here), has sold for $XX,XXX.00 and we are ready for you to transfer the domain."

Oh well.

 

[LoveCatchyDomains]

It's simple. I had it listed on multiple platforms. I sold it on one platform and forgot to remove it from Afternic.

They thought I still had it since it was listed under my domains, and I received the email saying "Congratulations! Your domain, (name here), has sold for $XX,XXX.00 and we are ready for you to transfer the domain."

Oh well.

Wow, I thought that there were more protections in place at AN these days, to prevent such events. It's understandable, if you have many domains, to accidentally leave it on the marketplace. Ideally AN would have some repeat domain verification process before it accepts high-priced sales offers like that.

Be reassured that, 1) the sale apparently didn't ultimately happen; 2) Since there has been an issue of buyers deaulting anyhow recently raised, so who knows if it would have actually gone through; and 3) At least you definitely did have one sale, for a domain that clearly had not been selling for years.

Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Leo2k]

Wow, I thought that there were more protections in place at AN these days, to prevent such events. It's understandable, if you have many domains, to accidentally leave it on the marketplace. Ideally AN would have some repeat domain verification process before it accepts high-priced sales offers like that.

Be reassured that, 1) the sale apparently didn't ultimately happen; 2) Since there has been an issue of buyers deaulting anyhow recently raised, so who knows if it would have actually gone through; and 3) At least you definitely did have one sale, for a domain that clearly had not been selling for years.

Thanks for clarifying.

Thats right. They should have a TXT record verification and When the domain was sold and transferred to another person, since the txt record would now be missing, the domain should automatically be put on pending until re-verification. That will help them stop these kind of events.

 

[karmaco]

I have also been on the receiving end of both but not to the tune of five figures. I also have sold many names shortly after I did a renewal.

When in doubt keep it one more year. If thats not possible remove it from all accounts at once and don’t look back.

 

[laur77]

I have had a similar experience, but, in my case, the marketplace email was that I have received a high offer, low XX.XXX€, for a domain that I have sold recently for low XXX€ on a different marketplace. In my situation, my feeling was that the buyer saw that I have forgot to take out the domain from one marketplace and he made me "an offer" thinking that I will try to rebuy the domain as he has listed the domain for low X.XXX€.

 

[LoveCatchyDomains]

I have had a similar experience, but, in my case, the marketplace email was that I have received a high offer, low XX.XXX€, for a domain that I have sold recently for low XXX€ on a different marketplace. In my situation, my feeling was that the buyer saw that I have forgot to take out the domain from one marketplace and he made me "an offer" thinking that I will try to rebuy the domain as he has listed the domain for low X.XXX€.

Thanks for sharing that. It is very possible that some really clever buyers out there that have figured out some compelling ways to try to convince previous sellers to ante up more bucks to buy back a domain. That would be remarkably devious, to start targeting those that have listings accidentally left up in marketplaces.

Fortunately, Afternic did not turn this into a nightmare. If our original poster had been required to rebuy the domain, in order to complete the sale, it might have cost some pretty bucks (not just 10K). Fortunately, thus far, marketplaces have not required that type of action--and hopefully never will.

 

[lock]

I have had plenty of the sick moments early on in sales career but then after really assessing myself and situations pushing emotions aside and knowing I always can handle deals better every time by doing what i am supposed to when ball is in my court as this is only really what you control. Either reveal a price from the inquiry or push towards an asking price. The idea of negotiation is to get the customer to make a firm offer and as a seller not to reveal a price until pushed on a make offer. On a BIN you can justify every business never giving up 25% off the bat so why should a domain. Some sellers drop their pants and drop 50% from go. Try get 50% off a car of same value. When you have to reveal early it is not always good to aim higher than a justified price. Keep previous names sold up sleeve so you can show based on previous sales but no need to share this reasoning right away. I am finding these days i don't even get to communicate with buyers as brokers don't want to give up leads and most have a registrar they are working for. I am not the greatest salesperson as burnt plenty and it is hard enough to get domain leads as it is. but i can't say i offer bad information but ask for an offer and then think about the direction of conversation and if they refuse to make offer and drill for asking price give them one fast. I have had domains stolen in past seen them advertised big dollars on domaining not their fault at all. No good dwelling in past unless can learn from it.