opinion No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

[DomainRecap]

Damn, it's infuriating trying to help some people.

I was on GoDaddy going through the latest Closeouts when a .COM brand I recognized just popped up. I made sure I wasn't imagining it and then decided to play Good Samaritan (it's a small company I read about in an online article) and advise them through their website that their 6-letter brand (they operate under a much longer name) was available for an $11 Buy it Now at GoDaddy.

It's a small company and I had no desire to try and squeeze any profit out of them, so I just provided the GoDaddy link and thought my job was done.

The first reply was was immediate, and from the owner, with the usual "is this legit?" type questions, so I reply... "Yes, it's available on GoDaddy", which is essentially the Walmart of domains, and tell him to act fast because short & brandable Closeouts go fast. At this point the domain is still available.

His second reply thanks me and tells me that he's going to "look into it". So I reply back one more time to act fast if he wants to own the online brand as short domains like this go fast. I check and the domain is still available.

The third reply is asking more questions, like I'm some font of information, and I again recommend he just spend the BIN price and secure his online brand. I check again and the domain is still available.

About 30 minutes later, I get an irate reply back that he has finally decided to buy it, but the domain is no longer available and what I can do about it. That's it for me, bye bye.

Seriously, helping people is often just not worth it, as it progressed from me being a possible scammer to me being a guardian angel to me being a bad guy, since it took him almost an hour to decide on an $11 BIN.

 

[Kate]

You did something good - you taught him a lesson.
And besides that is not the end of the story - he might still be able to catch the name upon deletion, although that is far from certain.

But I think reaching to end users is a waste of time, because they are not your client, you have no previous relationship so they barely trusted you.
So the thread title says it all.

 

[DomainRecap]

And besides that is not the end of the story - he might still be able to catch the name upon deletion, although that is far from certain.

No, someone definitely bought it, as it just popped today at $11 and it takes days to travel from $11 to $10 to $9 to $8 and finally to $5 before it expires.

And yes, I totally agree that trying to help end users is a huge waste of time, but the good Samaritan in me often wins out and I make the mistake of trying to do help. I would never do it for something stupid, but this was so obvious that I felt I almost had to send a message or I would have felt bad.

Hypothetically, if I know of a company running off of RandsCompanyInc.com, and I saw "Rands.com" on the Closeouts for $11, I feel almost compelled to let them know.

But I gotta nip that feeling in the bud.

 

[FolioTeam]

Damn, it's infuriating trying to help some people.

I was on GoDaddy going through the latest Closeouts when a .COM brand I recognized just popped up. I made sure I wasn't imagining it and then decided to play Good Samaritan (it's a small company I read about in an online article) and advise them through their website that their 6-letter brand (they operate under a much longer name) was available for an $11 Buy it Now at GoDaddy.

It's a small company and I had no desire to try and squeeze any profit out of them, so I just provided the GoDaddy link and thought my job was done.

The first reply was was immediate, and from the owner, with the usual "is this legit?" type questions, so I reply... "Yes, it's available on GoDaddy", which is essentially the Walmart of domains, and tell him to act fast because short & brandable Closeouts go fast. At this point the domain is still available.

His second reply thanks me and tells me that he's going to "look into it". So I reply back one more time to act fast if he wants to own the online brand as short domains like this go fast. I check and the domain is still available.

The third reply is asking more questions, like I'm some font of information, and I again recommend he just spend the BIN price and secure his online brand. I check again and the domain is still available.

About 30 minutes later, I get an irate reply back that he has finally decided to buy it, but the domain is no longer available and what I can do about it. That's it for me, bye bye.

Seriously, helping people is often just not worth it, as it progressed from me being a possible scammer to me being a guardian angel to me being a bad guy, since it took him almost an hour to decide on an $11 BIN.

This is why I hate outbound and don't waste my time on it. The internet lacks trust especially when you are the one making contact.

Even your Good Samaritan act was taken with a grain of salt, basically waiting for the other shoe to drop. Now, imagine what the outcome would have been if you were selling something.

 

[DomainRecap]

Even your Good Samaritan act was taken with a grain of salt, basically waiting for the other shoe to drop. Now, imagine what the outcome would have been if you were selling something.

Believe me, I fully expected the 1st email, and almost understood the 2nd one, but by the 3rd and 4th I was wishing I had fallen down an abandoned mine shaft rather than emailing this guy.

 

[FolioTeam]

Believe me, I fully expected the 1st email, and almost understood the 2nd one, but by the 3rd and 4th I was wishing I had fallen down an abandoned mine shaft rather than emailing this guy.

Lol. I understand the feeling

 

[Internet.Domains]

In all fairness, being contacted out of the blue with some knowledge of their business or personal life can seem creepy. Hence his reply "is this ligit?" comment. Most people have some insight on spam and identity theft, so defensive mechanisms kick in. Please do not let this damper your commendable good samaritan attitude, you represent well. Thanks and best to you!

 

[Adnan Shaikh]

@DomainRecap you did what you felt was a right and a good thing to do so why regret? move on and keep helping others without expecting anything in return and you will always be happy and satisfied. All the best 🖒

 

[DrJacoby]

Hypothetically, if I know of a company running off of RandsCompanyInc.com, and I saw "Rands.com" on the Closeouts for $11, I feel almost compelled to let them know.

I would feel compelled to buy it myself.

 

[frank-germany]

there are stupid people everywhere

that doesn't mean to stop
doing what you feel is right

 

[1Darko]

@DomainRecap At least you've got some feedback

 

[Domains - Wanted]

@DomainRecap

Next time you see a domain and get hit by one of your good samaritan attacks, just PM me and I'll take care of the rest... call me a one stop (free!) service for good samaritans

 

[equity78]

Oh this, yes I have done this before, see a domain that only a small company could use, obscure name, but they had it with a suffix and .net, I email them explain who I am, point to TLDinvestors.com so if they thought I was not real, let them know the name is at closeout, you just have to join GoDaddy and buy it. They reply, "Why would you think we would want this name?" I replied, "Because example.com is a far better name than exampleLLC.net" I made clear that the domain was expiring and I was not selling a domain name for $10. They replied .net seemed like a better extension. I just laughed and deleted their email.

But like @Internet.Domains mentioned some people are super suspicious, although if you are a business you really shouldn't be, all your info is out there and if you are a shadowy company no one should be doing business with you. But there are also celebrities who have no idea, they and their people have been some of the most clueless I have ever seen, like I actually contacted Gigi Hadid's people when GigiHadid.com was expiring, her people dropped the ball by letting it expire and then someone else got the name.

I have read others say they offered a celeb their name for free with no strings attached like an autograph or pic or season tickets, and the celeb threatened them.

The best was a model I knew who I told her someone had squatted her name and it was expiring they could get it, her reply, "Oh thanks hun, but I got a tumblr!" I just laughed and said "Cool"

 

[FolioTeam]

her reply, "Oh thanks hun, but I got a tumblr!" I just laughed and said "Cool"

Lol, I also laughed myself. Tumblr, really?

 

[equity78]

Lol, I also laughed myself. Tumblr, really?

Yeah, she had her name @tumblr and thought that was all she needed, along with Twitter and IG.

 

[WingMan]

 

[mr-x]

@DomainRecap if you had offered sell it for $250, he prob. would have jumped at it.

 

[jamesosix]

Some people. You cant do right, for doing wrong.

 

[IMEZI]

well at least you were giving good lesson for free
the business owner were very bad student, you should give him F mark LOL

 

[DomainRecap]

From the "All's Well That Ends Well" file, I was up late last night working and found that the domain had popped up again on Closeout for $11 - someone must have been revolve-holding it in their Cart as that locks it from being purchased or viewed.

So I sent another email out (I know), and miraculously the owner emailed to let me know he was also up late and immediately grabbed it last night, thanking me and offering a free gift.

 

[FolioTeam]

From the "All's Well That Ends Well" file, I was up late last night working and found that the domain had popped up again on Closeout for $11 - someone must have been revolve-holding it in their Cart as that locks it from being purchased or viewed.

So I sent another email out (I know), and miraculously the owner emailed to let me know he was also up late and immediately grabbed it last night, thanking me and offering a free gift.

Ha, a happy ending.

 

[DomainRecap]

Ha, a happy ending.

 

[maya-zir]

It happend to me something similar, but I bought the name, found the unique person could be interested and offered them make me offer. I told I will not negotiate. They offered 2k.
If I see something good, I buy it, I dont care if it is TM or not

 

[J Sokol]

So I sent another email out (I know), and miraculously the owner emailed to let me know he was also up late and immediately grabbed it last night, thanking me and offering a free gift.

Oh I love that! In the end, your good deed was rewarded - and the buyer got a little more savvy in the process.

 

[Niraj Kumar]

He needed to act fast specially when it was just $11.
Good for the company he was finally able to get it. Liked the happy ending turn in the story.