domain Plz Help Quick! Person Wants Price ...

[IcyBlueRose]

I just started buying domains about 4 days ago, and this email arrived in my inbox for resale4me.com ... this is the first person I've had show any interest in a domain name. What do you think I should tell them? They said they are very interested, they are not in the domain resale business, but instead their "company develops client-server systems (Delphi / Interbase)" and cited a signed off as a president of a company. What are your thoughts? Your quick replies are much appreciated ... apparently this was sent yesterday.

~Brandie

 

[zogby]

that its a scam

Its a scam. Have they asked you to get an appraisal yet? don't pay for an appraisal.

 

[IcyBlueRose]

No, they did not ask for an appraisal, but I would not pay for an appraisal just for them ... I've read enough to know better

 

[zogby]

hmm.

whats the name?

 

[IcyBlueRose]

resale4me.com

So, if it wasn't a scam (I realize it could be) what should I ask him to start off with?

 

[RickM]

low $xx - reg fee...be very carefull, if they offer some stupidly high price tell them to put it into escrow.

 

[Bannen]

Very common scam. They don't ask you for an appraisal in their opening letter, but if you reply once or twice, they will ask for it. They make commissions on each person they refer to the appraisers, they're not interested in buying the name.

You might post the body text of the mail in this thread, and we can tell you right away if it's one of the more common ones, they send the exact same form letters, slightly personalized of course, to thousands. They pick on owners of freshly-reg'd names... usually you get the letter within a couple weeks of the reg.

Sorry about that, we definitely feel peed on when someone pretends to want to buy our name and then we find out it's bogus. But, paste some of that text here and we'll let you know for sure, just on the off-chance it's legit

 

[Devil_Dog]

My question is this: How do these individuals always know to email 'brand new" domainers?

 

[Bannen]

My question is this: How do these individuals always know to email 'brand new" domainers?

Not new domainers, just new domains. They check reg dates. Even some old pro domainers get this appraisal scam on newly-reg'd names.

Also, they could easily be checking forums like Namepros, whois'ing dn's of those they can see are newbies, and targeting them.

They probably have a whole variety of tactics they use. Bastriches. Smart, but using those smarts to be bastriches

 

[gazzip]

My question is this: How do these individuals always know to email 'brand new" domainers?

Alot of the time those with the least posts tend to get these type of emails, I have no doubts people monitor forums like this one purely to target domainers at an early stage. :td:

.

 

[IcyBlueRose]

Here is the email text:

Hello,

Please send me the price for your domain.

We are very interested in this name.

Our company develops client-server systems (Delphi / Interbase), so investing in
domain names is not my main business.

Looking forward to do business with you.

Best regards,
Anthony Wiborg
President
Back Office Engineering Norway

============================================================================
NOTICE - This communication may contain confidential and privileged
information that is for the sole use of the intended recipient. Any
viewing, copying or distribution of, or reliance on this message by
unintended recipients is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
message in error, please notify us immediately by replying to the message
and deleting it from your computer.

===========================================================================

 

[Bannen]

Thanks for the text, IBR. Yes, it's 100% a scam. You can check it out for yourself:
If you reply that you're asking $20 for the name, they won't reply again probably... they know you're not going to pay a $20 appraisal for the name if you only think it's worth that much.
If you reply something ridiculous like $ 25,000, they'll reply 'OK', then mention they'll need an appraisal.

If you want to play it safe just in case, ask a reasonable first offer like say $1200 and see what happens.

On behalf of us more decent domainers, sorry for these scam dolts

BTW
scamDolt.com
scamDolts.com still avail to reg. LOL

 

[sdtrader]

Compare your letter with the one at this or many other posts:

http://www.namepros.com/warnings-an...-name-appraisal-scam.html?highlight=appraisal

The follow up response to you will be to ask you to pay for an appraisal.

 

[IcyBlueRose]

Thanx for the information guys ... before I posted the email I had already replied to him anyways. I told him the domain was listed with Sedo and if he wanted to communicate, all future negotiations could go through there. I thought it was odd that I was contacted by email and not through Sedo in the first place. So, that'll probably be enough to throw him off ... if not, then I'll just tell him HE can pay for an appraisal if he wants one so badly because I'm in no hurry to sell :hehe:

 

[OutCell]

I got the same email.. They did ask for an appraisal in the next email after offering $1000 as a beginning for the domain..

Thanks for the warning

 

[Bannen]

I thought it was odd that I was contacted by email and not through Sedo in the first place.

It's not uncommon to receive offers through your email if someone really likes the name. They might have seen it somewhere other than Sedo (like on this or other forums) and Whois'ed it for your email. Some buyers don't like going thru Sedo since they are a little slow with sales transactions to be completed; they're pretty reliable, but are prone to their share of glitches.

But without Sedo, someone could contact you, make the deal, make a speedy payment like thru wire transfer (my preferred method), and the whole thing is done and finished the same day, with money in your bank. With Sedo, it's a week if it happens fast and smoothe, and double to triple that is not uncommon at all.
Lot of old- and new-school domainers will make their offer to you through Afternic's secure transaction system, even if your name isn't listed on Afternic, since they're pretty quick also.

 

[IcyBlueRose]

He offered me $5,000 ... to be transferred after I got an appraisal certificate

I told him I'd take $4,000 and he could get pay to get the domain appraised because it was too much of a "hassle" for me to mess with. Anyways, if he writes back I'll just tell him he's busted and to leave me alone.

Thanks for your help guys!

~Brandie

 

[iggy]

Make a crazy price like $2000 and then say "please send $10 to my paypal and we can continue and I will buy anything you want"

SCAM THEM BACK and when you get $10... just leave them.

 

[Bannen]

I told him I'd take $4,000 and he could get pay to get the domain appraised because it was too much of a "hassle" for me to mess with.

Hey, you're too smart for your own britches!
Well done.

 

[x11joex11]

Yeah it's a scam lol, I've been through that before...get him good, it's the same guy too. I did some research on my.opera engineering and traced the email to somewhere in europe, norway region. Someone want to help me get this guy that lives there, I can try to get more info.