fun Rick Schwartz sold SmartGlasses.com to Microsoft for $2.88 Million

[Fuadiansyah]

Paid only $3,932 at Afternic on 2012-03-14

His twitter status:
https://twitter.com/DomainKing/status/848106876730564608

The domain itself now redirected to https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-hololens/en-us


Update on Apr 2, 2017: April Fools!

 

[domvault]

WOW !! Today is 1st april though !!



or is this a legit sale

 

[Fuadiansyah]

WOW !! Today is 1st april though !!



or is this a legit sale

Maybe yes, maybe not LOL
But the domain now redirected to microsoft site. So, I think it's legit...

 

[Magicpig2]

That is a truly epic sale (Got me haha)

 

[Addison]

April Fools!

Rick is still the registrant of SmartGlasses.com

But the domain now redirected to microsoft site. So, I think it's legit...

He's smart enough to redirect it.

 

[Fuadiansyah]

April Fools!

Rick is still the registrant of SmartGlasses.com
He's smart enough to redirect it.

Tadaaaaaaa

 

[tomcarl]

Got me, lol

 

[zurc.net]

Lol...

 

[equity78]

It's an interesting play because Microsoft can read Twitter, and as a public company has shareholders to answer to.

 

[4pm]

@Bill Gates would you be interested in other 2 word brandables? long expiry, fast push, will cover paypal fees...

 

[Wass]

He's sly. it is just advertising for its domains...

 

[JoeE]

This is the smartest Guerilla marketing play I've ever seen in domaining.
Rick is Smart. and it may just work out.
He chose April Fools day to bring the attention of Microsoft and other players in the niche to his domain name. He went all in and redirected the domain to Microsoft's Oculus site.
He announced it on Twitter and included a MASSIVE sale price tag, and including original price for IMPACT.
If anyone questions him, he will say it was April's fool.
But he will get massive reactions, and few will forget that he owns this domain including the big players.
Microsoft management and board may have questions about this purchase and when they are told it was a prank, they may still contemplate the purchase because it is a great fit for their Oculus Product.
Rick can't lose here. Exposure, potential sale, etc... This very smart
This can only work well of course if you have an EXACT fit/Match domain name for a big product with big players.

 

[DOMAIN ILLUMINATI]

@Eric Lyon

As this is a 1. April fool, I think this thread should get moved to the nP break room:
https://www.namepros.com/forums/the-break-room.6

Thanks

 

[equity78]

I think the key lies in he said "I would like to announce"

 

[equity78]

This is the smartest Guerilla marketing play I've ever seen in domaining.
Rick is Smart. and it may just work out.
He chose April Fools day to bring the attention of Microsoft and other players in the niche to his domain name. He went all in and redirected the domain to Microsoft's Oculus site.
He announced it on Twitter and included a MASSIVE sale price tag, and including original price for IMPACT.
If anyone questions him, he will say it was April's fool.
But he will get massive reactions, and few will forget that he owns this domain including the big players.
Microsoft management and board may have questions about this purchase and when they are told it was a prank, they may still contemplate the purchase because it is a great fit for their Oculus Product.
Rick can't lose here. Exposure, potential sale, etc... This very smart
This can only work well of course if you have an EXACT fit/Match domain name for a big product with big players.

He can lose, Microsoft may not be amused, they are a public company with shareholders. If they start getting phone calls to Investor relations why "their" money was spent on a domain name for $2.88 million ? they might might not be thrilled. It could be genius but it's not a no lose in my opinion.

 

[wwwweb]

I think dangerous move considering active trademarks by Microsoft

 

[JoeE]

He can lose, Microsoft may not be amused, they are a public company with shareholders. If they start getting phone calls to Investor relations why "their" money was spent on a domain name for $2.88 million ? they might might not be thrilled. It could be genius but it's not a no lose in my opinion.

I said HE can't lose! Let Microsoft deal with that if it happens, but he himself will bot lose sleep. And Microsoft can not sue him or even bring the subject up since it was posted on April's fools day (They'll look foolish). It's a day of joking around that he took advantage of to promote his domain. On the other hand, if Microsoft finds that the domain is a great fit and a potential traffic generator for their product they will act on it and purchase the domain, I'm not sure they will pay $2.88M for it, but the whole idea was for EXPOSURE and he will get it.

 

[JoeE]

I think dangerous move considering active trademarks by Microsoft

Again why would it be dangerous? He did not abuse any of their trademarks or did I miss something here?
And Microsoft can not do anything about a fake tweet on April's Fool Day. Imagine if they complained about the prank. they will be the butt of jokes for the next century. He knew what he was doing and did it perfectly.

 

[equity78]

I said HE can't lose! Let Microsoft deal with that if it happens, but he himself will bot lose sleep. And Microsoft can not sue him or even bring the subject up since it was posted on April's fools day (They'll look foolish). It's a day of joking around that he took advantage of to promote his domain. On the other hand, if Microsoft finds that the domain is a great fit and a potential traffic generator for their product they will act on it and purchase the domain, I'm not sure they will pay $2.88M for it, but the whole idea was for EXPOSURE and he will get it.

April First is not a free pass, people do need to know the difference between fraud and a prank. Rick did well to word his post. He said I would like to announce, I would love to announce Alphabet or Disney purchases ABC.media, that's different then saying you sold a name. He does lose if Microsoft has no desire to acquire the name because of the prank.

 

[deez007]

This is the smartest Guerilla marketing play I've ever seen in domaining.
Rick is Smart. and it may just work out.
He chose April Fools day to bring the attention of Microsoft and other players in the niche to his domain name. He went all in and redirected the domain to Microsoft's Oculus site.
He announced it on Twitter and included a MASSIVE sale price tag, and including original price for IMPACT.
If anyone questions him, he will say it was April's fool.
But he will get massive reactions, and few will forget that he owns this domain including the big players.
Microsoft management and board may have questions about this purchase and when they are told it was a prank, they may still contemplate the purchase because it is a great fit for their Oculus Product.
Rick can't lose here. Exposure, potential sale, etc... This very smart
This can only work well of course if you have an EXACT fit/Match domain name for a big product with big players.

Yep, that was the first thing I thought of as well when I saw it - CLASSIC leverage of April fools... even if Microsft doesn't buy it.. still nice free marketing for the domain name itself...