Sedo.com - Official Thread

[Sedo]

Hi All! :hi:

By request, we've decided to start a thread dedicated to Sedo. We're looking for invaluable insight into what domainers want and need out of our parking program (and marketplace, of course).

Questions, comments, suggestions, tips are welcome! We're hoping this will be a great discussion about what works at Sedo and what might not (please be constructive and respectful to others in your feedback) so that everyone involved can benefit and learn from it.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas! Happy Holidays!

Always,
Keith
(on behalf of Sedo)

 

[Sedo]

Well, I see this problem is being discussed on other forums right now, but i would like to bring that topic here -

I have sold domain through sedo and got this message :

"For his records the buyer has requested an invoice. Please issue one with the full amount xxx with the following details. [buyer details]"

First of all, if I make invoice for the full amount, I have to pay tax for the full amount, but I am NOT getting full amount from sedo (-10%). If sedo is acting as a seller on my behalf, why sedo doesnt make that invoice?

Second, I dont own company or a firm related to domain/IT industry and I cant issue official invoice. I would have to ask somebody to do it for me. My question is the same - why sedo does not issue that invoice as my broker?

And, does anybody have some domain invoice template? Thank you

Hi,

Sedo is not a seller on your behalf; Sedo provides a marketplace and we act as the escrow agent in the transaction. This is why we can not issue an invoice, only a payment request to the buyer. You are paying a fee to us for the use of our services, and this fee is deducted from the sales amount you have agreed upon with the buyer. However, the sales agreement is between you and the buyer, and the amount you have agreed to sell the domain for is the amount paid by the buyer.

You can always ask your Sedo transfer agent for additional information regarding sending an invoice to the buyer.

-Stephanie

---------- Post added at 05:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:06 PM ----------

Hello there,
I have been trying to send a message to Sedo.co.uk for some time now; but the site links don't work. A message cannot be sent without the required field "Topic" This does not work.
The reason I wanted to send a message is this:- I visited Sedo at the Internet World Show at Earls Court London, and was surprised at the lack of interest to existing customers. I know I am only a small fish in the pond; but a little more recognition would have been nice. They were offering a free domain name valuation, and took the details of one of my domains which is parked with Sedo. I have not heard anything since.
Regards
Ralph Cockrell

Hello Ralph,

You can contact our UK Customer Care via [email protected] if you are experiencing problems submitting an inquiry via the Support Center. We are aware of this problem with Internet Explorer 8, and we are working to fix the bug. I'm sure that office can assist you with the valuation ASAP.

-Stephanie

 

[Len]

I believe I managed to complicate things for myself, but a file of the invoice is available at:

SCMRC - Sobriety and Peace Of Mind

On the left, at the bottom of the "Links" column is "Invoice." Click on that and you will be given the option to download the file.

You will also need to convert the invoice to a PDF file. You can do this free (I think you get 5 free)if you sign up for a trial subscription at Adobe: https://createpdf.adobe.com/

 

[Ralph2472]

Hi,

Sedo is not a seller on your behalf; Sedo provides a marketplace and we act as the escrow agent in the transaction. This is why we can not issue an invoice, only a payment request to the buyer. You are paying a fee to us for the use of our services, and this fee is deducted from the sales amount you have agreed upon with the buyer. However, the sales agreement is between you and the buyer, and the amount you have agreed to sell the domain for is the amount paid by the buyer.

You can always ask your Sedo transfer agent for additional information regarding sending an invoice to the buyer.

-Stephanie

---------- Post added at 05:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:06 PM ----------



Hello Ralph,

You can contact our UK Customer Care via [email protected] if you are experiencing problems submitting an inquiry via the Support Center. We are aware of this problem with Internet Explorer 8, and we are working to fix the bug. I'm sure that office can assist you with the valuation ASAP.

-Stephanie

Thanks for that.
Regards
Ralph.

 

[PMDN]

You will also need to convert the invoice to a PDF file. You can do this free (I think you get 5 free)if you sign up for a trial subscription at Adobe: https://createpdf.adobe.com/

The version of word I use (2003) has a link in the toolbar that will create the PDF file for you, so you will have both (a Word and PDF copy).

Chuck

 

[JayJay]

I added a few domains to sedo today, and my total views within an hour jumped up 25 more or so? Is this a common ocurrence when parking additional domains because the extra 25 views arent showing anywhere but in the total amount. Figured it must be a mistake.

BTW sedo rocks

 

[MattheP]

The version of word I use (2003) has a link in the toolbar that will create the PDF file for you, so you will have both (a Word and PDF copy).

Chuck

Tnx for the pdf tips..

I submited invoice 2 days ago and ask my transfer agent is everything ok. I still didnt get any replay. Agent must be busy with $x.xxx.xx sales

 

[Ralph2472]

Hi,

Sedo is not a seller on your behalf; Sedo provides a marketplace and we act as the escrow agent in the transaction. This is why we can not issue an invoice, only a payment request to the buyer. You are paying a fee to us for the use of our services, and this fee is deducted from the sales amount you have agreed upon with the buyer. However, the sales agreement is between you and the buyer, and the amount you have agreed to sell the domain for is the amount paid by the buyer.

You can always ask your Sedo transfer agent for additional information regarding sending an invoice to the buyer.

-Stephanie

---------- Post added at 05:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:06 PM ----------



Hello Ralph,

You can contact our UK Customer Care via [email protected] if you are experiencing problems submitting an inquiry via the Support Center. We are aware of this problem with Internet Explorer 8, and we are working to fix the bug. I'm sure that office can assist you with the valuation ASAP.

-Stephanie

Thanks for your assistance; but nobody replies to emails from support (2 sent so far)
Regards
Ralph.

 

[MattheP]

I submited invoice 2 days ago and ask my transfer agent is everything ok. I still didnt get any replay. Agent must be busy with $x.xxx.xx sales

OK, it is 5 days now - I submit invoice 5 days ago and ask agent for replay. No answer yet. And we are in the middle of domain transfer process. I dont find this very professional.

 

[Len]

OK, it is 5 days now - I submit invoice 5 days ago and ask agent for replay. No answer yet. And we are in the middle of domain transfer process. I dont find this very professional.

Matt, if you click on the transfer documents tab associated with the domain in the transfer center you should see the invoice listed.
The invoice has to be approved by the buyer....not Sedo. Once the buyer has approved the invoice then there will be a green check mark in the status next to the invoice.

Hope that helps.

 

[gopher]

Is sedo.com a TRUSTABLE domain auction site - redux

Is sedo.com a TRUSTABLE domain auction site

well here's my recent experience...

#######.com | Bidding History
Winning Bid: 210 USD
Reserve met!
Winning Bidder: Bidder X
Auction ended: May/03/09 03:52 AM EST
------------------------------------------------

Payment request created for buyer May/03/09

We have created a payment request for the buyer and requested payment from him/her. The transfer will commence upon receipt of this payment.
------------------------------------------------

May/03/09 Sedo Transfer Agent

Dear ####,

Congratulations on your sale. To help make the transfer process efficient and secure your transfer details will be accessible exclusively through this Transfer Overview page. Here you can reach me directly through one-on-one messaging, upload related documents, update and review technical transfer details and track your billing information. Correspondence will not be sent through email.

The status messages in the left column will help you keep track of the progress. There you will find the most recent actions required to transfer the domain.

Best Regards,
### ####

Escrow payment received May/07/09

Payment has arrived in Sedo’s escrow account.
------------------------------------------------

Preparation of domain for transfer May/07/09

The buyer has now submitted payment and you should prepare the domain for transfer...

1. ....

2. We will also need you to send us the authorization (EPP) code for this domain name. The buyer needs this information to transfer the domain name into their possession.....
------------------------------------------------

May/07/09 Your Comment

Auth code from Godaddy.com

The authorization information you requested is as follows:

Domain Name: #####.COM

Authorization Info: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Start of the transfer to the new provider May/07/09

We have asked the buyer to start the transfer of the domain at his provider. Please confirm the corresponding request which will be sent shortly to your registered admin-c e-mail address.
------------------------------------------------

Please confirm if you received and approved the transfer request! May/13/09

The buyer has initiated the transfer process from his registrar, please check the Admin-C email address if you have received it and approve it if you have.
------------------------------------------------

May/13/09 Your Comment

I have not received any transfer request yet.
Currently, #####.com, registered at Godaddy.com has a private registration @ domainsbyproxy.com.

all contacts: Registrant, Administrative, Technical, Billing have ######[email protected] as the contact email.

I do not believe this is an issue insofar as getting an email in regards to a transfer request, as I have always gotten email forwarded to my email address.

If this is an issue please let me know.

May/20/09 Your Comment

Still have not received any request for transfer.

It's getting on three weeks from end of auction.
There should be a better response time on finalizing the sale.

If I do not have a definite commitment on the part of the buyer, that is, transfer of domain and payment is not completed by June 3rd, one month from close of auction, I will consider this a breach in the deal, and will not go through with the sale.

I will not be left hanging, waiting, until the buyer finally decides to get around to finishing the sale.

May/28/09 Sedo Transfer Agent

Hello ####,

The buyer has started the transfer on the 8th of May.
You are probably not receiving the request because you have privacy protection active on the domain. Please remove the privacy protection and i will ask the buyer to restart the transfer.

Kind regards,

#######

May/30/09 Your Comment

ok, done.
removed privacy protection

Jun/02/09 Your Comment

Hi,

I want this done already.
As stated previously, there is no acceptable reason for this to drag on a month!

On May 13th I comment that there is no request for transfer.
No response.

On May 20th, one week later, I comment again, that this cannot go on.
Response? Oh, yes, on May 28th, more than a week later.

I respond two days later, saying I've taken care of what was requested.

Waiting, waiting for some acknowledgment, response, any sign of life.

Yes I know, there are very big fish to catch on Sedo. Sure, my domain's final auction price is a mere $200, a speck compared to let's say WEALTH.com that will be going on auction at Sedo with a minimum bid of $2.9 million.
So you can't be bothered, is that it?
What does this say about Sedo's commitment to their customers?

I deserve a timely response and want this concluded in three days.
That's by June 5th, not my original stated June 3rd.
Think of it as a three day grace period.
Not done by then?
Deal is void. period.

Is this typical?
Should I just shut up and just be grateful that I have an opportunity to deal with such professionals?
Hey! it' only $200... and only one month later, not like six months, right?

 

[MattheP]

Matt, if you click on the transfer documents tab associated with the domain in the transfer center you should see the invoice listed.
The invoice has to be approved by the buyer....not Sedo. Once the buyer has approved the invoice then there will be a green check mark in the status next to the invoice.

I see... thank you. But still, I have ask transfer agent a question about that invoice and never got reply. It shouldnt take too much time to write "Wait for the buyer approval". And for the green check, I got it immediately after the upload.

 

[Sedo]

Thanks for your assistance; but nobody replies to emails from support (2 sent so far)
Regards
Ralph.

I apologize for the error, but the Support Center is located at Customer Support*-*Sedo.com and the UK staff can by emailed at [email protected].

-Stephanie

---------- Post added at 11:54 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:47 AM ----------

well here's my recent experience...

#######.com | Bidding History
Winning Bid: 210 USD
Reserve met!
Winning Bidder: Bidder X
Auction ended: May/03/09 03:52 AM EST
------------------------------------------------

Payment request created for buyer May/03/09

We have created a payment request for the buyer and requested payment from him/her. The transfer will commence upon receipt of this payment.
------------------------------------------------




Escrow payment received May/07/09

Payment has arrived in Sedo’s escrow account.
------------------------------------------------

Preparation of domain for transfer May/07/09

The buyer has now submitted payment and you should prepare the domain for transfer...

1. ....

2. We will also need you to send us the authorization (EPP) code for this domain name. The buyer needs this information to transfer the domain name into their possession.....
------------------------------------------------

Start of the transfer to the new provider May/07/09

We have asked the buyer to start the transfer of the domain at his provider. Please confirm the corresponding request which will be sent shortly to your registered admin-c e-mail address.
------------------------------------------------

Please confirm if you received and approved the transfer request! May/13/09

The buyer has initiated the transfer process from his registrar, please check the Admin-C email address if you have received it and approve it if you have.
------------------------------------------------






Is this typical?
Should I just shut up and just be grateful that I have an opportunity to deal with such professionals?
Hey! it' only $200... and only one month later, not like six months, right?

Please PM me with the domain so that I can ensure that we look into this issue.

-Stephanie

 

[shreder]

Alright, guess what?
I've just received an answer as to why my account was closed:

You won't believe it!

This is the e-mail I received:
"Dear Idan Shem Tov,

As my colleague has informed you we cannot reopen your account so far due to security reasons, as you where selling domains which have lead to charge backs on the buyer side.

We have decided to take this step to prevent further violation of our terms of use

Kind regards,

Tamara Lajesic"

Basically, they've closed my account because a buyer tried to pull a scam on Sedo and place a chargeback on a payment he's made for a domain.
All domains that I've sold through Sedo were pushed to Sedo's account successfuly therefor meaning that the buyer always received his domain.

Can anyone please answer me why am I the one who needs to be punished?
Do you really think it's fair towards me?

I've sold over 8 domains at Sedo and NEVER did anything wrong.

 

[Len]

Alright, guess what?
I've just received an answer as to why my account was closed:

You won't believe it!

This is the e-mail I received:
"Dear Idan Shem Tov,

As my colleague has informed you we cannot reopen your account so far due to security reasons, as you where selling domains which have lead to charge backs on the buyer side.

We have decided to take this step to prevent further violation of our terms of use

Kind regards,

Tamara Lajesic"

Basically, they've closed my account because a buyer tried to pull a scam on Sedo and place a chargeback on a payment he's made for a domain.
All domains that I've sold through Sedo were pushed to Sedo's account successfuly therefor meaning that the buyer always received his domain.

Can anyone please answer me why am I the one who needs to be punished?
Do you really think it's fair towards me?

I've sold over 8 domains at Sedo and NEVER did anything wrong.

It seems that they paid you and then they got stuck with the chargeback on more than one occasion.....

There are all sorts of scenarios that could have raised the red flags for them.
Where was the buyer from? Was he/she involved in each chargeback using different accounts?
Was this the only bidder in each case? Had they bid a larger amount than would have been expected for the domains?

I'm not saying you did anything wrong but they ultimately have to protect themselves. Maybe they will give you more information if you ask. You could at least get the names of the domains involved and do some follow up research.

Good luck.

 

[shreder]

It seems that they paid you and then they got stuck with the chargeback on more than one occasion.....

There are all sorts of scenarios that could have raised the red flags for them.
Where was the buyer from? Was he/she involved in each chargeback using different accounts?
Was this the only bidder in each case? Had they bid a larger amount than would have been expected for the domains?

I'm not saying you did anything wrong but they ultimately have to protect themselves. Maybe they will give you more information if you ask. You could at least get the names of the domains involved and do some follow up research.

Good luck.

Why would I need to do the research? I know I haven't done anything wrong. The least they could do is give me the domain names involved (I don't think it's more than 1).
If it was more than once with the same buyer then they should have suspended his account the first time it happened. I sold the domains with a timeframe of few weeks between each domain, they had plenty of time to suspend the buyer who placed a chargeback.

 

[Len]

Why would I need to do the research? I know I haven't done anything wrong. The least they could do is give me the domain names involved (I don't think it's more than 1).
If it was more than once with the same buyer then they should have suspended his account the first time it happened. I sold the domains with a timeframe of few weeks between each domain, they had plenty of time to suspend the buyer who placed a chargeback.

As I said, sedo are protecting themselves. Regardless of whether you are the innocent party in all this they are not obligated to continue to do business with you if they see you as a risk.

Believe me, I sympathise with you, it is wrong that you have been made the scapegoat in all this, it is unfair, but what is done is done. If you want to be reinstated as a member of sedo then you will have to do the leg work to clear yourself.

If you contact them and emphasize that you are willing to do whatever it takes to clear yourself they may look at your case in a different light.

Hope you get this sorted.

 

[Sedo]

Why would I need to do the research? I know I haven't done anything wrong. The least they could do is give me the domain names involved (I don't think it's more than 1).
If it was more than once with the same buyer then they should have suspended his account the first time it happened. I sold the domains with a timeframe of few weeks between each domain, they had plenty of time to suspend the buyer who placed a chargeback.

Hello,

The activity involved in several of your seller-side transactions was not only was suspicious, but ended in charge backs to Sedo. The buyers' accounts were similarly fraudulent and have also been closed. As a security measure, your account is also closed and will not be reopened.

Stephanie
Sedo.com

 

[shreder]

Hello,

The activity involved in several of your seller-side transactions was not only was suspicious, but ended in charge backs to Sedo. The buyers' accounts were similarly fraudulent and have also been closed. As a security measure, your account is also closed and will not be reopened.

Stephanie
Sedo.com

Then please tell me which domains you are talking about, I will personally check this as I know for a fact that few of my domains now belong to either domainers or people who are going to build sites on them.

What domains were involved and what exactly was the suspicious activity on my end?
Why didn't you close my account after 1,2,3 transactions and waited for me to make over 5 transactions?

I'm sorry but I don't believe you, I want some proves to support your statement that few of my transactions were suspicious.
That's NOT my fault that you allow fraudulent customers to purchase domains via your site, I shouldn't be punished for that.

 

[Sedo]

Then please tell me which domains you are talking about, I will personally check this as I know for a fact that few of my domains now belong to either domainers or people who are going to build sites on them.

What domains were involved and what exactly was the suspicious activity on my end?
Why didn't you close my account after 1,2,3 transactions and waited for me to make over 5 transactions?

I'm sorry but I don't believe you, I want some proves to support your statement that few of my transactions were suspicious.
That's NOT my fault that you allow fraudulent customers to purchase domains via your site, I shouldn't be punished for that.

Please contact [email protected] for detailed information, as information specific to your account can not be disclosed in this public forum. However, you should already know the domains involved. As this activity was repeated in your account (more than 1 sale ending in a charge back to Sedo), this is why your account was also closed on the seller-side.

Stephanie
Sedo.com

 

[RedwoodGeorge]

Sedo Termination Followup

Since the beginning of the year I'd been buying up expired domain names with healthy amounts of traffic and backlinks and then parking them at Sedo's PPC program. A few months ago I woke up one sunny morning to find this email in my inbox:

"We recently received a notification from our advertising provider that a significant portion of the traffic associated with your domain names has been deemed as “spam traffic” and is therefore ineligible for Sedo’s parking program."

Worse still, my account was frozen, my funds were withheld and I'm told that I'm banned from using Sedo's parking program in the future.

Trying to get clarification or information from Sedo was like pulling teeth - they'd keep repeating the original line about "spam traffic" without giving any examples or offering any opportunity to rectify my alleged transgressions. In a series of back-and-forth emails with Sedo, I was told:

• I had not violated their terms of service
  
• I was not being accused of any wrongdoing
  
• I was permanently banned from doing business with Sedo

Oddly, they never even bothered to define the term "spam traffic" - were there spam emails driving traffic to a domain or do they have some other definition of the word "spam"? I was never given any stats on the domains, never shown any referrer logs, never show click-through results, denied access to earlier data (since I was "locked out") no supporting information whatsoever. Even when asked for data or logs Sedo would just return to the refrain "our advertising partner doesn't provide us with any more information"

Finally I was told that -one- of my domains (out of nearly 50) was causing the problem. Not that I could fix it. Not that I could remove that one domain from Sedo. Not that they were going to pay me the income from the other 49 domains. Just that one apple spoils the whole barrel - permanently. Of course, by this point I'm thinking "if you're going to treat your customers this way, why would I want to continue to do business with Sedo?"

The last fact they revealed to me was even more intriguing: every month Google sends them a list of accounts to close and then Sedo dutifully shut them down, no questions asked. If there's any question where Sedo's loyalties lie, it's certainly not with the domainers. This leads me to question: does Google really know about every account on Sedo or do they just pass a list of problematic domains? If it's the latter then Sedo -is- getting paid for all the "non-violating" domain traffic and isn't passing that money along to the domain owner.

Of course, this has me wondering - with the wealth of PPC parking programs out there, why would any domainer want to be doing business with Sedo? Apparently all they're doing is acting as an intermediary with Google and taking a healthy cut in the process. Now that Google offers AdSense for Domains, you can cut out the middleman and keep a lot more of your money.

Sadly. searching this board indicates that sudden termination isn't unusual for Sedo customers - it's a shame I didn't know about that behavior before I signed onto the program or devoted a significant chunk of time to customizing the search terms for each and every one of those domains.... That's time I'll never get back - along with the money earned from the other 49 "innocent" domains I had parked with Sedo.