purchases Seller shadow bans me (deletes name after acq. attempt)

[Andreas B.]

Found a domain I am interested in to buy.

After I clicked 'Buy now', filled in the priv. information, and tried to pay for it, I realized that my account didn't have the needed funds.

So I had to transfer money onto it, and proceed with the acquisition later on.


After a few days, I receive a follow-up e-mail from the marketplace, that tells me to pay for the domain.

I click on the link, proceed to buy & pay.

Before paying, I visited the domain one more time, and what I see is:
The seller is using our nameservers, but has not listed the name on our marketplace.

Aha...


Few hours later I got a mail from the marketplace:

"I am sorry to inform you that the seller notified us that they are no longer the domain owners."

What the hell?!

A clear lie.


Which is really interesting & awkward at the same time:

Nameservers are the same, no whois transaction, nothing ...


Seller simply deleted the name from the marketplace, after figuring he is not (really) ready to sell the domain for the price, he himself actually listed it for!

But forgot to change the nameservers.



My opinion about that:

This seller should be blacklisted & banned from the marketplace.

And his name should be made public, for public shame.


That's my point of view.



You cannot list a domain for price X, and then, when someone inquires, you change your mind about the price!


That's stupid and dishonorable and you should no longer get the opportunity to list your names on that marketplace.

 

[werty]

So you never paid for it? And also, why would you go pay for something and then figure out you don't have enough funds? Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?

 

[Andreas B.]

So you never paid for it? And also, why would you go pay for something and then figure out you don't have enough funds? Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?

I did not pay - but I inquired, at the price it was listed for.

No, I do not have 24/7 overview over my funds on a paypal account, I almost never use.

And paying via bank-transfer, would take a lot more time, ain't it?


And who tells me that the seller does not change his mind x times during the 3 days (or more) bank transfer...?

 

[werty]

I am just sharing my perspective. It would be wrong if you had paid for it and then the seller backs out. Or if you had reached an agreement in price with the seller. Otherwise I don't see anything wrong from my perspective. The owner of the domain can do whatever they want listing wise. You inquired and the listing status or price changed. It's easy to log into paypal to check balance, just saying...

 

[Andreas B.]

I am just sharing my perspective. It would be wrong if you had paid for it and then the seller backs out. Or if you reached an agreement in price with the seller. Otherwise I don't see anything wrong from my perspective. The owner of the domain can do whatever they want listing wise. You inquired and the listing status or price changed.

Well that is the case: I reached an agreement with the seller over the price!

This is what the BIN price stands for!


I think the seller should be ashamed for not staying to his obligations.

But this is just my point of view.


Maybe times are different now, and a word does not count as a word anymore...

 

[werty]

I am not shaming anyone; you asked for opinions by posting this rant. So it's sedo we are talking about I guess? The only marketplace that lets you "buy now" without paying. If that's the case, it could certainly be an old listing and the current owner is the same as when you checked and not the one who made such marketplace listing? Now if the current owner is indeed the one who made that marketplace listing, then yes, on that case it would be an unethical seller. Unless you took more than 7 days or so to pay, in which case, sedo lets sellers cancel.

 

[Andreas B.]

I am not shaming anyone; you asked for opinions by posting this rant. So it's sedo we are talking about I guess? The only marketplace that lets you "buy now" without paying. If that's the case, it could certainly be an old listing and the current owner is the same as when you checked and not the one who made such marketplace listing? Now if the current owner is indeed the one who made that marketplace listing, then yes, on that case it would be an unethical seller.

Can be another marketplace...

What I can say:

If the marketplace seeks to uphold integrity & honorable behaviour (and to stay to what you list your names for, when they get an inquire),


then the marketplace would have to give that seller the only 2 options:

Either sell the domain for the price, he had listed it for at the time of my inquiry,
or ban him from the marketplace.


But I can almost say in certainty, that neither of both will happen.


Because today everyhthing happens in anonymity on the internet...

and people no longer have to carry the responsibility for their actions, which they actually should be hold accountable for.


That is very sad.

 

[werty]

Well you have to consider also that marketplaces have a percentage of invalid or outdated listings... Maybe the current owner has nothing to do with this. Sedo or whichever marketplace also shouldn't let people click "buy now" without paying but this is more something I personally don't like when I am the seller and nothing to do with this negative experience you are sharing.

 

[DrJacoby]

The seller is using our nameservers, but has not listed the name on our marketplace.

How can it not be listed on their marketplace but still have a BIN price?

 

[Andreas B.]

Well you have to consider also that marketplaces have a percentage of invalid or outdated listings... Maybe the current owner has nothing to do with this. Sedo or whichever marketplace also shouldn't let people click "buy now" without paying but this is more something I personally don't like when I am the seller and nothing to do with this negative experience you are sharing.

But the problem is:
It is / was a valid listing.


So I should be on the safe side on to getting the domain for the Price I inquired for...
But I am more than sure that the marketplace is not ready to tell the seller:
Either you hand over the domain now, or we ban you.

That won't happen, but it should.
Especially when money is involved, especially when it is about digital assets.

 

[Andreas B.]

How can it not be listed on their marketplace but still have a BIN price?

When I inquired, it was listed.
Everything totally fine & how it should be.

After I tried to pay & couldn't,

seller (must have gotten) the notification, that someone is inquiring and wants to buy the name.

At this very moment, the seller thought:
No, I don't want to sell that domain for that price.

I want more!


And so he deleted the domain from his marketplace account /domain list
...while not changing the nameservers.


When I then came back to pay for it and finish the process,
marketplace staff told me:

"I am sorry to inform you that the seller notified us that they are no longer the domain owners."


I mean, the thing is more than clear to me.

 

[werty]

A few details don't add up in the story or maybe I am not understanding well but anyways just try reaching the current owner directly with your offer... Cut the "middleman" out (marketplace).

 

[DrJacoby]

If you didn't even pay for the domain then I don't see the big problem.

You can check out what happened to me just recently. Seller wouldn't transfer the domain even though I had payed for it: https://www.namepros.com/threads/high-profile-domainer-refuses-to-transfer-sold-domain.1324667/

Feel free to DM me the name of the seller to see if it's the same guy that fooled me.

 

[Andreas B.]

If you didn't even pay for the domain then I don't see the big problem.

You can check out what happened to me just recently. Seller wouldn't transfer the domain even though I had payed for it: https://www.namepros.com/threads/high-profile-domainer-refuses-to-transfer-sold-domain.1324667/

You are totally right - from a legal standpoint (in my case).

In your case this is MUCH WORSE.


But:
That is why, the marketplace should react accordingly!


Making clear to every seller, that a BIN price is a binding sale price.


When someone inquires for that particular BIN price, that means that a sale-price agreement is reached.

And that the seller cannot delete or change / renegotiate the price afterwards.


When I then pay, as a buyer, I must be given the right to get the domain.


Either I get it, OR the seller must be punished for it - means, banned from the marketplace.


But this is something, only the marketplace can do.


The marketplace is the one, to watch out that integrity and staying to what you price your names for is being kept & obeyed!


And that is more than important in this business.


>> The marketplace would do us all a huge favor, when it would act accordingly.

A few details don't add up in the story or maybe I am not understanding well but anyways just try reaching the current owner directly with your offer... Cut the "middleman" out (marketplace).

Everything adds up perfectly, my friend.

Seller listed the domain, verified the ownership, and priced the domain.

After I inquired, he simply changed his mind (on the price) and actively deleted the domain from his marketplace account.

 

[werty]

You are totally right - from a legal standpoint (in my case).

In your case this is MUCH WORSE.


But:
That is why, the marketplace should react accordingly!


Making clear to every seller, that a BIN price is a binding sale price.


When someone inquires for that particular BIN price, that means that a sale-price agreement is reached.

And that the seller cannot delete or change / renegotiate the price afterwards.


When I then pay, as a buyer, I must be given the right to get the domain.


Either I get it, OR the seller must be punished for it - means, banned from the marketplace.


But this is something, only the marketplace can do.


The marketplace is the one, to watch out that integrity and staying to what you price your names for is being kept & obeyed!


And that is more than important in this business.


>> The marketplace would do us all a huge favor, when it would act accordingly.



Everything adds up perfectly, my friend.

Seller listed the domain, verified the ownership, and priced the domain.

After I inquired, he simply changed his mind (on the price) and actively deleted the domain from his marketplace account.

Inquired and buy it now isn't the same, that's one of my confusions. Did you just inquire or did you actually "buy it now"? In the end, the industry is full of unethical buyers and sellers (unfortunately all industries have unethical players). Do you have any proof or clues that the current owner of the domain is the same owner of such marketplace account who made such listing? It could be an old listing that didn't get deleted and the current owner of the domain might have nothing to do with it.

 

[Andreas B.]

Inquired and buy it now isn't the same, that's one of my confusions. Did you just inquire or did you actually "buy it now"? In the end, the industry is full of unethical buyers and sellers (unfortunately all industries have unethical players). Do you have any proof or clues that the current owner of the domain is the same owner of such marketplace account who made such listing? It could be an old listing that didn't get deleted and the current owner of the domain might have nothing to do with it.

No,

it was listed for a BIN price, and I hit the buy button.

Ok, I might have expressed this wrong - it was not Make offer, but a bin price.

 

[werty]

No,

it was listed for a BIN price, and I hit the buy button.

Ok, I might have expressed this wrong - it was not Make offer, but a bin price.

There is really nothing you can do at this point other than try to reach the current owner directly or just move on... It happens.. Good luck.

 

[Andreas B.]

There is really nothing you can do at this point other than try to reach the current owner directly or just move on... It happens.. Good luck.

Thanks,
but I won't do anything.

Legally, I cannot do anything.

Only the marketplace could tell the seller to transfer the domain, as they received my payment.

Or, get banned.

But am more than certain it won't happen...


And for the seller:
Yes, he would sell his domain - but only for a much higher price.

And this, where I am no more interested...


Truth is:
After he didn't receive any inquiries for the name, he discounted it quite low.
After I tried to buy it, he changed his mind and won't let it go for that price.


And this is where I had no more chance to get the domain.

 

[DomainRecap]

How can it not be listed on their marketplace but still have a BIN price?

Here's the scenario:

The OP saw a domain on a marketplace with a BIN and accepted it. Then there were some inconsequential and unneeded details about the payment, but once that was figured out the marketplace advised him that the domain was no longer listed there and that the transaction cannot take place.

So the domain was listed on the marketplace, but sometime between then the payment, the seller deleted it.

This is a common and marketplace-recommended method of getting rid of an old erroneous listing either expired or was already sold, but it should not be used to kill an existing deal. But some people use it like that.

 

[Andreas B.]

This is a common and marketplace-recommended method of getting rid of an old erroneous listing either expired or was already sold, but it should not be used to kill an existing deal. But some people use it like that.

Yep, and this is exactly what happened, unfortunately...