discuss Selling domains to US end users from Russia

[33S]

Hi all /

Do you guys think I'm losing seriously in my sales volume b/c I'm located in Russia? I do make sales but like many domainers I've encountered many end users who initially replied that they're interested but later got cold feet, I suppose it's normal for outbound sales but I feel due to the sh*tstorm in mainstream media my location is a headwind. Any thoughts?

 

[Joshh71390]

Hmm it very well could be thia. Maybe your best bet might be to find a broker to act as a middleman.

If your names are showing reaction I can't see why else this might be.

Or maybe if you were to use go daddy buy it now / offers so that you can get them in the drivers seat and let them make the moves.?

 

[TampaDomains]

Everyone get people that say they want it and then go dark. Not having a US phone, email etc. would likely scare away US businesses from buying from you. The scam radar is always up for them even if you were in the US, that radar goes way up if outside the US.

 

[33S]

I list my US phone and my Skype. I do suggest in my initial message that "A secure transaction via an escrow service is possible.". What else can I do to make people less paranoid?

 

[WhoaDomain.com]

Could always incorporate in Delaware USA or have a registered agent in the USA for under $100. a year if it's really an issue or in any country for that matter and then use their info as you whois contact from then on.

 

[todaygold]

Could always incorporate in Delaware USA

Or you could just get a U.S. phone number and forward it and then rent one of those mail forwarding address in the U.S. A lot cheaper than your idea of incorporating a business...which still doesn't give you a U.S. address or phone number by itself.

 

[Domaniak]

Could always incorporate in Delaware USA or have a registered agent in the USA for under $100. a year if it's really an issue or in any country for that matter and then use their info as you whois contact from then on.

Good idea as far as it goes. However, these days, the problem is setting up a bank account for an offshore entity (say, a Delaware LLC), especially hailing from Russia. No bank account means no PayPal and nowhere to accept money from successful domain sales. There are workarounds, but fairly expensive and maybe hard to justify starting out selling domains.

 

[WhoaDomain.com]

Good idea as far as it goes. However, these days, the problem is setting up a bank account for an offshore entity (say, a Delaware LLC), especially hailing from Russia. No bank account means no PayPal and nowhere to accept money from successful domain sales. There are workarounds, but fairly expensive and maybe hard to justify starting out selling domains.

There is a correct civilized way to correct someone and then there is the barnyard hillbilly way.

Thanks for your correct way. Like I said before I gave two ideas the latter was the better of the two. Thee other is overkill.

Multinational companies do this sort of thing around the world to dodge taxes.. Not saying it's cheap only that it's possible.

 

[Domains - Wanted]

Having fun yet?

 

[Kate]

I doubt that the OP is going to incorporate in the US, if he is not even incorporated in Russia where he lives.

Perhaps this could be the first step.
I think people are more likely to trust a company in good status, that can be verified in the official company register, and has an online presence of some sort, than some stranger contacting them out of the blue.

Or list your domain names on a marketplace like Sedo that offers escrow service. People know that the seller won't get paid if he doesn't deliver the domain

 

[4pm]

Do you guys think I'm losing seriously in my sales volume b/c I'm located in Russia?

No, in short.
I personally have never encountered this kind of a problem. Ever.
Having most of the names with Russian registrant address.
Including sold ones...

Most of the time your prospective buyers dont even know how to use whois.
And when they do that's the last thing they would care about, especially if the name is regged with a reputable US/Europe based registrar. According to my experience.

When they want the name they would buy it from you even if you are from Nigeria (well, if they can afford the price you put on it, that's what matters most)

High percentage of backing out clients is probably a problem of contacting wrong people - when you do outbound your initial contact almost always is not a decision maker.
So he just says "we could be interested" (which is not binding) and requests more info, then passes it up to the right person who often replies with "we just don't need this stuff. we already have one we regged for $15 some 500 years ago, why have two?"... at this point they stop communicating or tell you "thanks, we decided we are not interested" at best, leaving you guessing if it was your country of residence or a tie color that ruined the deal. No, the deal was not going to materialize from its very beginning... no one cares where you live.

Inbound requests, in contrast, are always made by/on behalf of a decision maker so you can be sure it's backed by real interest behind it, not just "looks interesting, tell me more, i'll ask my boss"..

Additionally, if you have to use outbound mailing we are talking of lower quality names, as a rule. Those do have much higher rate of not closed sales simply because when buyers at some point realize how much time and effort they need to spend (payments, escrows, transfers etc) on a not so needed $1xx name - not worth it, not a killer name anyway...


just my non-binding imho...

 

[william ericson]

going for a middle man might mask your location and filter buyers

 

[ChelseaDott]

Try selling as an american

 

[Robert91]

no don't fake it

 

[poweredbyme]

Hi all /

Do you guys think I'm losing seriously in my sales volume b/c I'm located in Russia? I do make sales but like many domainers I've encountered many end users who initially replied that they're interested but later got cold feet, I suppose it's normal for outbound sales but I feel due to the sh*tstorm in mainstream media my location is a headwind. Any thoughts?

Migrate to US on investor visa when/if you have enough $
Or, hide your location as much as possible.

 

[Domains - Wanted]

Migrate to US on investor visa when/if you have enough $
Or, hide your location as much as possible.

Ohh boy!
Getting carried away a tiny bit here, aren't we?

 

[poweredbyme]

Ohh boy!
Getting carried away a tiny bit here, aren't we?

He should live in the US if he has to share his location with his buyers. I don't know much about migration procedures. Maybe there are cheaper legal ways than investor visa. If US is so difficult for him, any western country will work more or less than US. I heard if you buy a house you can legally live in Portugal. Living in Portugal or at least in a EU country should help him less than the US but more than Russia. If he will continue to live in Russia and if he thinks his location affects him negatively, then he must hide his location from his buyers. I gave him the best advice compared to previous posts. What's wrong with my advice?

 

[Rachel Mcdonalds]

Hi all /

Do you guys think I'm losing seriously in my sales volume b/c I'm located in Russia? I do make sales but like many domainers I've encountered many end users who initially replied that they're interested but later got cold feet, I suppose it's normal for outbound sales but I feel due to the sh*tstorm in mainstream media my location is a headwind. Any thoughts?

i dnt think so. it just depends on how you negotiate and carry your conversation with the buyers.