Telepathy...really?

[Keith]

I'm sorry but not a chance I'll ever pay $19 in order to negotiate on a domain. This is a clear money grab. You get bombarded with emails? Set up an automated system to field offers and go from there. This is the kind of shit that gives the domain industry a black eye!

 

[infosec3]

What do you mean. Are you talking about Telepathy.com? Do they offer a negotiation service for $19?

 

[Keith]

What do you mean. Are you talking about Telepathy.com? Do they offer a negotiation service for $19?

Yes telepathy.com. You send them an inquiry and they reply with the below response. Note that securedoffers charges $19 to facilitate your email!

Thank you for your email. Telepathy Inc. owns one of the world's top domain portfolios, assembled through 18 years of continuous reinvestment in acquiring premium domain names.

For inquiries about domain names registered to Telepathy, Inc. please use the SecuredOffers.com service to submit your inquiry. Due to this email address being bombarded by bulk emailers sending inquiry emails on our domain names, we do not respond to domain inquiries sent to this email address.

 

[Keith]

Then it goes on to say that their domains are valuable and if you can't afford the $19 you must not be serious. They can eat me.

 

[iowadawg]

Damn! That is greedy domaining upped another level!
How soon before more domainers do the same?

 

[HUKU]

Seems reasonable to me. They just want to weed out enquiries that are wasteful of their time and if that is their strategy for doing that, well if the portfolio belongs to them then they should also control the rules. There is nothing forcing you to buy a domain from them.

 

[Keith]

Seems reasonable to me. They just want to weed out enquiries that are wasteful of their time and if that's their strategy for doing that, well there is nothing forcing you to buy a domain from them.

So you want to buy a house, a car...you should have to pay to find out the details or price? No way! Bad business...

 

[iowadawg]

So you would be okay with Namepros charging you to come here?
After all, Namepros only wants serious members?
Or google charging you per search, as they only want serious searchers?
Or what if....
Namepros said you had to pay to find out about a domain for sale here?
Just threads saying "Domain for sale", but pay $19 to find out what domain and what price?
You would be okay with that?

 

[Domainace]

I agree with Huku. It's their domain - their rules. I don't know if it's a good idea or not, but I see the logic behind it. If you are not willing to spend the $19, then you probably don't want the name badly enough to pay the price the owners desires. He/she is probably waiting for a big fish, and not interested in offers from domainers or small businesses.

And I would think that a buyer who gives in and pays $19 has shown a willingness to play along, which bodes well for getting a bigger price.

On the other hand, it might just piss some people off on principal. Those people would rather go to a "domain broker" and ask him to negotiate for the name - at a significantly greater cost than $19. Go figure.

 

[Keith]

I agree with Huku. It's their domain - their rules. I don't know if it's a good idea or not, but I see the logic behind it. If you are not willing to spend the $19, then you probably don't want the name badly enough to pay the price the owners desires. He/she is probably waiting for a big fish, and not interested in offers from domainers or small businesses.

That's like sedo charging $19 for every person who shows interest in a parked domain. It's a crock of shit.

 

[Domainace]

The question is...were you hoping for a reseller price on that name? If so...

 

[Keith]

The question is...were you hoping for a reseller price on that name? If so...

I was going to offer $10 million. Who cares though? It's the greed involved...

 

[Domainace]

I think, as domainers, we are on thin ice when we talk about greed.

 

[Keith]

I think, as domainers, we are on thin ice when we talk about greed.

Godaddy pisses telepathy. Could you imagine them charging you to inquire on a listed domain for sale?

 

[wormfood]

It probably wouldn't work for most websites and portfolio owners, and that's why they don't do it.
But it must work for Telepathy or they wouldn't continue to do it. So if it works for them, why does it matter?
If namepros charged fees like that, almost nobody would use the site.. and the owners would probably adjust their "greed" accordingly.

 

[offersity]

Yup to weed out unserious buyers and fishing domainers.

I remember I requested a payment of $1,500 immediately after a deal was reached (within 24 hrs). This was done to make sure buyer would not withdraw from the deal.

If the buyer had withdrawn he would have lost the $1,500 and I would have made sure my time was not wasted.

The buyer did not withdraw, and he paid the remaining amount within a week. A done deal.

Obviously telepathy has been domain investor like forever and they know what they are doing.

 

[wwwweb]

I am sure they will refund your $19 if you do the deal with them.

I understand where they are coming from, with the quality they control, and all sides of the world hitting them for premium quotes, it is really time consuming.

If you are purchasing a domain from them you are looking at 5-7 figures, so $19 is not really an issue if you are truly serious, and not just kicking tires.

 

[DaveX]

It's a little different but think about it. Even sites like Brandbucket charge a fee. For what, a simple logo? I don't put many domains there because I don't like paying the listing fee.

 

[Alamsher]

Charging $19 just for an inquiry is crazy they should change it to refundable $19 you get it back if you don't spam them and you don't get it back if you spam them.

 

[DomainVP]

Damn! That is greedy domaining upped another level!
How soon before more domainers do the same?

I've actually seen this done many times on top-tier dictionary words. It's an effective way to weed out $500 offers for sure. Who knows how many inquiries they are getting daily, it's a great tech name.