Crooks are alive and well and will always find ways to play the system, especially if it is set up in a vulnerable way as Afternic is.
In my opinion while we are asking for change and waiting for them to solve this, we need to be proactive and check for listings as soon as we acquire the domain. It is annoying especially for somebody with thousands of domains.
As it was said before it makes sense to me to list the Domains on Afternic with Make offer even if the owner doesn't plan on selling the domain, as a hedge.
Again, until they solve this it is a good practice to be proactive and protect ourselves.
Thanks for the input.
What if you ended up having to pay 25% commission of this domain sale ultimately, in addition to the cost of any commission with a non-GD transaction elsewhere, including a buyer directly contacting you?
Is this a possibility, based on the wording of the Afternic
User Agreement? (bold emphasis added)?
For any sale of a domain name registration occurs between you and another member after being introduced through this site less than six months prior to the sale, you agree to pay a sales fee to Company, as posted on AFTERNIC.COM. Such introductions include any communication facilitated by the site's listings, offers and messages to members. The sales fee will be paid by the seller, and guaranteed by the buyer. The fee must be received by Company from seller within 30 days of the sale. If Company does not receive such payment within 30 days of the sale, the buyer member agrees to pay Company the brokerage fee within 30 days of receiving notice from Company that the seller did not pay the fee within the first 30 days.
So, for example, your buyer now purchases the domain through Sedo, but had checked out the domain at Afternic previously within the past six months. Are you willing to pay the additional 25% also to Afternic? The total commission could be upwards 10-20% (sedo) plus their 25%.
Perhaps, if you have an actual listing with them at "make offer," it eliminates the need to argue with them that it was a fake listing causing the confusion. There would likely be no actual win, though with that argument---because it might mean that your "make offer" listing, placed in part to prevent fraudulent sellers, now costs you an additional 25% of the sale?!
Perhaps others could weigh in on this paragraph, but it seems to suggest this:
if the buyer had initial contact with them, that they do intend to get paid up to six months out--even if the sale ultimately occurs elsewhere, And this does create heightened concerns about having the fraudulent listings ultimately leading to potential commission disputes.
