To trust or not to trust domain valuations?

[Mikhail]

Before registering a new domain name I usually check its "monetary value" on both: Valuate (powered by Estibot) and Domainindex. Results vary from frustrating to ridiculous. If one's estimate is $2000 another's is $80 and vice versa: $0 and $772. Be so kind to share your own experience with valuation systems. To trust or not to trust? If yes - trust, then whom do you prefer? And the most important question: Based on your own experience, how close or how far were the online estimates from real auction final bids? All the best, Mikhail.

 

[gilescoley]

NEVER use those tools to to evaluate a name....thats why most domainers dont use them

 

[fm1234]

Yeah, all crap. The appraisal section here can be hit and miss - pay more attention to those who will actually offer you some reasoning behind their opinions though.


Frank

 

[DomainBFF]

Nothing in this world, human or machine, can predict the value of a domain.

 

[DnEbook]

The human factor has more more perspective than data gathering appraisals

 

[DomainBFF]

The human factor has more more perspective than data gathering appraisals

True.

But after checking namebio etc everyday, I've learned that 99% of appraisals, human or machine, can't predict the value of a domain. And the 1% only applies to 1-word and dictionary .coms, or in other words, the names that have already been regged for years.

 

[NameOmnia]

Results vary from frustrating to ridiculous. If one's estimate is $2000 another's is $80 and vice versa: $0 and $772.

That alone should tell you how reliable those appraisals are.

Some inexperienced buyers will check the value on Estibot and you can always try to play that card with them...but don't even try it with anyone else or they will probably laugh at you!!!!

 

[Fonzie]

No.
Anyone who thinks that domain names can be 'appraised' or otherwise 'valued' with some sort of benchmark dollar figure has garbage for a brain.

 

[The New Guy]

Here's a test to see how accurate these services think they are, for anyone interested in having some fun:

Take your worst domain with the highest automated valuation, do a screencap of the results, then offer to sell the domain to the operator of the automated service at half the price. If they truly believed in the accuracy of their appraisals, they should be happy to buy cloudforexshoes.com for $500 if their system said it was worth $1,000.