When is it appropriate to send a direct message (DM) to a member?

[~ The 34 Year Buzz!!]

Historical Note: This request for advice was posted before* seeing/reading any responses to "minor events" which occurred last night. *Why not read the replies first? This is a public invite to discuss interesting topics.

Related to "Domain Buying and Selling"

(This first question was not the issue in a "recent minor incident")
If another established member "likes" 2, 3, or more of my posts on one (for example) particular topic/niche discussion, then am I allowed to PM them to talk in private?

If someone has a fixed price offer with a clearly absurd high price, and I am looking to make a genuine, creative offer including details which could be viewed as "overly promotional" for that section, then do I have the option of sending them a PM/DM message re: their sale? If not, then how do I properly present the offer?

I tend to not send the first PM unless it is obviously OK, and I clearly need some advice on either or both topics, thank you.​

 

[Bravo Mod Team]

It's best to never send an unsolicited promotional message to anyone. An unsolicited promotional message is anything that advertises a product or service that the member did not explicitly request for you to send. If the member is expecting a direct message (DM) that is promotional, then it is acceptable to send them a promotional message that is relevant to their request.

In all other cases, your first message in a DM must not be promotional. Instead, it should seek their permission.

Examples:

• "I noticed that you participate in the VR thread. Are you interested in looking at some VR domains that I have for sale?"
• "I saw that you sold a four-letter .com domain name. Are you still buying new LLLL .com's?"
• "Your fixed price for Example.com is out of my budget. Do you mind if I suggest a creative deal that includes cash and one of my domains in exchange for your domain name?"

There's nothing wrong with sending the first DM, but it may not be promotional unless the member has requested it. Otherwise, you need to ask the recipient's permission in the first DM before you send them something that is promotional (e.g., a domain for sale).

With that said, please keep in mind that while these questions will not violate our rules and you can send them to anyone on NamePros, the questions may be bothersome to some members if they're not targeted messages that are highly relevant to their interests, which could result in members adding you to their Ignored List. Once you're in their Ignored List, they will not see any direct messages or posts that you submit on NamePros, which could cost you sales in the future.

Lastly, if someone requests that you not send them direct messages anymore, you will need to respect their request. If such requests are not respected, then we will have to get involved to put a stop to it.

We hope that helps.

 

[~ The 34 Year Buzz!!]

We hope that helps.
Yes, thank you for the detailed answer.