Why can't people in the Domains Wanted Forum respond to a simple PM?

[Premium-Domain-Names]

95% of the time I can't get the decency of a response when sending a PM in the Domains Wanted forum!

It's just common courtesy to email back "yes" or "no".

I have offered a lot of great domains there over the last two years, and the lack of response has cost me a lot of financial frustration.

I am disgusted with the lack of professionalism!

Is there some secret to getting people to respond like actual human beings?

 

[Embrand]

I totally agree with you. Even if you get loads of offers, it takes just a few seconds to send a polite "no" message.

But hey, nowadays many people don't even reply to job applications that you have spent hours on...

 

[bmugford]

I understand what you are saying, but let's look at this through a buyers perspective as well.

I have posted wanted threads in the past, and usually get flooded with offers.

The majority of these PMs are usually not what I am looking for, bad domains, or grossly overpriced.

At least half of the PMs I receive ask me to make an offer, despite clearly saying in every wanted thread I post that I will not make the opening offer.

There is at least a 45 second delay in response time between PMs. Personally, I don't have an hour a day to sit around sending out "Thanks, but I am not interested" PM responses.

Brad

 

[bulkdomainz]

I was thinking about this 3 days ago! Do most of those who post WTB adverts really have any intention of buying? Or are they just gathering information on what domains NP'rs have? Some people have been polite enough to respond to PMs!

 

[Premium-Domain-Names]

Wow! Thank you for responding!
(That's what I'm talkin' about.)

It's true what you said about job applications, euroflash.
(Been there, done that, threw away the t-shirt.)

I just wish I knew some magic formula for getting buyers to respond.

Should I be nice, not too nice, brief, thorough, show the expiration dates and the registrar of record, say please and thank you, tell them I prefer Paypal, or just list the domains and hit "send"?

Should I be in charge, or let them take charge?

 

[bmugford]

I was thinking about this 3 days ago! Do most of those who post WTB adverts really have any intention of buying? Or are they just gathering information on what domains NP'rs have? Some people have been polite enough to respond to PMs!

I buy domains frequently via posts in that section.

However, most responses are either not what you are looking for, low quality names, unpriced domains, or overpriced domains.

When someone has a quality domain, and asks a realistic reseller price I will probably buy it.

Brad

 

[Tia Wood]

A thread update should be enough but most people don't even do that.

 

[Embrand]

If buyer is looking for .com only and you send him an .info, I understand.

I have sent suggestions to maybe 10 buyers, and the names always fitted the criteria set out in the post. So it was just a matter of buyer not liking the name or asking price, which of course is totally okay. But a short reply would be nice.

I have received a reply only once. And although it was a "no", I replied to that guy thanking him for replying

 

[Premium-Domain-Names]

Pricing is another thing. If they say, I can spend up to $300 on the right domain, should I ask $300 for the best domain I have that fits their criteria, or should I ask $100 or $200, or $50? Can I ask them to make me an offer?

Also, is $20 better than $19.99 for forum pricing? Cheaper Ebay domains seem to sell better with .99 at the end (ie. $19.99, $9.99, or .99), whereas forum buyers generally seem to prefer whole dollar amounts without the 99 cents at the end.

On the other hand, for higher dollar amounts, how about $399 over $400?

Which is more likely to sell?

---------- Post added at 08:19 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:13 AM ----------

One more question, what is reseller pricing?
Is there a formula for calculating it?

 

[GiftedDomains]

there is a good solution for both the OP and the people who offer domain names in the "domains wanted" section.

OPs who don't have time or don't want to reply to each and every offer with "no , i am not interested, thanks", could add something like

"if you don't get any reply, that means that i am not interested but thank you for your offer, please don't get mad if you don't get any reply".

(in fact, i see that sometimes)

this should be mentioned right at the start in the thread in the first post of OP.

now people who offer domains read that and its up to them if they want to offer domain names to the OP or not.

and they can't complain later, why they didn't get any reply.

---

now my personal opinion: i am more or less with brad here.

once i made a request, and 99% of the offers were either total crap or something completely different than what i asked for. it took me half an hour to reply to all those offers in which i wasn't interested at all.

people should understand that many domainers have also other jobs and maybe a limited time for domaining and they want to use their time with the max. efficieny. that means making as much money as they can in the shortest possible time.

so no one should take such things personally.

i always expect to get no answer right at the beginning and if you do get a reply and sell a domain , then even better, great. if not, move on and send the next offer.

IMO

 

[Embrand]

there is a good solution for both the OP and the people who offer domain names in the "domains wanted" section.

OPs who don't have time or don't want to reply to each and every offer with "no , i am not interested, thanks", could add something like

"if you don't get any reply, that means that i am not interested but thank you for your offer, please don't get mad if you don't get any reply".

(in fact, i see that sometimes)

Yes, that is a good solution.

 

[futureaudio]

I have created a thread in the wanted thread and I posted that I'll only reply if I am interested in the domain/offer. If you ever make a thread in wanted section, you'll understand that sort of behavior. Usually most of the offers you receieve are totally unrelated in terms of pricing/domain to what a buyer is looking for. It almost feels like going through spam folder in your email. :D

 

[RevolutionaryDomains]

Rep added! to OP. It's about time someone brought this up.


If I send a PM to a wanted request and after a couple of days have not received a reply, I simply move on. IMO, the lack of reply as the obvious answer - OP is not interested. I personally don't need a PM to tell me something I have already ascertained; but that is just me. Others may need the definitive answer before being able to move forward.

Brad brings up some very valid and important points regarding PMs that are not what an OP is looking for. Be it bad domains, grossly overpriced, or asking for OP to make an offer. In other words, PMs containing names that do not meet the OPs requirements. There has to be a way to curb this.

The wanted section is currently littered with threads [new and old] where the OP simply vanishes, is suspended, account closed; etc. In some cases, threads should be outright closed by a MOD or Team Lead upon suspension or account closure. Also, perhaps something can be added requiring an OP to at least update the thread no less than once per week, and returning again to close it out. It only takes a few seconds to update with still looking or name found and closing the thread when appropriate. If the thread receives no response or update from OP for a lengthy period of time (30 days for example), threads should automatically be closed.

This would help clean up the section and organize the more legitimate threads. Let's face it, all to often there are some members posting threads in the wanted section as a way to phish for info on who owns which names in a particular niche.
:imho:


-Regards

 

[RTM]

This is a worthy discussion, and we both sell and buy domains in the wanted section... Brad brings up the most valid points (about being inundated with offers - many of which may be way off from what the buyer clearly sets as criteria..)

On the other hand, I think updating the wanted thread is a must - at the very least say something like "all PMs read, bought a few, still looking" or a simple "no longer looking" etc.

My $0.02

Rob

 

[Dotmainer]

I have made in past some "wanted threads" and i sent some offers to people looking for domains. I've seen both sides.

There are following Problems:

1. Ignoring Request:
- If you look for domains and write clear that you are looking (exmpl.) for cvcv.com why people send you sometimes cvcv.ORG ?

2. Ignoring boudget:
- If i write i want to spend max. 50$ why some domainer send you domains for 100$ ?

on the other side

3.Quality:
Thats subjective, everyone like own domains, and everyone see value in own domains.
It's up to buyer to specify as most as possible what he is looking for.


4. Reply
General if i send pm to buyer, i think there is some "general rule" that if he reply in "some" hours i still have domains.
Because of that it would be nice sometimes if buyer would reply.
My solution for that is that i wait until PM is read and maybe wait additional 24 h.

 

[dotker]

You really need to give them an offer they cant refuse

 

[Name Trader]

I post on the Domains Wanted very infrequently. About once a year. I reply to every PM I've received. It's polite. But I agree with Brad. If the domain is clearly outside of the criteria set, it isn't worth a reply. So my suggestion is to include in the post "PM's falling outside of this criteria will not be responded to". That way, people will know that the reason they haven't got a reply is because the domain fell outside the criteria specified.

I also respond by PM to requests with about the same frequency that I post. It is frustrating not getting a response.

 

[Archangel]

Good points. I'm going to bring this to the attention of Team Leaders.

 

[wwwweb]

Many people are on a fishing expedition, and really have no intention of buying, or have unrealistic pricing, at the same time these buyers are swamped with a list of domains, they did not even request. Half the time no budget is stated, no point sending 4 figure domains, when there is a $20 budget in place, but not stated. Personally from what I have seen on namepros and DNF there is not much liquidity in terms of buyers, and sellers swamp the forums.

 

[donnied79]

Honestly when I send domains to a possible buyer from the "Wanted section" I assume that no answer is a no.
I've tried a couple of time to search a domain through that section and it's a nightmare. You receive tons of PM with rubbish domain that doesn't fit the requirements. So I can perfectly understand why buyers does not respond at all if not interested.