There’s plenty of email arriving at my mailbox(es) daily; the last thing I need is the type of mass-mailed “announcements” about domain opportunities that somehow suit my business.
Of course, the latter is just a false statement; these emails are being sent by other domainers, who have skimmed email addresses from domain WHOIS records.
These mass mailings are also signed by fictitious people, using Westernized monikers. Many of these spam emails about domains originate in India.
Here is a sample spam email below, which was sent to an email address masked by WHOIS protection; I don’t use this email elsewhere to communicate:
The 13 year premium domain **** is up for sale at $25000 only. Since you own other similar domains we though you might be interested in acquiring this one as well. We are sending this email to several parties,and the first one to reply will get the deal. If you are intersted,please reply back soon. Thanks Edward Cena
The subject of the emails was worded in order to fake that there was a previous exchange, by adding “Re:” to it, a notation reserved for a response or a reply to an email. By phrasing it in such a way, the recipient is more inclined to open up and read this spam, unsolicited email.
Mr. Edward Cena actually resides in India, and his real name is representative of the kind of names Indians bear. But according to the spammers’ “master plan”, Westerners are not receptive to foreign inquiries and names, and supposedly don’t trust someone who signs an email with Rajiv Krubash, for example. I made this name up, for the record.
This claim is just an excuse, however; the real reason these emails are signed as such, is to divert attention from the collective spamming practices of the individuals and companies behind this junk. With a disposable email address such as “edwardcena.ec01@gmail.com” this fella can easily update the “01” into “02” etc. ad nauseam, eventually switching to another fake persona.
What if their real name and company were to be exposed?
These are not small players, they claim to be the biggest domain name investing company in India. Incidentally, their solicitation of the domain just two days after they won the NameJet auction, makes me wonder if they are actually front-running the domain: attempting to collect a higher selling fee before they even pay for it!
It was a piece of cake to find out who won the domain and after contacting them, I was asked to provide my email address, never to be bothered again. But that’s against the logic of how business should be conducted; lists need to be “opt-in”, not “opt-out”.
To recap: this industry-produced spam is unwanted and counter-productive. I don’t mind individual inquiry emails with domains for sale, as long as they aren’t CC’ed to every Tom, Dick and Harry who owns domains, under the pretext of an “opportunity”.
It makes the domain industry look bad to outsiders. I hate domain sales spam.
I received the exact same email as well.
The domain he was offering to sell ended on NameJet on 4/10 for $7,500.
Considering the last updated date on the whois is 3/14, that indicates the domain has not transferred ownership yet and therefore probably has not even been paid for.
This was a private auction, so this person is basically frontrunning with someone’s domain. I assume if he can’t find a buyer he will not pay for the domain.
Brad
KD – Agreed, it’s also like selling ice to the Eskimo.
Brad – My thoughts exactly, and I’ll be checking to see whether this will get paid. The winner chased the reserve all on his own.
I just received a second email from “Edward Cena” regarding the same name. It is clearly a fake name. It is easy to find out the seller’s real name.
If this domain is not paid for, NameJet should be notified. Frontrunning is not acceptable and it is even worse when it is a private sale vs an expired auction.
Brad
I think they are sending exact same email to many domainers! My partners and me received the exact same email as well.
We hate them… They are wasting our time…
“It makes the domain industry look bad to outsiders. I hate domain sales spam.”
YES!
Brad – Correct, as far as I can see, there is no update to the domain’s WHOIS info, therefore it’s not paid for.
I’ve getting similiar ones for a while now from “Alex”
“Alex” is advising me that certain domain names are about to go to auction and provides me with a link to said auction (I think that’s what it is…never actually clicked on it). But the URLs are all weird like prague-afterdark.com; sexy-berlingermany.com; etc…
But the names that “Alex” is telling me about are names that I’ve dropped weeks, months even years ago
Great plan
I tried this when I first started and realized it was stupid.
Then went on to better business plans.
Yes these people are doing it on purpose and all they do is make people mad.
I think Toby Clements, if I spelled it right, has the correct method! And his domain email lists are good. I found a couple of domains through him. The rest are just pos.