NameJet, Flippa and Sedo : One necessary improvement in common

As an active domain investor, I utilize most major platforms to acquire or sell domain names.

Such venues include Sedo – currently buying only – Flippa, and NameJet.

Each domain venue has a distinct method of managing domain auctions, and each one has its advantages and disadvantages.

With the proliferation of new gTLD domains, there is a common issue that all three share, which clearly needs to be addressed.

I covered the issue of renewal price for premium gTLD domains as it applies to registrar transfers. For the most part, Registries such as Donuts, keep renewal prices the same; however, many domains that were acquired early on bear a premium renewal price.

Whether that price is $40 or $400 is irrelevant; what matters is the ability to view that price, at the current registrar, right on the domain auction listing at Flippa, NameJet or Sedo.

I often place bids ‘on impulse’, and such information is very important to know in advance, particularly when an auction might end in hours or even minutes.

There is just not enough time to contact the domain owner with an inquiry, not to mention that there should not be a need to disclose one’s interest in a public auction.

Therefore, domain auction venues such as Sedo, NameJet and Flippa, should make the disclosure of renewal costs a mandatory field within the seller’s listings.

It helps disclose the annual cost up front, and allows bidders to take that cost into account when placing a bid.