I get a lot of inquiries related to selling domain portfolios. My domain activity is 80% selling and 20% acquisitions. Therefore, I’m always looking for quality domains to be offered and I do buy based on the quality and potential of these domain names.
That being said, I detest people emailing me using made up names.
Signing your email pitch with a name like “William Smith” for example, when the domain itself is registered to a guy in Pakistan named Pervaiz.
I’m aware of the trend for outsourced personnel to use Western names and surnames when acting as support for US companies, but when you’re trying to sell your domain in this manner it does not cut it for me.
Also, a company from Eastern Europe believes it’s “sexy” to email domainers with a link to its portfolio, consisting of low quality .me domains and other “domain hacks”, using a female name who apologizes for having gone on a “sabbatical”. That person also has a page with a photo and various contact links; only she’s a figment of the company owner’s imagination.
Long story short: when emailing me, using your real info if you really want a response.
I am curious to know what kind of domains you are looking to buy. Any specific vertical? TLDs? Price Range?
This is a personal pet peeve of mine as well. I used to run into it all the time when I was involved with virtual world development – everyone wanted to try to do real business using the name of their avatar only. No go. I understand the need for some secrecy for strategic business purposes, but there must be some base level of transparency. To get caught in a lie right off the bat usually means you won’t get a response from me at all.
Sarah – Looking for domains that are generic, aged, dictionary words or two word dot com compounds. More info here: http://acro.net/blog/domains/my-domain-valuation-methodology-part-1-as-a-buyer/
Tony – Thank you for the insight. I don’t mind the “avatar” approach, I just don’t appreciate the use of fake names.
Agreed. It’s also ridiculous when absolutely no contact information is provided besides a long goofy looking Gmail address and the sales pitch looks like it was written by an eight year old.
If you are emailing another domain investor just send the list of domains with one or two sentences and forget the elaborate pitch that includes goofy infomercial type phrases like:
This domain can be yours for ONLY $xxxx…
Now available for the low, low price of…
This super premium SEO (hand registered last night) domain can be yours for just…
Diamond.com sold for over 7 million and buyadiamondatbobshouse.com is available for only $700…
Time is approaching for id-ea-s.com, now is your final opportunity to lock in a deal…
Ian – Thanks for the laugh, that’s exactly what most domains circulated via email look like. 😀
Most of these names are registered via dynadot, same company or people out of india doing this.
Not sure how anyone would make payment to one given name, when another is quoted in the email.
Only way these people will stop is if their accounts are frozen, and names seized.
They are in violation of the canspam act, and scrapping whois data to send mass spam.
Dynadot wake up!
Ron – Beyond the point of spam, the mismatch in seller/owner is the real issue here.
When “Gloria Sexyblonde” sells the domain that in fact belongs to an Estonian domainer, I don’t want to deal with them.
Agreed, but they think what they are doing is absolutely brilliant, they haven’t a clue, if they can sit there and send 1000 spams, and make $100 in a day, they think they hit the lotto.
It is all related, sending of these stupid domains, with even worse names, nothing is credible, the whole thing needs to be shut down. I think registars have to seize domains, and accounts.
Ron – At least, I can deal with a person’s crappy domains and spam, when they have the @@ to use their real name.
Agree that people have to use their real name for selling but in this case, why people would reveal their real name if they don’t even know what is yours?
Lineekse – Then in this case they’d better not contact me as I don’t need the spam. Simple, no?
I was contacted by a Kevin McReed today. His real name is Prakhar Agrawal from India and he is selling DomainBang.com. 🙂