Proactive Approach To Find Possible Buyers - DNForum - Domain Sales, Domain Forum, Domain Appraisals, Domain Registrars

**DomainOgre** · 05-19-2003, 04:14 AM

Would you be considered a cyber squatter if you contacted a company that might be interested in the name but do NOT have a trademark on it?

For example, would it be ok for me to contact a company that holds the .org, .info, and .us extensions of a name if I own the .net extension of a name?

That would appear to me to be the best way to get retail value for my names, instead of wholesale value here. Been somewhat shying away from being proactive like that since I want to avoid legal problems whenever possible

.

**2gajgops** · 05-19-2003, 07:13 AM

There is no perfect answer here. I am sure the lawyers here will tell you that just because a company doesn't have a "registered" TM, doesn't mean they don't have a trademark.

It comes down to a risk vs. reward scenario and you have to evaluate all the specific factors.

just a few:
1. Is the name generic or very specific to this company.
2. How many companies are using this name
3. Are there working sites at the web addresses? Is .com a different company than .org?
4. How big are the companies involved (how likely are they to crush me like a bug)
5. How much is the wholesale value of the name vs. retail?

Overall, I am more of a high risk person and if a name is in my opinion worth less than $100 wholesale and retail worth $250-??? then I actively look for retail buyers - with the down side being that I may have to forfeit or fight if challenged.

If the name is a high dollar wholesale name, I would sit back and wait for offers or sell wholesale. If you are getting names at reg fee, risking $9 for the possibility of a $500+ pay-off is a good bet.

It all depends on your risk personality. My opinion - go after the retail sale! The only way you will actually sell domains as anything more than a "break-even" hobby is to secure end user retail sales.

**DomainOgre** · 05-19-2003, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by 2gajgops
My opinion - go after the retail sale! The only way you will actually sell domains as anything more than a "break-even" hobby is to secure end user retail sales.

Thanks

. That is an excellent point that was proved well last night with the auction.

**domainduck** · 05-20-2003, 05:34 PM

When did this wholesale and retail separation come about?

If I sell to a reseller, then it's wholesale and if I sell to an end user, it's retail? Is that how it goes?

Then, any company can tell me they are a domain name reseller and I should respect the wholesale / retail concept.

Whether selling to a reseller or to an end user, I consider all domain name sales retail.

Register.com, Dotster.com or any other ICANN registrar who pays the wholesale price of $6.00 per year and then 'resells' at $7.95 or $14.95 or $35.00 or any other price is selling at retail.

Sure, we sell to a diferent market and at sometimes grossly inflated prices, but never-the-less, retail is retail.

This entire aftermarket wholesale / retail concept that you guyz have going on here will not be found in my domain name dictionary.

To answer the original question;

I am convinced that if an entity wants a domain name that you control and you have a sales page online, one that they will find when they type your domain name in their browser, you will be contacted. Period.

Proactively seeking buyers has proven for me a big waste of time - Face it, you are begging and most customers know it.

Maybe you can offer to sell at wholesale?

quack

**DomainOgre** · 05-20-2003, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by domainduck

I am convinced that if an entity wants a domain name that you control and you have a sales page online, one that they will find when they type your domain name in their browser, you will be contacted. Period.

Proactively seeking buyers has proven for me a big waste of time - Face it, you are begging and most customers know it.

I guess that is defintely better than having potential buyers look up the whois info for a domain, but is that is the best way to drive sales of domain names?

**2gajgops** · 05-20-2003, 06:39 PM

I guess DomainDuck has all the high profile one word type-in domains and can afford to sit back, look down his nose at other domainers, and wait for the offers. Most of us late comers into the market serve more niche needs and would never sell anything if we had to wait around for somebody to happen upon the name.

I can't believe there is some confusion about wholesale vs. retail in the domain market. If you sell to someone that is going to use it for his business address, it is retail. If you are going to pawn it off on another domainer so he can put up a different lame-*** sale page it is wholesale/reseller. They are betting they can turn the domain for a profit.

Obviously an end user is going to spend more.

Who decides if they are retail or reseller? The seller does and sets his price accordingly. Nobody forces you to take a "wholesale" price if you don't want to sell at wholesale.

Just as an example, I sell many names like this:

I find a popular XXX-YYY.com site.

Owner of XXX-YYY.com couldn't register XXXYYY.com because it wasn't available when they registered and had no clue about how to go about making an offer, or if they did DomainDuck told them 5k which they thought was crazy.

I see that XXXYYY.com comes available because DD couldn't afford to reg it again and nobody paid him his 5K

I register XXXYYY.com

I contact the owner of XXX-YYY.com and tell them I recently acquired this name for a project, but don't want people to get confused between our sites, or the capital venture money didn't come through etc. and that I am willing to sell for a small portion of it's value.

Owner offers me 1k since DD told him it was a 5K name.

Sale closed.
Thanks DD
QuackQuack

**domainduck** · 05-20-2003, 06:44 PM

Someone needs a nap.

**DomainOgre** · 05-20-2003, 07:41 PM

Thanks, that does sound more reasonable than sitting back and waiting.