Some people just don't get it...

[Gerry]

I have a name, a very desirable name, that has gotten several offers on sedo and numerous via PM.

Today I get another email inquiring about the name.

Here is the conversation:


On 12/21/2010 1:10 PM, - wrote:


I notice that you are the registered owner of ---.com, I am interested in buying this domain, can you please tell me how much you’re asking for it?


Hi, -, and thank you for the inquiry.

I have had much interest (and offers) on this domain.

I will not consider opening negotiating for any less than mid to upper $xx,xxx.xx, although negotiations may go higher

Thank you for your interest.

Best Regards,

Gerry


Forgive my ignorance, but what does mid to upper $xx,xxx mean?



Basically, it is not cheap.

I am not interested in people offering 50 bucks or 200 bucks.

I have turned down offers in the $15K range.

I am looking for considerably more. Upper $xx,xxx.oo is upper 5 figures to 6 figures.

Gerry



Unfortunately that is in the wrong order of magnitude for me. The most I could spend on this domain would be $2,000. If your other offers fall through, then I could move extremely quickly on this.



Hi, -

If I am turning down $15,000.00, why would I accept your $2000 offer?

Those are deals that are not going to fall through because they were never accepted.

g

[CureCancer]

obviously he is a domainer....

[katherine]

Yes, I smell a domainer too

[Gerry]

He gave me his phone number, outside Los Angeles area code.

[Adam Dicker]

He gave me his phone number, outside Los Angeles area code.

Google the phone number and the name.

-=DCG=-

[Gerry]

Google the phone number and the name.

-=DCG=-

I already have.

[barefoot]

If you don't accept his $2,000 offer, I'll offer you $100. lol

[INFORG]

In fairness, many of us have purchased names for less than the "highest offer" that a domainer allegedly turned down. I know the $100 wannabe end user offers can be annoying, but an offer of 2K is at least a legitimate starting point and shows some seriousness. If it isn't enough, be polite and reject it. Maybe when he is flush with cash he'll come back to you. I just don't think denigrating potential buyers is very productive. As you can see from the appraisal threads, not everyone agrees on value and it doesn't necessarily make someone's offer ridiculous when they don't.

Oh yeah, it isn't me by the way

[David G]

Forgive my ignorance, but what does mid to upper $xx,xxx mean?

He sounds legit to me. Nothing too unusaul in not knowing what it means. I have found many people simply don't get it even if educated or executive types when it comes to terms we use commonly and are well known abbreviations. That's why you are better off if you spell things out at length when dealing with end-users.

[Gerry]

but an offer of 2K is at least a legitimate starting point and shows some seriousness.

Yes, $2K is a decent starting point, but NOT after I spelled things out and explained that I had turned down $15K.

And, based on the information I obtained, unquestionably knows the value as it perfectly describes the industry they are in as well as the industry of all of his competitors.

[INFORG]

and explained that I had turned down $15K.

Do you really expect a potential customer to just take you at your word on that? Any normal business person is going to ignore that as bargaining bluster - unprovable and irrelevant.
He is trying to get you to put up a solid number before he even begins negotiating. The 2K is just to alert you to his legitimacy. Ignore/aggravate this guy at your own peril/loss.

I negotiate for a living, and my instincts tell me this guy is legit and will go higher if you give him something to work with. Personally, I would counter with a solid number, for argument's sake, lets call it 35,000 and I would politely explain that we are pretty far apart and I understand if that is out of his price range. It's a fantastic name and business opportunity, and I have quite an investment in it already, blah, blah

[DomainsInc]

its not just domainers who don't get it. i recently had a company who just built a 17 million dollar factory but couldn't shell out a few thousand for a domain and had an 'end user' reduce his offer as negociations went on.

[Gerry]

Do you really expect a potential customer to just take you at your word on that?

He's already emailed me back.