Paid forum membership concerns?

[adoptabledomains]

Questions about what I see as flaws in the membership scenarios:

Silver Plan:
- Free!
- Ability to browse the forums

Does this mean that you have to be at least a gold member to POST a reply to a sale post or PM an offer to a seller? Wouldn't that somewhat limit the potential of buyers to contact sellers to buy?

Gold Plan:
- Annual membership fee of $14.95
- All the features included in the Silver Plan.
- Ability to post to the forums.
- Ability to create threads in all forums except the advertising section and the Platinum private forum.
- Ability to send private messages.
- Ability to attend and bid in the live auctions.
- Ability to use the DNForum chat room.
Note: Gold members can not create threads in the advertising section.

So, a member lower than Gold cannot attend and bid on auctions? This limits the potential buyers making auctions and paid membership less valuable.

Platinum Plan:
- Annual membership fee of $49.95
- All the features of the Gold Plan.
- Ability to list domains for auctions.
- Ability to create threads in the advertising section. (Guests (unregistered) can view all of the advertising section of the forums.)
- Access to a Platinum member only forum.
- Ability to have links, colors and size control in your forum signature.
- Get 5 free guest passes for 2 weeks of Gold membership each.
- Heavily Discounted SnapBacks® (available shortly)
- 800 DNF$ Bonus Now through March 12, 2003

So, guests can see sales, but have to pay $14.95 for a gold membership to reply by post or PM to buy or ask a question? Isn't this what killed the old Aftnernic?

I would likely buy the Platinim membership if I knew that potential buyers weren't going to be discouraged by required membership to interact and BUY in sales or auctions.

How about eliminating popup ads for platinum members? I despise getting popup/under ads in something I'm paying for.

Still waiting and watching the membership system evolve. I know this whole membership has had revisions, correct me if any of these observations are wrong in the way I read them.

[adoptabledomains]

Well...I went ahead and upgraded anyway, but still think the issues addressed above need some consideration.

[Mr Webname]

Before the new rules came into effect I had defaulters in the auction (they didn't pay).
All I've had since is people pay for the name but not collect it!

[Banned: CoolHost.com]

Originally posted by Mr Webname
Before the new rules came into effect I had defaulters in the auction (they didn't pay).

All I've had since is people pay for the name but not collect it!

Diddo! I don't get it, either.
PS. I think we had the same "buyer" on one occasion, MrWebname.
Good Luck with everything, see you tom'w p.m.

[GiantDomains]

Originally posted by Mr Webname
...All I've had since is people pay for the name but not collect it!

Geez, me 3.

I sold a domain, but the buyer has yet to accept the goddaddy owner transfer. I tried multiple PM, email, etc...

Oh well?! I will keep trying! Strange.

[ClassicNames.com]

Originally posted by Mr Webname
All I've had since is people pay for the name but not collect it! [/B]

Me 4. I sold a name about a month ago on the forum-- godaddy push, and the customer still has not accepted it and I have seen it for sale 2 weeks later. They will be in for a little surprise.

[Banned: CoolHost.com]

Ouch. Trying to figure out why they'd pay for domains, and then not accept them ... as mentioned, I got a few of these myself, and it's driving me n-u-t-s!! Please post here if this has been happening with you, as well.
Thanks.

[adoptabledomains]

Originally posted by CoolHost.com
Ouch. Trying to figure out why they'd pay for domains, and then not accept them ... as mentioned, I got a few of these myself, and it's driving me n-u-t-s!! Please post here if this has been happening with you, as well.
Thanks.

Probably depends on the price, but in a live auction, some people make make a spur-of-the-moment decisions they regretted later, or didn't like the registrar they found it was with, or reevaluated the true cost of purchase and possible renewal.

I myself bid on a domain way back and was unable to get it transferred out of the registrar due to a 30 day pre-expire transfer limitation there. The domain was worth the couple dollars I bid, but not a $25 renewal fee or a horrendous $199 last 30 day quick transfer fee reminiscent of Verislime rules. In my case the seller gratiously refunded my money and we both let it expire.

[oohdale]

Sounds strange to me too, but from what I have been thru these past weeks, I can almost believe anything anymore. Cyberspace is crazy sometimes. I got to be in my first live auction tonight and it was a crazy fast paced ordeal. My IE6 Browser would not let me bid. So I closed it out and opened the Butterfly Microsoft Browser which I had to download just to use the Prize Machine on iwon.com last week. Anyway the auction was a mixed affair for me. I bid on two names and I ended up with 4 names, I still do not know how all this happened but it did. Maybe this person you all are talking about is new or maybe he forgot his passwords or maybe he/she are just pros and they are working off your money. Or maybe they are crooks, either way at least you have a way out. You can still keep your good name. I got folks thinking I am a nutt. Now all I get to do is email folks and plead my case about this delima I am in. If there is a way to help you guys out I will help you to find a way to get your sales to go thru. Because I know the feeling that I got when people started to email me about my new acquired names and I said " Say what" so maybe they are so new that they are still tring to find a way out of their new found deal too. Just a thought is all. IMHO of course. I figure it this way, if they already paid then they are so new that they are still tring to figure out their new Win Xp or wondering how to copy and paste. I had to learn to do all this myself at the age of 49 and now I am 53 and still I make mistakes. Later and Happy Domaining.

[Ed30]

Originally posted by Mr Webname

All I've had since is people pay for the name but not collect it!

Me too.

[Banned: CoolHost.com]

Could be, adoptabledomains ... thanks! :swg:

[oohdale]

Originally posted by CoolHost.com
Could be, adoptabledomains ... thanks! :swg:

Nice Signature Slick ! I like where it takes me. Another great Perk, Huh?

[Banned: CoolHost.com]

Thanks. I worked hard on it. LOL.
See you.