Buying and selling on SEDO sucks!

[DigiNames]

I am completely frustrated with Sedo. I plan on canceling my account and dealing exclusively on DNForum and other industry forums...(I have had many negative experiences on Afternic as well...)

First off, I have been on Sedo for 3 years or so, and I have been an active seller and buyer. I have attempted 13 transactions on the site, and ultimately I have only been able to complete 7 deals. The other 6 transactions were cancelled by Sedo. Each attempted transaction was in the $60-$XXXX range.

Each transaction that was cancelled when I was the seller was because the buyer didn't pay or was not actually who they said they were. Each transaction that was cancelled when I was the Buyer was because the seller did not actually own the domain name listed (although I had already sent payment for the name before I became aware.)

This is completely UNACCEPTABLE. I refuse to use a service that fails over 45% of the time! The Sedo "marketplace" is essentially a joke. (I have had 100% success buying and selling on DNForum, and I have done just as much business on this site.)

Now, please understand that I am not going to level criticism without offering my own suggestions for the site to pull it's self together...

1. Sedo needs to verify ownership of domains as they are listed...(Sure they have 6 million listed, but what if most are not actually listed by the true owners?)

It seems like they already do this to some extent. I have listed names with there service and they were delayed for a couple of days when they had a question of ownership. I don't understand- when I bid on a name that's whois info is in the USA, and the person listing it on Sedo is in Argentina, why do they even let them list it, let alone have me pay for it and string me along for 7 days+? It is through escrow, so I don't lose my money, but what about all of my time and energy spent to secure the name. I never get it back.

2. They need to verify bidders. Bidders must enter credit card information and have a "test hold" placed on there account for a dollar, just to test that the card is valid. Once they win, the total amount could be charged to the card. Also, the card information must match their address information provided.

3. The Sedo site should indicate the buyer or seller's country. I would like it if I could select to deal with people in the US, Canada, and England. No offense meant to those in other countries, but every single one of my failed transactions came from a person in some different country. I just don't have the time or the patience, and there is no legal recourse if someone breaks the "contract" that we have entered.

Also I can compare the seller's country with the one listed on the whois information. Each of my failed buying attempts happened when the person listing the name wasn't even in the same country as the person that actually owns the name.

Just some of my feelings about Sedo, and I would be interested to hear the thoughts of others... On the upside, I have been able to acquire a couple of names for quite a bit below market value on Sedo, but it just doesn't seem worth it to me any more. I guess I am just done with them...

Anybody else have feelings about the Sedo site? (I know...I am just begging for a response from the Mocus guys , I swear I will check it out...)

Thank you for letting me vent.

 

[Theo]

I understand your frustration as there is room for improvement there. In several dozen transactions I only had 1 deadbeat buyer and one deal that made it through five weeks past the date of agreement. However, I feel safe with Sedo's escrow service. The 10% fee is rather steep; I utilize Escrow.com when possible. Sedo's people also are very professional when you engage in phone conversations - a necessity, or things might move slower if both buyer and seller are not equally commited to complete a transaction fast enough.

 

[Raider]

I was frustrated too with there selling feature, so much that I did a bulk edit on all my domains and removed the For Sale feature, if someone really wants my domain, let them contact me using whois....I'm in no hurry to sell.

 

[Theo]

I treat each offer made through Sedo as an attempt by the buyer to reach a deal anonymously and below market value. Of course I respond with my sales price after I do some research; my names are generic enough to appeal to many industries.

 

[smashfactory]

I was frustrated too with there selling feature, so much that I did a bulk edit on all my domains and removed the For Sale feature, if someone really wants my domain, let them contact me using whois....I'm in no hurry to sell.

i do that to when buying- seeing if the whois info is avail before i go thru sedo- much faster to sell off sedo if possible and save the 10% and the aggrivation-

 

[AlienGG]

I just sold 2 domains recently. I emailed Steve several times but have not heard back from him yet. Are they still moving?

 

[h3rm4w4n]

<no promtions allowed>

 

[AlienGG]

i'm gonna list insurance.com lol.

 

[Thomas Nash]

yeh sedo do 'verify' bidders at the moment but you can just text them saying your that person, I dont see why they go through the trouble, all it proves is you have a mobile phone.

 

[petrosc]

i think sedo is seriously understaffed. The time it takes support to reply or the transfer agents to complete a transaction is unacceptable

 

[dnk]

They take a long time to reply to emails and I don't think they are interested in low value deals.

 

[Raider]

I agree with Petrosc, they maybe understaffed, I also think some reps keep a cleaner desk than others, some keep up with answering emails and solving problems, and some lag behind, not answering emails and eventually deleting the ones they dont get to with a acceptable time period.

 

[Gerry]

I did a bulk edit on all my domains and removed the For Sale feature, if someone really wants my domain, let them contact me using whois....I'm in no hurry to sell.

Sounds like a good plan.

 

[riya_senk]

I paid first $9 and then $39 to promote my domain but it never comes on category listing or featured listing. I mailed them so many times but never got any single reply.

 

[smashfactory]

your name does not show consistantly in the featured area- if it is not on the front page it is supposed to be on the list page- i had to send screen shots of mine to get a refund because they said it was showing, and i proved it wasnt- i did get my refund-

 

[Rockefeller]

i think sedo is seriously understaffed. The time it takes support to reply or the transfer agents to complete a transaction is unacceptable

And its always 1 of 3 transfer agents. What do they get paid anyway?

 

[IDEAS4]

Why spend $$ promoting domains you're selling? - I figure if the name is good enough, the buyer will find me. The "promotion" is just a revenue stream for SEDO, nothing more.

I have sold about 10 names through them and used to have a hard time closing deal - so I started yelling to my rep - and now the process goes pretty smoothly - nothing for sale under $500 - and mostly in the x,xxx range.

 

[domokun]

i think sedo is seriously understaffed. The time it takes support to reply or the transfer agents to complete a transaction is unacceptable

Couldnt agree more. I was parking my dozen or so domain names (hey, Im new!) but, for some reason, over half were saying that they weren't parked correctly so I emailed them. Two weeks later I decided to cut my losses and host all the domains myself.
They finally got in touch a few dyas after I moved all of my domains. Terrible customer service.

I've just listed a domain for sale with them to give them one final try; wish Id read this thread first!

 

[dnk]

After the auction for 3 of my domains ended, I feel they do not care for low value transactions.

 

[chois]

i think sedo is seriously understaffed. The time it takes support to reply or the transfer agents to complete a transaction is unacceptable

Yes, they are understaffed. I heard it from sedo staff.

They take a long time to reply to emails and I don't think they are interested in low value deals.

You are lucky if you ever received a reply...