Disputing Sedo auction on their performance failure - opinions appreciated

[Mark One]

Here's the jist...

After protracted negotiations with the buyer on a domain through Sedo it seemed undervalued so I took their final bid to a 7 day auction commencing 08/02 and ending 15/02 (winning bid more than $8.5k).

12/02 Mid auction - I received a request for information from a potential bidder through Sedo's message board system and I responded to this within minutes.

The auction closes on 15/02 and Sedo never get round to publishing my response and my 3 urgent requests to customer support go unanswered.

They finally do respond once the auction has closed, and in a subsequent telephone call, acknowledge my grounds for complaint and assure me that they will offer appropriate compensation once a manager returns from his holiday if I choose to proceed with the transfer.

26/02 I am notified that Sedo have received payment and are requesting the website assets from me. I respond that I will require a clear offer of compensation from sedo in regard to their failure to support the auction process before I do so.

They reply blaming it on "the back log to our customer service team" and inform me they are not prepared to consider compensation.

I answer that I expect them to, at least, waive their fees on this one and that I am prepared to honor the auction if they will take my complaint seriously - otherwise I will consider it invalid as a result of their failure to allow me to respond to a potential bidder.

I await a response.

 

[David G]

Seems like much of the problem here and with other Sedo complaints is due to them being closed weekends. Your initial Friday 2-12 communication was little doubt delayed until Monday due to that (Friday's are also bad days with many firms with the Fri work being delayed until Mon).

It is really surprising any internet firm who operates 24X7 on the web would be closed weekends, especially a big operation like Sedo. The least they can do would be to have a small staff there to handle important matters like yours.

I's very doubtful they will compensate you as I am sure they are fully covered in the small print and TOS.

 

[Mark One]

It was indeed the weekend and into the following monday - but if you're running a seven day auction that leaves your broker uncontactable for 4 days of it. Unacceptable in it's own right but being unable to respond to bidders' inquiries as a result a moderation system that does not appear to prioritize auction related activities is downright irresponsible.

My issue is also based on the dialogue I had with the agent during which my problem, and the associated paper trail, was considered and it was agreed that I did indeed have grounds for complaint. I submitted to proceed with the transfer process on this basis only to be dismissed cursoraly once the appropriate "director" had returned from a holiday and $8k of buyers funds were sitting in their account earning interest.