Unsolicited domain offers - need advice!

[stockshark]

Hey all, need some advice here....

There's a domain that I really really really want which is not listed for sale. The domain is not developed (and it never has been) and it's parked. Although I know the domain gets some type-in traffic, it is low paying click keywords, so I can't imagine the owner is making more than $50 a month through PPC if he's lucky. Anyway I got the owner email from the whois database and about 5 days ago emailed an unsolicited offer in the low $xx,xxx range, which I think is good enough to at least make someone take notice. However, i've had no response. :disappointed:

So what do I do now? Should I call? Has anyone been in this situation? I want this domain so bad for an idea I want to develop (it has to be this domain) but I have no way of knowing if they check their email or even if it's a good email address anymore. Has this happened to anyone before (either making unsolicited offers or receiving them). Personally, if someone made me a low $xx,xxx offer on one of my domains, even if it was not even close to what I wanted, I would at least give the courtesy of a "no thanks"....

 

[Bill Roy]

Remember we are now in the holiday season!

I personally would call the owner, that way you may find that the owner has simply changed to using a different email or that your email has been filtered out for some reason. The worst that could happen is that they ask for a million or say they are not willing to sell, but at least then you will know where you stand.

Good luck, hope it all works out for you.

 

[RustyK]

I agree with Bill. Give'em a call

 

[stockshark]

Thanks guys. I think i'll wait a few more days just in case they've been busy or are maybe mulling it over. My fear is that they will want a million dollars or won't sell.... since I am even willing to overpay for the domain just to get it. Ugh, that's the worst part of being a domainer is not being able to get the domain you want for any price at all!

 

[melmunch]

I would do some more research, try to see what other names he owns, if he lives in an expensive neighborhood, if he runs any other websites, etc...
Sometimes, the info you turn up helps make the purchase.

 

[Theo]

What do you have to lose? Make your best offer. Be direct.

 

[Dale Hubbard]

I'd do as Bill says and call him. But I think your starting price is way too high! Why would you want to start a dialogue at xx,xxx? Start at a grand and see how the conversation develops. But this is definitely a deal for the telephone and not email IMHO.

 

[Thomas Nash]

Yes, I have found the phone far more successful in unsolicited offers in the past. I think its because they can't just go back to their inbox and forget about it because your their on the phone. Also, negotiation is far more effective when you can use you voice and not just words.

Definitely phone him.

 

[mulligan]

Some people don't want to sell their domains .. at any price

 

[Dale Hubbard]

Some people don't want to sell their domains .. at any price

Well indeed; however if my site was earning peanuts on parking and I had a xx,xxx offer drop in my lap, I'd be 'all ears'.

 

[stockshark]

I'd do as Bill says and call him. But I think your starting price is way too high! Why would you want to start a dialogue at xx,xxx? Start at a grand and see how the conversation develops. But this is definitely a deal for the telephone and not email IMHO.

The reason I started at low xx,xxx is because it's a generic, two-word dot com and I have a general idea of what it's worth, and I have no problem paying that price. I guess this was my way of saying "I am a serious buyer dude, let's talk".

I really want this domain bad enough that I decided rather than dick around with lowballing (which might start us off on a bad foot), I would rather make a decent market offer that would at least make someone take notice. I know when I get lowball offers on my domains I don't even want to respond, because in just about every case it's a waste of time. I want this guy to feel like if he is willing to sell, I am going to make it worth his while. Hopefully that makes sense....

Some people don't want to sell their domains .. at any price

This is true and it's also sad in some cases. You have a great domain that isn't developed sitting there collecting dust (and low PPC earnings) when as a developed site it could be something really great if done right. I don't understand people who would rather just let those domains sit there and rot.

 

[Onward]

The owner may never have received your message as it went directly into a spam folder...

I get e-mail offers all the time that go to my spam folder...I did not know this until one day I happened to sift through all of my spam before deleting it...I found about 12 different inquiries on domains.

I would call the individual. You are making a serious offer...no need to work behind an e-mail.

 

[stockshark]

Ok well I finally broke down and called the phone number listed in whois. Nobody answered and it went to voicemail (which is totally generic and had the default greeting... "you have reached phone number blah blah blah please leave a message", so there's no company name or anything. I really hope this is the current number for them, and even better that they return my call. If all else fails, maybe i'll have to send a snail mail offer to their business address in whois if they don't respond....

 

[Dale Hubbard]

I STILL suggest: Start at $1000. Going in at xx,xxx is lunacy IMHO.

 

[Onward]

I STILL suggest: Start at $1000. Going in at xx,xxx is lunacy IMHO.

The premise of what Azooza is saying is really good advice as well...I may think about starting at 5K though. 5k is not a scewball offer and a decent starting place for a low to mid xx,xxx name.

If you start in the low xx,xxx look out...be prepared for 50k+

 

[stockshark]

I understand what you guys are saying, and I probably jumped the gun just because I want the domain. I've found that buying domains can sometimes be like buying a house.... there's an emotional element involved in that when people see something with potential and they start dreaming of ideas for everything they can do, they can get excited and that comes through in their offers. I also trade stocks so I know all about leaving your emotions at the door and treating it like a business. But I am also human

Anyway the way this is going it may not matter what I offered, since I am getting no response at all from the owner. Maybe they're dead and I have to wait for it to expire and drop.

 

[petrosc]

when making a first offer, it's common practice to send a much lower offer than our maximum price, so if this guy is a domainer or is in any trading business he will take your offer as a starting point and will counter you with 2-3x as much. Then you'll have a hard time getting it at low xx,xxx if this really is your maximum. This is why Dale said start at $1,000 , be able to negotiate his counter offer. If he responds "no, thanks", ask him what is the point where he would start considering offers. By asking for the point of consideration instead of a solid price, you usually get more reasonable responses and they will most likely sell it at the price that they give you, even though they said that they will start considering at that price.

Of course this is not always the case. I sometimes make it very clear that in the sake of saving us from the frustrating process of exchanging offers and counter offer emails back and forth and tell him that I will be honest with him and give him my true maximum. They sometimes accept it because if they want to sell then they know that they cant degotiate and they have to accept, since you made it clear that you have no more money to pay for it. Do this however only with domains you don't desperately want

Also be prepared for crazy counter offers. I had one case where I offered $7k for a ccTLD(it was a .sk) and the guy countered with $200k(as he said, that was the point where he would start considering).

Also, there are people in this forum who are very experienced in negotiating a price, professional brokers. I can recommend one experienced member from here, DomainBuyerBroker, you can hire him to get the name for you and you can be sure that he will try to get it for the lowest price possible because the less it costs, the more commission he gets, so it's a win win for both broker and buyer. Since you have already contacted that person with your max offer however, i dont know if there is much he can do, have that in mind for your next domain acquisitions.