Domaining - Expired Domain Names - Expiring Domain Names » auctions

The Hidden Cost Behind Domain Name Portfolios

Simon — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:21:10 +0000

A few weeks ago I received an email from someone who had a large portfolio of domain names for sale. This isn’t unusual, but what can be frustrating is seeing the same mistakes and unrealistic expectations, over and over again.

Consequently, I thought there are some interesting lessons for newcomers to the domaining industry, so I thought I’d share them. For confidentiality reasons I’m not going to reveal any information that could identify the seller or their domains. I have also “rounded out” the numbers below:

Parking Revenue: US$3993 per month
Price: 20 months parking revenue

The knee-jerk reaction for many people will be “$4k a month of parking revenue” is pretty good. From my perspective, it was “What’s the COST to me to keep this portfolio going?” After reviewing the documentation, I saw there were 3,300 domains. Of course, what was omitted from the documents was the COST to renew these domains. I know from experience, it costs about $17 per year for EACH of these domain names (they are ccTLDs). So you do the math…

Registration Fees: $56,200 per year
Parking Income: $47,916 per year
LOSS: -$8,284

Doesn’t look so good anymore does it? Now that is assuming that you are buying the portfolio for parking (not development or splitting it up for domain sales etc..).

The reason I’m pointing this out, is that there are many domains for sale at the moment and many newcomers (both investors and bloggers) to the industry.

If you are just starting out, domain investing can be time consuming and hard work. Don’t fall into the trap of buying up big straight away, you will almost certainly lose your $$$.

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Generic & Keyword Auction – Domains Up To $36.65 A Click!

Simon — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:19:00 +0000

Just awhile ago I just received an email from the guys at Oversee regarding the Snapnames auction at Domainer Mardi Gras.

At first I thought….I’m already overloaded with conferences and auctions … do I really have the time to look at this? Honestly …. I couldn’t resist sneaking a peak and I’m glad I did. Why? Because these names are actually a lot better than some of the domains put up for auction recently.

Take a look at these .coms:

DatingOnline
DiscountDrugstore
OnlineDiscounts
DomainStats
HomeRefinancing
DownloadSoftware
CleanMyCredit
SpamProof
Lawsuits
ChocolateBars
OrganicFoodStores
ForexInvestments
Manufactures
PokerLessons
PublicGolfCourses
PorterhouseSteaks
Toasts
ActingLessons
SaturdayNight
SilverEarrings
WoodShutters

Not bad eh?

So, let me save you some time right now…. Home Refinancing gets $36.65 a CLICK! HELLO!!!!! Download Software gets $1.11 per click and has a local search volume in the USA of 6,120,000 EXACT matches !! Dating Online is another one at $4.73 a click with 22,200 EXACT matches.

You can bid online for these right now! Best of luck.

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Latona Auction Stops At TRAFFIC Las Vegas

Simon — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:53:02 +0000

About an hour ago I received this email (below) from Latonas.

Having seen first hand, the “technical difficulties”, it was the right decision. The auction platform just wasn’t working and there was no real way for online bidders to participate effectively.

This isn’t that unusual for a TRAFFIC auction; you might recall that TRAFFIC DownUnder experienced a similar (but minor) outage.

—-

Due to technical difficulties, we made the difficult decision to pause the auction and restart it tomorrow on Proxibid.com/ricklatona. The new time will be 10:00 am Pacific on Saturday morning. That’s 1:00 pm on the East Coast or 19:00 central European time.

After hundreds of hours of testing our system, it broke. I don’t know what caused it but I promise that I will find out!

I feel just terrible about it and personally responsible. I sincerely apologize to everyone.

I really think stopping the auction when I did was the right thing to do. I just couldn’t let it continue without people having the ability to bid online.

The lots that sold before I paused the auction are going to stay sold. We are starting from where we stopped. Therefore, this will be the lot order:

340   RealEstate.co.za   30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
350   Stutter.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
355   HN.ca   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
360   GolfClothing.com   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
370   FloorDisplays.com   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
375   W9.ca   1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
380   BookBetting.com   300 USD to 400 USD
390   GamblingTours.com   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
395   ItsComplicated.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
400   Boston.mx   300 USD to 400 USD
410   WFH.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
420   LasVegasGuides.com   3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
425   NaturalMeat.com   1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
430   Meagan.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
440   FreshVegetables.com   3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
450   Suffocate.com   3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
455   LosAngelesPersonals.com   1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
460   FishingSeason.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
470   Forex.ws   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
475   LasVegasInsurance.com   1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
480   Meetings.com   200,000 USD to 250,000 USD
490   Divorce.mx   300 USD to 400 USD
500   DogFigurines.com   300 USD to 400 USD
510   TaxFilingOnline.com   300 USD to 400 USD
520   ORN.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
525   MensSuits.com   30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
530   Sisco.com   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
540   Squads.com   3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
550   TempLabor.com   3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
555   LGY.com   4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
560   CarStereos.com   150,000 USD to 200,000 USD
570   FiveCard.com and 5Card.com   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
575   YGA.com   4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
580   LaptopReviews.com   30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
590   Lemons.com   30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
600   Decatur.net   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
610   Pizza.us (website included)   30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
620   CatFood.com   50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
625   Jchat.com   30,000 uSD to 40,000 USD
630   BO.net   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
640   Dietfood.com   40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
650   Portland.org   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
655   Drun.com   500 USD to 750 USD
660   CardExpert.com   500 USD to 750 USD
670   UFT.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
675   LivePersons.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
680   JV.net   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
690   Gels.com   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
700   MotorcycleHelmets.com   50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
710   eProfits.com   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
720   Sandra.net   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
725   VoiceOverIP.com   75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
730   CPAParking.com   3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
740   LasVegasBlackjackTournaments.com   300 USD to 400 USD
750   BabyFood.com   100,000 USD to 150,000 USD
755   BroadwayShows.com   800,000 USD to 1,000,000 USD
760   Consequences.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
770   SeniorCitizens.com   75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
780   FreePorn.co.uk   75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
790   Elizabeth.net   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
800   CamSex.com, CamSex.name, CamSex.mobi, CamSex.biz   250,000 USD to 300,000 USD
810   Sentimental.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
820   Joan.net   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
830   Wine.us   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
840   Washington.biz   3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
850   Gadsden.com   30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
860   DogRace.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
870   DrumStools.com   750 USD to 1,000 USD
880   RunningBack.com   500 USD to 750 USD
890   Teen.ca   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
900   AllenPark.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
910   Dietician.com   40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
920   Savvy.com   75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
930   LongIsland.com   undisclosed reserve
940   Copyrighted.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
950   ImportedWines.com   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
960   Avatars.com   400,000 USD to 500,000 USD
970   Houston.mx   300 USD to 400 USD
980   Illusionist.com   30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
990   Kathryn.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1000   MovieTheaterFurniture.com   300 USD to 400 USD
1010   RushJob.com   4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
1020   Scripture.com   100,000 USD to 150,000 USD
1025   TarjetasdeCrédito.com (IDN) CreditCards.com In Spanish   50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1026   TarjetadeCrédito.com (IDN) CreditCard.com In Spanish   50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1030   Veggies.com   50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1040   HuntingLicenses.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1050   HuntingSeason.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1060   ZR.com   75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
1070   eWagers.com   500 USD to 750 USD
1080   Dough.com   100,000 USD to 150,000 USD
1090   Deliver.ca   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1100   Zoom.ca   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1110   Murrieta.com   30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
1120   HouseBuyers.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1130   HouseBuyer.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1140   AntiqueMotorcycles.com   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1150   CEORecruiters.com   750 USD to 1,000 USD
1160   AdMetrics.com and AdMetrix.com Portfolio Lot includes: AdMetrics.com | .net | .org | .co.uk | .eu | .ws | .biz   75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
1170   WCX.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1180   AEIOU.com   40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
1190   eTeen.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1200   Smelly.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1210   FileHost.com   50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1220   EstateAppraisers.com   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1230   N.co.za   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1240   Schizophreniac.com   1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
1250   Treinta.com   4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
1260   Avengers.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1270   Astronauts.com   40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
1280   DryRoastedPeanuts.com   1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
1290   SkinnyPill.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1300   StampCollectors.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1310   Menos.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1320   TheAmazon.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1330   CoolShirts.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1340   Patty.net   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1350   SecondLanguage.com   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1360   POS.com   500,000 USD to 600,000 USD
1370   Fly.co.za   50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1380   GoToHell.com   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1390   Handicap.com   75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
1400   BF.com   300,000 USD to 400,000 USD
1410   GoldMines.com   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1420   DMCA.com   50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1430   DudleyEngland.com   300 USD to 400 USD
1440   Antihistamine.com and Antihistimine.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1450   Consensual.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1460   Interning.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1470   Automating.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1480   Hear.com   100,000 USD to 150,000 USD
1490   LowCarb.net   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1500   Order.net   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1510   TanningEquipment.com   300 USD to 400 USD
1520   Aristocracy.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1530   InternationalBanking.com   30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
1540   Suer.com   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1550   Thrilled.com   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1560   CoverBet.com   300 USD to 400 USD
1570   RagsToRiches.com   40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
1580   Actresses.com   40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
1590   CityZoo.com   3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
1600   SecondJobs.com   30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
1610   Blackjackers.com   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1620   FreshGeorgiaPeaches.com   300 USD to 400 USD
1630   eClassicCars.com   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1640   Banquets.com   50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1650   CasinoStyleGames.com   300 USD to 400 USD
1660   MuscleTension.com   1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
1670   Parables.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1680   TaxInformation.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1690   BasketballPlayers.com   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1700   Purchased.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1710   PayOffBills.com   1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
1720   Otologist.com   4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
1730   Buttercup.com   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1740   Divider.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1750   Beverage.com   75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
1760   500.fr   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1770   LesHommes.fr   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1780   LesFemmes.fr   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1790   NDL.es   1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
1800   BVP.ca   500 USD to 750 USD
1810   LKB.ca   500 USD to 750 USD
1820   Paged.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1830   Vegas.cm   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1840   BlackDeath.com   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1850   Wrestlers.com   40,000 USD to 50,000 USD
1860   HYB.com   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
1870   ImmigrationService.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1880   Reducing.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1890   Clarinet.com   50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
1900   Inhibitors.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1910   Crises.com   4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
1920   SportsPhotography.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
1930   FamilyStress.com   4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
1940   SeasonPasses.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1950   Duplicity.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
1960   Selma.com   75,000 USD to 100,000 USD
1970   Hoodwink.com   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
1980   Rent.mx   300 USD to 400 USD
1990   ASP.com   500,000 USD to 600,000 USD
2000   SaltedPeanuts.com   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2020   ConsultingFirms.com   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
2030   ASP.mx   300 USD to 400 USD
2040   USBMemoryStick.com   500 USD to 750 USD
2050   Ceremony.com   50,000 USD to 75,000 USD
2060   Enlargements.com   30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
2070   CreditCardBilling.com   4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2080   Printed.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
2090   DataTransfers.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2100   Hexes.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2110   Offshore.info   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2120   Hell.com   600,000 USD to 700,000 USD
2130   BeautyQueen.com   30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
2140   EGY.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
2150   Errol.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2160   FreeWallpapers.net   4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2170   SoftwareDesigners.com   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
2180   Gambling.gr   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
2190   Blessing.com   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
2200   FaceValue.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
2210   Laid.com   250,000 USD to 300,000 USD
2220   BellyRing.com   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD
2230   RVP.net   750 USD to 1,000 USD
2240   CustomerService.com   undisclosed reserve
2250   Benchmarks.com   200,000 USD to 250,000 USD
2260   Descarga.com   700,000 USD to 800,000 USD
2270   Fifths.com   4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2280   Homeowner.com   150,000 USD to 200,000 USD
2290   Meg.net   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2300   CertifiedHomeInspectors.com   4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2310   iCommemorate.com   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2320   Cognac.cm   1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
2330   STX.net   1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
2340   Romance.com   undisclosed reserve
2350   DVDDrive.com   3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
2360   DVDDrives.com   3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
2370   WirelessAdapter.com   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2380   SafePC.com   3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
2555   Chandeliers.net   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2565   DogFood.net   4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2575   FurCoats.net   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2585   MinkCoats.net   1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
2380   SafePC.com   3,000 USD to 4,000 USD
2555   Chandeliers.net   5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
2565   DogFood.net   4,000 USD to 5,000 USD
2575   FurCoats.net   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2585   MinkCoats.net   1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
2605   Interacts.com   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2615   WineRooms.com   2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
2625   InternetServiceProviders.com   30,000 USD to 40,000 USD
2635   WrappingPaper.com   20,000 USD to 30,000 USD
2655   EG.ca   10,000 USD to 20,000 USD

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[LIVE] Auction Results From TRAFFIC Las Vegas

Simon — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:17:03 +0000

Latonas auction at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Las Vegas got off to a very rocky start. The online bidding system wasn’t working properly and the auction stopped twice in the first 10 minutes. Putting aside the usual 6 second delay in video feeds, the current lots and bids were not being updated.

Here are the domain sales results for the first 10 domains auctioned off:

Atlanta.mx
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Geo/Region
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
Current Bid: Passed In (no bids)

LeadershipSeminar.com
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Business
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
Sold: $700 (AusBid)

Guavas.com
2,000 USD to 3,000 USD
Category: Food and Beverage
Latonas Estimated Price: 2,400
Current Bid: $2,000 (in room)

EngineeringDegrees.com
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Education
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
SOLD: $2,400 (sold to Channel)

PostalCodes.com
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Geo/Region
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
SOLD: $5,000

Two minute break as we “went down online“.

Layaways.com
5,000 USD to 10,000 USD
Category: Shopping
Latonas Estimated Price: 6,000
Current Bid: Passed In (no bids)

Washington.mx
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Geo/Region
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
Current Bid: Passed In (no bids)

Second break, lasting about 5-10 minutes.

Sunburns.com
1,000 USD to 2,000 USD
Category: Health
Latonas Estimated Price: 1,500
Sold: $2,002 (to impulse)

Troops.com
Category: Society
Latonas Estimated Price: 20,000
Current Bid: Passed In (no bids)

BlackjackTrainingSoftware.com
300 USD to 400 USD
Category: Casino and Gaming
Latonas Estimated Price: 300
Current Bid: Passed In (no bids)

Given the technical issues it will be interesting to see if online bidders continue to participate in auctions at conferences, rather than bid online at sites such as Sedo or Snapnames.

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Trellian Acquires DomainState At Auction

Simon — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:02:50 +0000

The auction for Domainstate has ended, with the successful bidder being none other than an Aussie local (to me anyway). Congrats go to David Warmuz and the guys over at Trellian – you might also know them as above.com.

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Halvarez Stimulus Check From Snapnames

admin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:09:58 +0000

Many of us including Acro and myself have been discussing Halvarez for years – look at this thread on DNF. This isn’t anything new. Having experienced this first hand, you can see the date and time stamps I posted in the thread!

Unfortunately we may never REALLY know what went on. What is good, is that Snapnames had the guts (some could call it a moral obligation or duty of care) to admit they had a problem and are in the process of addressing it.

Can I suggest a few questions to be added to their FAQ:

Q1. Given all the noise (some could call it evidence) in the industry, why has it taken us 4 years and 8 months to identify this?

Q2. Given due diligence, accounting standards, segregation of duties etc.. how come we failed to identify this in the first place?

————-

Dear SnapNames customer:

I’m contacting you today to inform you of an unfortunate incident at SnapNames, and to let you know what the company is doing to address it.

Recently, SnapNames discovered that an employee had set up an account on the SnapNames system under a false name and, under this name, bid in SnapNames auctions. This is a clear violation of our internal policy and was not approved by the company. We deeply regret that this conduct has impacted our customers.

Extent of impact

This conduct affected a small percentage of SnapNames auctions:

Bidding affected approximately five percent of total SnapNames auctions since 2005, most of which occurred between 2005 and 2007.
The incremental revenue from the bidding represented approximately one percent of SnapNames’ auction revenue since 2005.

No matter the level of impact, SnapNames takes this matter extremely seriously. When the matter was discovered, the company immediately closed the account in question and began a thorough investigation. The employee has also been dismissed from the company.

SnapNames further discovered that, on certain recent and limited occasions, when the employee won an auction, the employee secretly arranged to refund from SnapNames to the fictitious account a portion of the winning bid amount.

Remedy to affected customers

Though on some occasions the employee won the auction, in many instances the bidding caused the ultimate auction winner to pay more for a name than had the employee not participated in the auction.

SnapNames neither condones this conduct nor wants to be perceived as benefiting from the conduct. Accordingly, we have decided that regardless of the circumstance, in every auction where the employee’s fictitious account submitted a bid which resulted in a higher price being paid by the winning bidder, SnapNames will offer a rebate, with 5.22% interest (the highest applicable federal rate during the affected time period), to affected customers for the difference between the prices they actually paid and the prices they would have paid, had the employee not bid in the auctions. The rebate will be available in cash or in credit on the SnapNames platform, at your discretion.

SnapNames has moved quickly to address this situation. The company has retained Rust Consulting, an independent third party, who will administer the rebate offer. Within the next week, Rust Consulting will contact affected customers to provide details regarding the offer.

Your business and ongoing relationship are important to us and we can assure you that we have taken all necessary steps to ensure the integrity of the platform and reinforced controls and procedures to avoid any possibility of further breach. These include:

Enhanced monitoring of bidding activity for suspect behavior
Additional controls over financial transactions
Specific domain name registration policies for employees

In the meantime, if you have any questions, you may consult the FAQs here, or contact the SnapNames support team:

By e-mail: support@snapnames.com

Phone: +1 (866) 690-6279 (toll-free in the U.S.)
+1 (503) 241-8547 (outside the U.S.)

SnapNames, and all in the Oversee family of companies, are deeply disappointed with this incident. Since its founding in 2000, SnapNames has been committed to the principles of fairness and trust; the company wants to assure customers—through both words and actions—that it remains committed to those principles.

Thank you again for your business, and for your ongoing trust in SnapNames.

Sincerely,

Jeff Kupietzky Craig Snyder

President and CEO General Manager, SnapNames.com

SnapNames

1600 SW 4th Avenue, Suite 400

Portland, OR 97201

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Auctions Crack Down On Shill Bidding

Simon — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:59:32 +0000

Domain name auctions are now starting to give the appearance of cracking down on non paying bidders.

Last week, Dynadot send me an email regarding users that were shill bidding in their expired auctions. Here is a picture of one such user:

Dynadot stated: “Effective immediately, if an auction order is not paid, our system will automatically ban the user from participating in any future auctions.”

Following hot on their heals, I received two email from Snapnames about an hour ago saying that the auctions for domainster.com and fullsize.com will be run again. Yes, I was in both auctions and was amazed by the sudden price increase towards the end.

Lets see how this one goes.

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Should They Really Auction Off Wealth.com?

Simon — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:53:30 +0000

I was reading this article around TheInternetCompany, selling the domain name ‘wealth.com’ at a private auction run by Sedo. They want 2.9M and the VP was quoted as saying “we believe that now is the right time to monetize this asset and that an auction, rather than a traditional sale, is the best strategy“.

For the record, I disagree that “now is the right time”. Of course, I don’t know if there are financial issues/reasons behind the sale. However, if there were no issues, I’d hold onto it given the environment.

For those people who are “strapped for cash” and need to sell, feel free to get in contact and I’ll take those little gems off your hands. In a strange coincidence…. while typing this post I was sent a portfolio of 400+ domains looking for a new home.

What do you think about wealth.com? Should they auction it off?

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For Sale: Facebook Vanity Names – Welcome To Socialsquatting?

Simon — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 07:30:47 +0000

Just 24 hours after the launch of the facebook vanity URL, we are seeing people starting to sell.

biggestlooser – $8,000
rebate – $60,000
tonightshow – $15,000
sexvideo – $17,000

All these names are available at assetize.com, a site for buying and selling accounts including Facebook, Twitter, GMail and Wordpress. People seem to be buying accounts; one recent sale for a Twitter account called m*r with 7,851 followers apparently sold for US$1,250.00.

What do you think about this practice? Is it “socialsquatting”, the result of a free and open market? Is there really any value to having that niche keyword on a social media site?

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Facebook Vanity URL = Domainer

Simon — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:10:00 +0000

Mashable is reporting that 500,000 usernames were registered in 15 mins. Well I happened to be watching the clock tick down, and acquired the keyword “domainer”. Feel free to get in contact.

To be honest, I really didn’t think this would be as big as it was. Within minutes I had people sending me friend invites…. some were people I’d known on forums and others were fellow bloggers.

I’d be interested to know your views on this. Did you register a name? Are you even on facebook?

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