"Internet Heck" Topic

so a few weeks ago I get an email from some random company asking to buy a domain I have a small site on. I ignore the request. I get another- I tell them $10,000 hoping they will go away. I thought they had.

Now I just got notified someone requested that domain be unlocked for transfer (and not me).

Oh Sigh. Sometimes I wonder if it's all worth it….

Well – if they are trying to buy your domain name and they pay you $10,000 it would be worth it – one would hope!

Now you know why they started the locking procedure. That someone was trying to pinch your web address.

Never looks good to give a figure like that – if it ever goes to court, the've got an email saying you said you'd sell it for $10,000, so obviously you only bought it to try and sell it for ridiculous amounts. The court will frown on that, and just hand it to them instead… I believe it's happened before, though couldn't quote references…

I work for a web development company, and I've had to contact domain name owners on plenty of occasions, requesting a purchase price so that one of our clients with a trademark etc. can use that domain name on the net.

If there is a response, it's usually in the region of a demand for $10,000 – to be honest, it's annoying and dismissive, particularly as we've made an honest and professional request to the owner in the first place.

Domain parking is really frustrating – and while I'm sure that's not what you're doing jgawne, the email requesting $10,000 to secure the sale does suggest that that's exactly what you're doing, as Dicko78 says. The courts and InterNic won't look kindly on that.

The best way to proceed, if you get a request to sell your domain name, is to use whois.net to verify that you're dealing with a registered company and, if you do want to sell, request a reasonable price – or politely state that you're not interested in selling the domain.

To me the name is worth 10 grand. and it does have enough content and such to show that it has been really used and I have tried to do soemthign with it (its not parked).

Its just that the SAME people who I politely say 'no thanks I am not interested in selling' keep asking me,

So then I say I am not interested but if you make me an offer I might be tempted if it is high enough. The $100 USD they offer is not tempting.

Then they complain that I am getting in the way of their master business plan by not selling it.

as to:
"there is a response, it's usually in the region of a demand for $10,000 – to be honest, it's annoying and dismissive, particularly as we've made an honest and professional request to the owner in the first place."

well, sorry bout that, but there are automated spammers that send emails all the time fishing for someone who may sell. So when I get a bunch of those, and another comes in that reads the same – as in "Hi I want to buy your domain, how much?" I assume its the same.

The only time I ever actually took one of those emails seriously was when the intial email was obviously written specifically for my domain – and showed that there was some thought in writing me, not just canned words. To that I responded politely and thoughtfully. I also had someone send me a an actual letter once to indicate their interest- I also took that as a very thoughtful and polite way to show they were serious.

And, as I atually had been in talks where I was tentativly offer 5 grand, so I don't think 10 grand is too bad for a starting place.

That's basically what I'm saying jgawne – verify that you're dealing with a legimate company, and reply. It's all about the professionalism of your actions, regardless of whether you are running a business website or not.