Selling domains - how to and what to watch out for?

[Saul]

[I know that by doing some search-fu I'd find lots of useful info, but I need the
most up-to-date info possible... eheh, nice excuse huh? no, really, the more
updated the info the better for me]

SHORT VERSION: How do I sell my domains?

DETAILED VERSION ...where it gives you some hints on how to make money from
your replies and kind help! <-- good reason to take the time to read my long post

Hello everyone!

I had the intention to sell most of my unused marketing related domains, but I still
haven't got round to it. Yep, I'm the procrastination Jedi.

Now I've been contacted by a non profit organization and I really want to work
with them so I have to "clear my desk" from all my marketing clutter and get rid
of these domains, so I need a few pointers (haven't been around here, or the
marketing arena, for too long!)

I've just received an email offering me $500 for one of my domains, so that went
quite easily... but how would I proceed now? How are domains usually sold? I've
always bought a lot, but never before sold one... I used to own hundreds of them...
now I'm down to my favorite ~20 with wich I'm hoping to make a little bundle of
money to "throw" in my new non profit project.

If I was buying from someone I wouldn't like to give them money (say, through
Paypal) and "hope" they hand the domains over to me, so I guess it wouldn't work
the other way round either :P ...or might it be as easy as that? I've been online
for enough time to see all kinds of people falling for much worse, so I guess there
would be some who would be trustful (sp?) enough to make it that easy (NOT to
scam them! I mean to sell them the domains but I'd rather not limit my potential
"customer base" to gullible people... although I'm pretty sure there are plenty enough
around... (I apologize to all the good-hearted people around here, I've grown a little
cynical with time

Anyway: I want to do things the proper way, and need some hints on how one
would proceed to sell a domain in a proper and safe for all involved way.. myself
included! I wouldn't want to give away my best domains and then see the money
in my account (paypal for example) taken away for some obscure reason

So: out of the goodness of your hearts, and if things around here are as they were
years ago (let's do a time test would someone be able to write a brief point by
point, step by step list of actions to follow to SELL domains in a proper and safe
fashion? If you do (and here goes to show how being nice can even be profitable
and read good feedback from fellow warriors on your post you can then turn it
into a little article to do stuff with... or if it's long enough a little ebook, or an
email course (do people still do those?) or... what else, practical useful blog post,
a webinar... I don't know, if it's good info you can find a way to make money
out of it

So: help me and make money (if you're good!) ...has anyone ever asked you
like this to help them? lol!

I wont have access to the internet from tonight to monday morning (it's good to
take a break every now and then ...do the same: the internet and especially online
marketing can be *seriously* addictive, I know for personal experience so I'll
read -hopefully- all your answers on monday!

Thanks a lot for your time and help!

Cheers,
Saul

PS. To Allen and all who participated : wow, this forum has changed a lot since
my last login...it looks like it evolved from being a Mustang, or a Camaro or some other
serious super muscle car to a Bugatti Veyron with lots of bells and whistles! Must
have been a hell of a day when the upgrade was implemented! Kudos to everyone
involved

PPs. mmhh.. I can't find a way to disable graphical smilies...I know "you can select
the 'Disable Smilies' option when posting" ... but I can't find it

[primuskannan]

Domain selling;

1.List them by registrar and date of expiry in a notepad file or your
friendly text editor.

e.g.
domainforsale.com namecheap 29.01.2009

2. Now you have what is called a portfolio. Have it appraised at namepros or at dnforum at no cost. Send a PM for my appraisal. Appraisals are not the final say but you might get a fair idea of the marketvalue.

3. Post them for sale in here as WSO or namepros.com/ dnforum.com or at sitepoint.com
Dn forum and sitepoint requires some fees. Might be worth it if you have good names. The other places are Afternic and SEDO not recommended for a quick sale.

4. You can email/call potential end users of your domains like dot net owners or companies which might benefit from your names.

5. For safe transaction suggest escrow method of payment, escrow fees to be split equally or borne by the buyer as per your terms of sale.

6. Some registrars allow free "push" i.e. the buyer has to create an account with the registrar and you can transfer the domain. The details you need for transfer may be an email-id given by the buyer or an authorisation code which you can obtain from your registrar.


Let me know if you have any further queries.

Kulasekaran.

[Kurt]

What's up Saul? Doing OK?

One thing to watch out for is getting payment, transferring the domain name, then they buyer disputes the payment or gives you a chargeback, so you don't get paid and they now have control of you domain.

[Saul]

thanks Kulasekaran - very clear explanation!

My buyer (who has raised his offer to $650 ) has suggested we use escrow.com, he'll
pay for all the fees, so I'm looking into that to see if it will help with my other domains
too

Send a PM for my appraisal.

I'd be very happy to do so, I'll send you a PM right away - thanks again!

Originally Posted by Kurt

What's up Saul? Doing OK?

Hi Kurt, I'm doing great How are you? I bet you're doing great too!

I'm living the internet marketing dream backwards - I've learnd a ton of things for online
promotion and twisted them and applied them offline... and now I want to get rid of all
my "online marketing" stuff to help a non profit organization that works in Africa, providing
basic health care and housing for children in Congo...

I'll start focusing my studies on fund raising strategies and tactics and I'm pretty sure
all the things you taught me on SEO and traffic generation will come very handy

Thanks for the tips on the domain selling, a wrongful chargeback and stuff like that is what
I'm a little worried about... but if we go through paypal that shouldn't be a problem, I have
a few "internal" contacts in paypal which could help me in such a case

Thank you both for all the clear indications on how to proceed, I'll start working on them
right away!

cheers,
Saul

Ps. I still can't find the option to turn off the graphical smilies