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Best way to protect a domain name sale on eBay?

by AceOfShirts
6 replies
I listed a domain name on ebay for $XXX or "Make An Offer". I received an offer. There are several hints that the buyer is trying to scam me. You would probably laugh if I listed them all.

I've spent about 2 hours reading the ebay and paypal seller protection policies and can't really find anything about domain names. It seems like they fall under "intangible property" even though ownership can be followed through whois information. They can't claim that I didn't send them a download or something along those lines. The "chain of ownership" can be proven. The domain is registered at godaddy.

I'm more worried about the purchase being made with a hacked paypal or stolen credit card. I don't want to give up the domain name only to get a chargeback and not get the domain name back. The value of the sale doesn't really make the Escrow Fees worth it.

Is there anyway to safely sell a domain name on ebay?
#domain #ebay #protect #sale
  • Profile picture of the author Obermair
    If you are really that concerned, I would use an escrow where the buyer pays the escrow fee. Here is a link to the escrow.com fee calculator which I have used in the past. Interestingly enough, the default demo was a website!

    https://www.escrow.com/fee-calculator
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    • Profile picture of the author affmarketer101
      Originally Posted by Obermair View Post

      If you are really that concerned, I would use an escrow where the buyer pays the escrow fee. Here is a link to the escrow.com fee calculator which I have used in the past. Interestingly enough, the default demo was a website!

      https://www.escrow.com/fee-calculator
      Wow, this is a good tool.
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  • Profile picture of the author Steve B
    Originally Posted by AceOfShirts View Post

    I'm more worried about the purchase being made with a hacked paypal or stolen credit card. I don't want to give up the domain name only to get a chargeback and not get the domain name back.

    If this is a real concern to you, I would contact your registrar (where the domain name account is residing), tell them why you are concerned about selling the domain, and ask them what is the best solution for your situation. My guess is ... they'll suggest some type of escrow.


    If a chargeback is done, you should be able to work with the new hosting company to get the name returned. I would keep a record of all dates, correspondence, actions regarding the sale and delivery of the domain name, etc so that re-creating the "trail" of the purchase is easily proven.


    The best to you,


    Steve
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    Steve Browne, online business strategies, tips, guidance, and resources
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    • Profile picture of the author Mike Anthony
      Originally Posted by Steve B View Post

      If a chargeback is done, you should be able to work with the new hosting company to get the name returned.

      Nope. Domain registration is handled at the registrar level and the registrar will not normally reverse a domain that has been pushed into another account. They will not readily get involved in such entanglements of who paid what.


      escrow is the best go OR godaddy has a service through which they can handle the purchase and guarantee the payment. Besides that I would take payment only through a service that allows for no refunds (like bank deposit transfer service) which the buyer may not go for.

      Paypal is now worthless for intangibles. They offer no seller protection even if they rule in your favor (the customer can still file a chargeback and paypal will do little to defend it and the chargeback on an intangible is almost always ruled in favor of the chargeback filer). Thats been the case for years. I have mostly good customers but every now and again gets someone looking for something free that goes that route.
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  • Profile picture of the author writeaway
    Spend the money on the ESCROW... unless the guy you think is trying to scam you is pushing you to use a SPECIFIC escrow site.

    This is an old trick. It's a variant of the "I'd like to buy your site for xxxxx dollars but please get it appraised by these services first."
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  • Profile picture of the author harolda
    You should almost always use an escrow service that YOU choose (eg escrow.com).

    Also, list your domains (for free) on marketplaces like https://ivynames.com which focus on quality and don't have the usual scammers around. Ownership can easily be proven by you adding a TXT record to your domain, just like Google webmaster does. If anybody requires to do more than that, it's a scam.
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