No, TLDOffers.com won’t sell you top level domains.
I’ve written before about new domain name aftermarkets and asked if there was room for anything to compete against the incumbents. Few people think it’s possible.
Today I saw a press release for a new market called TLDoffers.com. The name threw me for a loop, especially after reading the home page of the web site:
“A top level domain (TLD), sometimes referred to as a top level domain name or TLDN. Basically, your www address as everyone has come to know. Example; TLDoffers.com…TLDoffers is the ideal environment for TLD acquisitions”.
Obviously, the site isn’t selling top level domain names. It’s selling second level domain names. In years past this name wouldn’t be a major problem, but with all the hoopla about new TLDs being released, TLDOffer’s name could be confusing.
I talked to one of its founders Bennie Warshaw on the phone earlier today for an explanation about what makes the site unique.
Warshaw says the site “cuts out the middleman” by not charging brokerage fees and essentially letting buyers and sellers find each other.
Of course sites like Afternic and Sedo effectively cut out the middleman too. But paying no commissions is nice until you realize that you pay listing fees. Warshaw tells me the listing fees are $49 for the first domain (the site says $39) and $11 thereafter. It also doesn’t offer escrow services, which are a big part of what you’re paying for when you pay a commission to Afternic or Sedo.
Here’s another interesting twist — buyers have to pay to submit an offer on a domain listed on the site. Warshaw likens this to Network Solutions’ Certified Offer service. Of course there’s a big difference. On NetSol you’re making an unsolicited offer, whereas on TLDOffers.com you’re making an offer on an already listed domain. (To be fair, there’s some argument to be made that Sedo should charge a small fee to make an offer as it would reduce the number of lowball offers.)
So for $10, you can make an offer on VaporPaper.com (asking price $667,000) and MyPrivateHealth.com (asking price $318,000).
There is one thing that may make the site unique. The owners have partnered with a company that has access to some corporate assets including domain names. The site will allow VIP access to one of these domain names soon.
It could be a category killer. Or it could be a dud.
James R. Jean says
“It could be a category killer. Or it could be a dud.”
Unfortunately Andrew an “or” is not needed in that quote of yours. I would have to say dud. I just registered and tried to list a name and was quoted $75 for a regular .com. (I wouldn’t pay $49 either). Why would I pay in advance for no guarantees when I could list for free on Sedo and Afternic and simply pay commission after I’m ‘guaranteed’ proceeds? The other reason this aims to be a dud is that there is no cap on asking price. When you have people having unrealistic half-million dollar asking prices on terms that gets less then <5,000 google results you are not going to get the quality domainers and domains that’s needed for growth. It’s a major turn off for professional domainers. I’ll be done ranting after this final point– I’m still confused on the name. I would have invested on a solid 3-5 letter that mimic Sedo or afternic in some phonetic fashion so people can remember it as the anti-thesis of such. I’m done.
Rob Sequin says
YAWN.
bob says
SILLY !!!!!
can’t see it working ?
I would pay in advance if i knew the sale platform was going market my names for me.
Adam says
Judging by the name alone it’s a flop. You are too generous with your space and time.
Adam says
woops . . . I meant names but their name is bad too.
Andrew says
Adam – I considered not writing about it. The name itself was going to be my topic, but then once I found out the business model I couldn’t help myself.
Patrick McDermott says
“The name threw me for a loop…”
The names of their other companies listed under “Who We Are” are really good:
WebPro – WebPro.com
Perfect Commerce – Perfect.com
Andrew says
@ Patrick – you’re right. It makes it harder to understand, doesn’t it?
Patrick McDermott says
“@ Patrick – you’re right. It makes it harder to understand, doesn’t it?”
Yep!
I suspect the person or persons that came up with TLDoffers.com think it’s a good name.
This is just my guess but I also suspect that the person or persons that came up with that domain are not the same folk originally involved with the Perfect and WebPro domains.
Those two have been regged by the companies since 1994 and 1997 respectively.
TLDoffers.com was regged March 2008.
Whether TLDoffers.com is good or not good they did one thing right and that was to register the singular version also: TLDOffer.com.
Stephen Douglas says
I’m ready for anyone with some time on their hands to help me finish developing out my bulk domain aftermarket site at http://www.bulksaledomains.com. I have a unique selling idea for it, but if anyone wants more info and has some time to partner up, let me know.
As far as tldoffers.com, as long as they run a legit service, best of luck to them.
Kevin Ohashi says
This has to be one of the most poorly conceived ideas coming to the domain market yet. Double charging buyer and seller with no userbase to begin with? You at least have to trick people into buying into the system before you screw them.