Calling All Sleuths: Help me find out if this $4k offer is Legitimate, please

[ImageAuthors]

There's a 90% chance that this offer is some kind of fake or dead end.

But the opening offer was $4,000 -- which, in the case of this domain, is a fair price. So I ought to perform due diligence before dismissing it.

The Problem: The email address doesn't work, and I can't find the person by other means. This person (or bot) came through the DomainNameSales.com market place -- rather than via the parked domain. He made the $4,000 offer without a preliminary inquiry and included this comment:

"roneboy A guniabo"

At first glance, this appears odd. But "Roneboy" is a first name in the Philippines, and "Guniabo" is a surname. Further contact data was provided:

Email: sguniabo [at] yahoo
Phone: 09204021532
Location: Cebu, Philippines

As I mentioned, the email address resulted in a bounce error. This phone number doesn't match what I'd expect from the Philippines; but, then again, I've never called anybody in the Philippines. So far, I have not tried calling due to the time zone difference.

I'm not able to find Roneboy A. Guniabo online, at this point. Thinking that the "s" in sguniabo [at] yahoo might be a typo for that middle initial "a", I have just sent out another email. We'll see if it reaches Roneboy.

...

Any helpful domainer sleuths with more ideas?

 

[Johnn]

Check the IP address from the email to see where it came from

 

[ImageAuthors]

Check the IP address from the email to see where it came from

Good tip. DomainNameSales.com does that automatically -- which is where the Cebu, Philippines information came from, unless I'm mistaken.

 

[ImageAuthors]

I just looked up the .COM version of this domain. No dice. That registrant has a different name and a P.O. Box on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts and Nevis -- on the other side of the planet from the Philippines.

And the owner of the .NET / .ORG is in la Ciudad de Panama ... en Panama -- tambien el otro lado del mundo.

 

[Johnn]

I got the same situation from park names sometimes - Invalid email when you reply and nothing you can do as email is the driver license on the internet

If they are genuine offer then they will contact you again.

 

[ImageAuthors]

If they are genuine offer then they will contact you again.

I wish that were always true. Sometimes people make genuine impulsive offers. Later on, they lose interest or pick something else. I've lost plenty of sales by taking my time with negotiations. That's just one of the risks, but I like to make first contact early and "strike while the iron is hot."

 

[Johnn]

Not much you can do now. My experience with "end-users" would be days or weeks to complete a transaction.
They don't need Trader Rating like we do here so sometimes too rush would scare them away too.

I just closed a transaction with an end user from Norway and it took 9 days for a $x,xxx transaction.
If they need the name - they need the name - If it's yours it will be yours.
Now put your $4,000 virtual money on your virtual bank and have a good night sleep.

 

[Onward]

If the guy really wants the domain - he will be back.

 

[ImageAuthors]

If the guy really wants the domain - he will be back.

True. But I'd be happy selling to somebody who kinda wants the domain. Not all my sales are to people who are desperate to own the domain in question. Sometimes they're just kind of interested, and we catch each other in a good mood.

A good price is a good price. Plus, if he doesn't know he left bad contact data, he may assume that coming back would just result in more silence.

I'm not going to lose sleep over this. I'd just like to explore my options before I cross this offer off the list.

 

[ImageAuthors]

Not much you can do now. My experience with "end-users" would be days or weeks to complete a transaction.
They don't need Trader Rating like we do here so sometimes too rush would scare them away too.

I just closed a transaction with an end user from Norway and it took 9 days for a $x,xxx transaction.

Definitely true. I have a $x,xxx sale that has already taken over a month. 2 weeks of negotiations. 1.5 weeks of payment delay. Then -- after the money went to Escrow -- another 1.5 weeks of them not being able to figure out the transfer process.

 

[Biggie]

sometimes offers come thru 3rd party to pump up the volume

to raise questions, interest and speculation

sometimes they are too legit to quit

sometimes they are not

if you want to play


all you have to do is respond


i wouldn't worry about wtf the buyer could be, when price is all that matters.

Good Luck!

imo...

 

[Theo]

Recently sold a domain via DNS to a chap from the Philippines. The sale dragged on for two weeks after agreeing on the price but no complaints there. There is some spam that makes it through on DNS but not much. As long as you can send it to Escrow.com any sale counts.