Netiquette issue: advice required

[italiandragon]

Hi, days ago I listed a name for auction, a 3 days auction.

The name was due to expire few days later and I could not develop it so I wanted to offer it for starting price of US $10 just to cover part of the cost that I had when I purchased it from another person.

I received an offer from a Platinum user here by PM instead of posting it in the thread as normal. He offered me the minimun, $ 10.
I replied him inviting him to post it in the thread and when the auction closed there were no other bids so I replied again to his pm asking him if he wanted the name to pay me the $10 or I had to list it on ebay.

He did not answer so I had to make a choice to run a one day auction on ebay or hold the name for him risking the expiration.

I did not receive any answer in more than 10 days till yestarday when he wrote me a PM saying he was on Holiday and he sent me the $10 if the name was still available otherwise I should send him money back.

I choosed to hold the name for him and so the name expired and it is now on Registrar HOLD. To renew it would cost me $80 so it does not worth me doing it.

I`m very honest so I am going to refund him but I find fair to avoid such buyer from my next auctions.

Any opinion appreciated, I`m still learning the industry netiquette and despite the amount is minimun I think it`s good to share these little things to make transactions problem-free.

Cheers

 

[GT Web]

Well...at least you're trying to do the honorable thing. I would just not auction names that are set to expire within a week or two...as things can get complicated, just like in the case you mentioned above.

Not all transactions are perfect...things happen, people need to suddenly leave town for personal reasons or whatnot.

Its a tough situation because you probably shouldn't have been auctioning a name so close to expirey (unless you clearly stated the name had X days left before it needed to be renewed) and the buyer obviously should have replied sooner than he did.

$10 ain't a big deal...live and learn.

 

[Ian]

sounds like what i experienced a few days ago when bid for a domain here in the DNForum not knowing that its expiry date was so near. Although we settled the matter amicably with the seller, i think a new rule should be laid that a seller should state whether a domain will expire soon or not to let potential buyers estimate how much they are willing to spend on a name.

 

[kiviniar]

Well i to believe that Netiquette, would be that the sale is not made at the last moment.....and if it is made at the last moment, the seller should mention it in his thread on the date of expiry

 

[DNjet]

The unwritten rule is to post at the sale that the domain is expiring soon , and post when. Myself, I will post the expire date if it is coming due within 30 days.

 

[italiandragon]

date of expiry was posted, thanks.