Sedo using private seller-side metrics to help buyers...

[Edwin]

Here's the short version. Nora from Sedo approached me with an offer on a particular domain (parked at Sedo) that was significantly lower than I expected to get for it, together with a "pitch" trying to persuade me to take the money.

In her initial pitch, Nora used:-

A) My private minimum price (which an outside party could only find out by bidding up to or over)
B) The revenue the domain generated per month (which NO outsider has access to, ever)

as factors in arguing her case for a low valuation.

I countered on the value side of the discussion, while privately feeling pretty annoyed that certain private stuff "slipped in". But my experience with Sedo has been good, so I thought I'd cut them a bit of slack.

So what do I find in my inbox today? A second, more strongly worded email basically trashing my domain and referring:-

A) To a still-closing sale of another of my domains at Sedo i.e. a sale that nobody except Sedo staff can see [Nora tries to use this "better" sale as leverage to set a ceiling on my expectations]
B) Another reference to the monthly earnings for the domain
C) A reference to the monthly traffic on the domain - this is the only metric that a "real" outside buyer would see.

So let's count the ways Sedo has stabbed me in the back:-
A) Using private revenue information against me
B) Using private sales data against me
C) Using private minimum offer figure against me

Nora, either you took it on yourself to cross a line Sedo has drawn, or else there is no line. But when you start acting (or even considering) data that no 3rd party could EVER see, that's no longer being a "neutral facilitator" - I would say what it is, but I'm too polite.

I have been exceedingly careful to only include the facts of what happens. I have all the emails to back this up, of course, should that prove necessary.

The RIGHT thing for Sedo to do to fix this would be to implement a first come, first served policy. If I park with you, you won't accept the role as negotiator on behalf of a buyer for that particular domain - you would politely decline citing conflicts of interest. After all, the standard bid mechanism is still available to buyers wanting to make an offer.

 

[GeorgeK]

On the other hand, I get inflated values when I try to buy, lol. arty:

 

[Edwin]

An additional clarification: I was only having the dialogue in the first place because the potential buyer (going via Nora) was able to side-step my minimum offer price set on that domain - had they tried to lowball me directly their offer would simply have been auto-rejected by SEDO's system and I'd never even have known about it -- and that's the whole point of using a set minimum offer!