Selling domains on eBay - got any tips?

[wael]

Hi, if you have experience successfully selling domains on eBay, could you offer some tips?

Many domainers complain that they get very low bids or none at all on eBay. I've seen other sellers who claim to have made very large domain sales on eBay.

I'm getting ready to list some domains there and I'd appreciate your input. Thanks in advance.

 

[Gerry]

Did it years ago. Got mixed results (big and small prices).

But one thing is for certain. With a non paying bidder rate at nearly 75% the last month before I stopped, all I can say is good luck.

 

[NETGEEK]

I'm sure you can get a good deal now and then but it's funny to see what some of these people register and think they will sell for big bucks!

Good luck with your sales!

 

[wael]

75% non-paying bidders! Ouch. With listing fees, you'd be flushing money down the drain.

I'm thinking of trying with Touch-Up.com. I'll target plastic surgeons, makeup and skin care companies, auto detailers, maybe photo editing software... I thought I'd put together a list of 50 potential end users, and once the auctions starts notify them.

 

[Volholic]

I have had very good luck on there recently---the names that I have coming up for renewal that I am not gonna renew---I put on Ebay with No Reserve---cost .20 to list that way and I have been surprised at what they sell for----I recently put a lot of 30 names on there and got 160.00---these were all names I was gonna let drop.

I am currently putting all of my names up for sale on Ebay---I am getting out of the DN Business---there are some great names---Lot of 224 names on there.

If you are gonna let the names drop anyway---throw them on ebay and get 20 or 30 or 40 bucks for them----I have sold hundreds of auctions on ebay and only had 1 person not pay.

 

[Volholic]

I have had very good luck on there recently---the names that I have coming up for renewal that I am not gonna renew---I put on Ebay with No Reserve---cost .20 to list that way and I have been surprised at what they sell for----I recently put a lot of 30 names on there and got 160.00---these were all names I was gonna let drop.

I am currently putting all of my names up for sale on Ebay---I am getting out of the DN Business---there are some great names---Lot of 224 names on there.

If you are gonna let the names drop anyway---throw them on ebay and get 20 or 30 or 40 bucks for them----I have sold hundreds of auctions on ebay and only had 1 person not pay.

 

[BostonDomainer]

Most serious domainer avoid Ebay.... but there are names that resonate really really well on such an open market. I personally keep my names from that arena. It's not worth the hassle o me but may be to you. Best of luck!

james

 

[Jake Riley]

Each time I sold a domain on Ebay, I got a lot less than it was worth. The only time I did well was when I advertised the listing outside of Ebay, and had people go over there and bid. Once you get a few bids, other Ebayers become a lot more eager to buy it.. you know how it is, all in the mentality of the bidder wanting what others want.

I do better selling a single page website and include the domain name then I ever do with domain names alone, even if there is no traffic, etc.

 

[FuseFX]

I have seen turnkey sites doing well on eBay. =) So if you want to sell domains there, I'd recommend that you get a prozilla account and slap turnkey-sites on the domains and sell them there.

 

[Gerry]

75% non-paying bidders! Ouch. With listing fees, you'd be flushing money down the drain.

I'm thinking of trying with Touch-Up.com. I'll target plastic surgeons, makeup and skin care companies, auto detailers, maybe photo editing software... I thought I'd put together a list of 50 potential end users, and once the auctions starts notify them.

If you have non paying bidders, wait the appropriate length of time (10 days I believe), file with ebay, then you will get back your final value fee but I do not believe you get back the listing fee. Time is money and waiting and chasing down bidders was such a huge waste of time.

Amazing how you never hear from anyone and how there is never any communication until you leave a negative on their ass and all of a sudden it breathes life into them and they leave some BS negative on you.

Your listing fee is going to be based on the initial starting price. The higher the start, the higher the listing fees. Undoubtedly, those listing fees have probably gone up significantly since.

I have seen turnkey sites doing well on eBay. =) So if you want to sell domains there, I'd recommend that you get a prozilla account and slap turnkey-sites on the domains and sell them there.

I was seeing this also. Crap names but a nice template turnkey site and $200.00 later it was sold.

Just don't want to mess with the eBay thing anymore. That was perhaps 2 years or more ago and I have no interest in that venue.

 

[Domainator]

I have seen turnkey sites doing well on eBay. =) So if you want to sell domains there, I'd recommend that you get a prozilla account and slap turnkey-sites on the domains and sell them there.

Anyone have a coupon code for Prozilla???

 

[whitebark]

There are a few that post here on DNF that make a decent living selling domains full time on ebay.

 

[Creature]

If ebay extended the auctions by 10 minutes if there was a bid in the final 4 minutes, then I would use them more often. However the final ebay snipers in the last few seconds don't give others the proper opportunity to place a higher bid.

 

[whitebark]

If ebay extended the auctions by 10 minutes if there was a bid in the final 4 minutes, then I would use them more often. However the final ebay snipers in the last few seconds don't give others the proper opportunity to place a higher bid.

Good point - and they would make themselves more money while they were at it.

 

[DomainMagnate]

Interesting tips there. I'll try to list my expiring domains next time.

Anyone ever tried selling any 4-5 figures on ebay, is it worth the effort?
What I think is even if won't sell - it will bring more exposure to the domain and someone who's interested will eventually contact you with an offer


Btw, a quick question. Their fees are like 5% of the sales price. Do you pay that if you want to process the transaction by escrow, or if your buyer didn't pay or if you cancelled the auction before..?

~MG

 

[BELLC1]

Anyone ever tried selling any 4-5 figures on ebay, is it worth the effort?

In past years I have had a couple of domains on Ebay in that range, but they didn't sell there. Rather, people emailed me after saw the ad, then they checked the WHOIS and made their offers privately.

In fact, my only negative feedback came from someone who failed to pay for their purchase. I gave the non-paying buyer negative feedback stupidly thinking they would simply comment on their own feedback. I had to idea they could give feedback to me as a non-paying bidder.

 

[DomainMagnate]

In past years I have had a couple of domains on Ebay in that range, but they didn't sell there. Rather, people emailed me after saw the ad, then they checked the WHOIS and made their offers privately.

Thanks, thats what I thought as well.
What's better for that purpose in your experience when selling 4-5 figures worth domains, list it as an auction with starting bid like $0.99, or set a high BIN/reserve right away?

~MG

 

[Gerry]

Interesting tips there. I'll try to list my expiring domains next time.

Anyone ever tried selling any 4-5 figures on ebay, is it worth the effort?
What I think is even if won't sell - it will bring more exposure to the domain and someone who's interested will eventually contact you with an offer


Btw, a quick question. Their fees are like 5% of the sales price. Do you pay that if you want to process the transaction by escrow, or if your buyer didn't pay or if you cancelled the auction before..?

~MG

The problem with starting your price in the high dollar range, ebay's listing fees are based on your starting price. The higher the dollar amount, the more per listing.

The same is true with the final value fee. It is a percentage based on the selling price. Everything they have is almost a tiered stucture.

As for payment, there can be no added or tacked on fees after the auction. Even adding the 3-4% PayPal fees are not allowed. You could possibly try adding this into the item's description. But I am not sure it would get by the "eBay police".

Escrow is an option, PayPal is an option, Money order or check is an option, payment by mail is an option. But adding fees is not an option. This is why I have seen people list sometimes with a "transfer fee" of as much as $30.00. They want to recover all their expense but hide it as such calling it a transfer fee.

or set a high BIN/reserve right away?
~MG

They also have limits on who can or can not set BIN's. And of course there is a fee for this.

And, of course, keeping in line with the eBay money machine, they also have fees for setting reserves.

 

[DomainMagnate]

Thanks Doc Com,

so if you listed a domain for an auction with starting price 0.99 and the auction ended at $10k and you want the payment by escrow, you need pay a fee 5% of this to ebay? Or the ebay fees are only paid when you list the auction..?
Sorry for a newbie question, I haven't done much business with ebay.

~MG

 

[Gerry]

Thanks Doc Com,

so if you listed a domain for an auction with starting price 0.99 and the auction ended at $10k and you want the payment by escrow, you need pay a fee 5% of this to ebay? Or the ebay fees are only paid when you list the auction..?
Sorry for a newbie question, I haven't done much business with ebay.

~MG

No, I think if I am following you correctly.

Here is a breakdown of ebay fees for the example you are using:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/fees.html

Listing price for item starting at $0.99 = $0.20

Item sells for $10K (here's the really creative math part)

5.25% of the initial $25.00 ($1.31), plus 3.25% of the initial $25.01 - $1,000.00 ($31.69), plus 1.50% of the remaining closing value balance ($1000.01 - closing value)

$0.20 (listing fee)
$1.31 (5.25% of the initial $25.00)
$31.69 (plus 3.25% of the initial $25.01 - $1,000.00)
$135.00 (that is the .015 x 9000 which is the balance over the $1K)
$168.20 total selling fees.

More than likely, you would want to feature it if it is that good, add a gallery image, and perhaps bold text or highlight color to draw attention to it. So you are looking at perhaps $200 +/- depending on the impact you want to give it.

eBay has nothing to do with collecting any fees at all from escrow .com. You don't pay ebay directly for a purchase. Yes they own PayPal, but when it comes to payment being submitted by check, MO, Teller's check...ebay gets none of that as a fee. Even when these sellers list a "$30.00 transfer fee" they typically place it in the shipping price. Again, eBay gets none of this. If an item is actually shipped an involves a shipping fee, eBay gets none of that.

The point is you do not want any after the auction surprises. Plus, ebay does not permit added on fees after the auction that were not disclosed.

I don't think this would really be an issue if you state this clearly and plainly inside the item description, something like;

Seller will only accept escrow.com. Buyer responsible for fees.

Or even split fees. Provide a link on the listing directly to the fee listing for escrow.com as this is not too commonly used on ebay.

Also let the potential buyers know that the fee is based on final auction value. This is permissible. I was also selling antique pottery all over the country. Naturally different zones and area codes where different shipping prices. So that would and did fluctuate.