GoDaddy Launches Domain Buying Service
GoDaddy, the world’s largest domain name registrar, has launched a service to help people purchase registered domain names.
If you search for a domain name at GoDaddy and find it’s by now taken, GoDaddy now has a link that reads “Use a Domain Buy Agent to get this name”. Clicking on that link introduces you to one of GoDaddy’s newest services called “Domain Buy Service”. GoDaddy describes the service as follows:
We’ve seen it happen countless times: You come up with the perfect domain name for your personal or business use, only to find it’s by now registered to someone else! Another great idea-gone!
Until now. The world’s largest domain registrar brings you Domain Buy Service. If it’s for sale, we’ll do everything we can to get it for you! Domain Buy Service Just $59.99 per domain name + commission*
Our Professional Domain Buy Service provides personal Domain Agents who will:
-Complete a Certified Appraisal within 2 business days of service purchase.
-Attempt to contact current domain owner, to determine interest in selling their domain.
-Negotiate the sales price of your desired domain (if the owner is willing to sell their domain)
-Help facilitate the sales transaction (if a sales agreement is reached).
GoDaddy’s service costs $59.99 per domain name plus 10% of the purchase price.
This type of service is nothing fresh. Network Solutions has offered a service called “Certified Offer” that lets you anonymously send an offer for a domain name to its owner. The service costs $19 plus an additional 5% of the purchase price ought to the offer be successful. Certified Offer also offers a sort of free instant appraisal on any domain name you are considering. I’ve been on the receiving end of a number of offers from Network Solutions’ service and have had mixed results.
GoDaddy’s service appears to do a bit more than Network Solutions’. It’s unclear what specific steps GoDaddy will take to contact the domain owner, but I’m assuming “everything we can to get it for you” includes using email, phone, and postal mail.
This begs the question, why pay GoDaddy to do this for you? (Please don’t tell me it’s since you care regarding the appraisal!) You can spend one minute sending an email to the whois contact for the domain. If that bounces you can pick up the phone or send snail-mail. All of this will take less time than completing the checkout process for Domain Buy Agent at GoDaddy.
One reason people use services like this is to remain anonymous. But if anonymity is what you’re seeking I recommend using Afternic’s anonymous offer service. There’s no charge to you. Just type in the domain and the price you’re willing to pay and Afternic will contact the owner. For high value domains the firm will even call and send a letter to the owner.
