Students Must Have a Big Budget to Buy Domain Names — These UK

Fresh domain purchase inquiry “form letter” making the rounds.

I got a suspicious domain name inquiry yesterday. It was suspicious for two reasons:

1. Whenever someone vaguely explains their reason for buying generic domain names, that’s a red flag.

2. I received an email from another domainer at the same time, who had received the same email.

It purports to be from some students/”modest time entrepreneurs” in the UK looking to buy domain names. I’m not sure if it’s just someone mass mailing to try to buy domain names on the cheap since they’re supposedly students or if there’s something more at play. Here’s the email:

from Jonty Williams
date Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 2:11 AM
subject Purchase Interest – indirectobject.com

hide details Jan 7 (1 day ago)

Hello !

The purpose of this email is to outline our interest in purchasing the domain name indirectobject.com.

We are a group of students/modest-time entrepeneuers studying within the UK educational system.
I, Jonty Williams am representing this group in reaching out to you.

We have an interest in investigating the potential associated with online business. At this current moment in time we have been testing the viability of making money from the development of in depth, information based, interactive websites.
It is seeming like an extremely viable market, with (in principle) easy access for anyone.

From our research, we have been made aware of the significant benefits of owning a good domain name. Specifically the benefits of owning a domain name related to developmental subject matter, such that a visitor is getting what they want, and expect.
This is the reason for our contact, and interest.

Of course, indirectobject.com is owned by you, and you have every right to do with it as you please. We do still hope that you will consider an offer of 1000 USD as sufficient compensation for exchange of ownership of stated domain name.

We would be more than happy to discuss this proposition further, and welcome any questions/concerns.

Yours,

Jonty

Given that I have now received a couple of these myself and am getting notes of other people receiving them, I’d say these “students” have a sizable budget to buy domains.

In an effort to figure out the angle on this, I emailed them back yesterday to say I was interested. I haven’t received a response yet.