Is it common for seller to pay domain appraisal?

[nsood3]

I have someone who contacted me through my WhoIs information regarding a domain that I recently registered. It is a great name and I was surprised it hadn't been registered.
Anyway, I told him my asking price and he replied saying that was fine but he would like an appraisal so that he would know that he was paying a fair price. I replied saying that most appraisals are useless and that a domain is worth only what someone was willing to pay for it. He was welcome to get his appraisal and use that to determine an offer.

His reply was that he would be willing to pay me 10% under what the domain would appraise for via a legitimate, human-based service such as Godaddy or Sedo. The catch is he wants me to pay the appraisal which could easily be $60+ and says this is common practice for the buyer to pay the appraisal.

Has anyone heard of this situation? Any suggestions?

[_123_]

I've never heard of this situation before but If he wants an appraisal tell him to pay for it, do not waste your money on it.

[SuviCyriacNadakuzhackal]

Appraisal for pretty much anything is available. I am not too sure about domain names. If there is any one providing that service please let me know.

[Arjun]

You have to pay for a domain name if you want to sell it :(

[dnonsaledotcom]

Hi there,

I have received many SCAM offers from so called "buyers" - TIME wasters wanting to buy my domain name but they want me to pay for the domain appraisal $60 - $100 per domain name.

Do NOT waste your time with this kind of losers - this is what will happen you pay the domain name appraisal fee of $60-$100 and then they refuse to buy the domain name of you and you lose your money and waste your time.

I hope this helps

Great domain names for sale www.PenthouseAngels.net , www.DollarDeals.tv , www.CateringSolutions.info , www.Lamingtons.net , www.AshesCup.com and many others at www.DNOnSale.com

[Fishnagles]

This is correct, let the buyer get their own appraisal, cause many times indeed it is a scam.

[mattcch2007]

Just for serious or expansive domain name only;

Members appraisal is enough as a selling reference. :)

[ETphotog]

I agree with you about appraisals, they are just useless. I'm not saying this because I got a low appraisal (and I haven't yet). The "buyer" uses this appraisal angle has a way to drum up business for themselves or partners.

It is the just the nature of the Internet that we can not see the "buyer" or be familiar with them because the medium make everyone anonymous one degree or another. One of the biggest flaws to these appraisals is they as whole do not take into account what market trends are for the market sector the domain is centric to.

Perhaps if there was a rating system or report card for an appraiser to show how many times their valuations have matched the final sale of the domains they have appraised. I don't see this happening any time too soon. They are making a pretty job living without it any rantings.

When you said "a domain is worth only what someone was willing to pay for it" you hit the nail on the head. I tell folks the same thing. That statement has been applied to real estate, stocks, collectible, cars and etc. Watch the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auctions. Cars there sale sometimes not even close to the appraised value.

I have noticed that there are a couple people that call every time I have and auction on a domain. They want an appraisal but with one that they trust. One time they gave me the number to call the person. I waited a day and then I thought before I call I would Google the number, it was at the same address as the "potential buyer". The "buyer" contacted me three days later wanting to know if I had the domain appraised. I told them know but they might be able to get quicker since the appraiser was in their building. That stopped them dead cold. I found out later from an acquaintance they the "buyer" and "appraiser" were in business together and were trying to break in to the market after having troubles with their software/ISP businesses began going south.

'Nuff of that rant. Stick to your guns and you'll get your asking price.

[Cavaleiro]

A classic con trick! Did he give you the URLs to get the appraisal? If so they were almost certainly affiliate links. He won't buy your domain tell him to get lost.