Update: Selling Domain Names on eBay
Friday, May 9th, 2008
Is it worth trying to sell domain names on eBay? An experiment with Headcase.com.
Everyone knows that eBay’s domain name auctions are full of junk. I personally don’t spend any time looking for domains there.But recently there have been some high profile domain auctions on the site. There are also new tools to sift through the junky domains and find winners.
I’ve decided to give eBay another shot, but this time as a seller. And with a good domain, not some piece of junk. My experience listing the domain — Headcase.com — reminds me why eBay isn’t set up to be a domain seller.
First, listing a domain on eBay takes a long time. eBay has a “quick listing” feature with fewer options, but it still takes longer to list a domain than it does on “made for domain sales” sites such as Sedo and Afternic.
Second, eBay now requires you to accept PayPal for your transaction. Everyone knows that PayPal offers little protection to domain sellers.
Third, the fees. I tried to make Headcase.com a reserve auction. Imagine my surprise when I saw a $50 reserve auction fee before hitting submit! Yikes. eBay charges 1% of your reserve price when you list a reserve auction. I opted to start the auction at $4,900. I’ll be disappointed if it sells for that little, but I’ll just have to take the risk.
Will the domain attract attention? We’ll know in about a week.






