This email solicitation leverages the safety of buying a domain at GoDaddy.
Most Domain Name Wire readers get a lot of spam along these lines:
“I see you own example.com. I’m selling domainsomewhatsimilartoexample.com. If you’re interested, please reply or visit the domain to fill out the form.”
Sometimes the sender owns the domain and is trying to sell it. Other times they are frontrunning an expired domain auction.
Perhaps it has been a while since I’ve opened one of these emails (most land in spam), but I got one today that had a bit of a twist.
The email said that the domain could be purchased at GoDaddy for $350. The domain in question was registered just a few days ago and the owner listed it through GoDaddy.
“Simply search for the domain on GoDaddy.com in order to get it,” the email states. The email does not directly link to the domain search on GoDaddy.
I have to hand it to this person for ingenuity. I’m sure people are more comfortable buying a domain through GoDaddy than sending a PayPal payment to someone in India, where this domain owner is located.
AW says
“Modern >domain broking<", or rather newbie-style selling of a junk in order to "shine" as a new domaining star, pretending to be a successful domain investor. Sick!
I am wondering whether it would be better for the industry, if marketplaces and distribution networks (AfternicDSL, SedoMLS) implemented a MINIMUM price below which a domain name could not be classified as premium. Naming a "$350" domain "premium" makes a harm to the industry.
J says
Pretty smart (hate to say it). By getting rid of links, they are probably more likely to bypass the spam filter
Kate says
Report this spam to Godaddy and they will take care of this guy.