Why is Domaining so misunderstood?

I have to say, sometimes I’m amazed at how misunderstood our industry is. Today I received a very negative email from someone that I had reach-out to as a potential buyer for a domain I have AutoLiquidators.us. This person runs an auto liquidation website so I thought – this would be a great name for them! I’ve been doing this for almost three years now and so far small businesses seem pretty happy when you help them get a great domain.

However, in this case the person seemed offended by the entire concept of buying a domain. In fact, he claimed that you should not be able to sell a domain for more than $6.95 because nobody should have to pay more than the reg fee. I did my best to let him know we have an entire industry with domains being bought and sold every day! However this just goes to show how misunderstood our industry is.

Remember, this guy isn’t angry that I emailed him…he’s angry that I’m trying to sell him a domain for more than $6.95. Oh and just for reference I’m looking for $250 for the domain so I’m not talking about ridiculous pricing here! Below is the email I received today – this really shows us just how far we still  have to go before our industry is understood by the average Joe.

I have been here since the beginning and no matter what kind of spin you want to put on it, what you are doing is buying a viable domain name that could and should be used by a legitimate company on a first come first served basis. If you are saying that you think it is worth $250 simply because you had the foresight to snap it up for 6.95 and then hold onto it until someone comes along looking for just such a business name to park their actual company on top of you are seriously misguided.  A company, by the way, which they intend to actually produce something and contribute to society at large with and shouldn’t have to pay a scalper like you for the privilege of doing it.  Either the domain is available or it is not based on first come first served, otherwise Icann can just hold onto it and sell it to the buyer for 6.95, the same price you paid for it.  What gives you the right to profit from nothing? From thin air? From providing zero goods or services, just holding honest bussiness people hostage to your inflated opinion of an internet domain name. You are preying off of people who don;t know any better.  I would never allow any of our clients to pay a cockroach like yourself for a domain because as I stated earlier, it isn;t the name that makes the company, it’s the company that makes the name.

If you are confused about any of this perhaps you should go to your local bookstore, spend 6.95 on a better investment than a domain name and pick up a copy of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Once you have read and absorbed the core principles laid out therein then come back and let’s discuss this topic once more.  Go out and make something of yourself, stop trying to swindle people.  If you have the integrity you purport to have then you are doing yourself a serious disservice in pursuing your current stream of revenue.  Go build something! You have a shiny CS degree, go use it and contribute… the world is waiting. Domains we can already get from godaddy, we don’t need you as shocking as that may seem.

Morgan Linton

Morgan Linton