Facebook RSS Twitter
Home Snapnames Page 11

Snapnames

Snapnames Emails Rebate Information

Elliot Silver
-
9

I just received two emails from Snapnames with information about the rebate offer (both emails look the same). The email from the company confirms the bidder ID as “halvarez,” which has been widely reported already. It also informs users that audits were performed on all closed auctions by FTI Consulting, a third-party forensic accounting firm. The rebate offer is described in full detail in the email, and customers were notified what auctions were affected and how much their rebate will be.

If you were involved in a one on one auction with “halvarez” and won, the rebate is   the difference between what you paid and the opening bid, plus interest. If you bid in an auction with “halvarez” and others, the rebate will be the sales price minus what the next high bid would have been without the involvement of “halvarez” plus interest.

One issue I see with the rebate offer is related to the perceived value of the domain name in auction. On a personal level, I feel more comfortable bidding on a domain auction where there is more than one person bidding against me. It reassures me that the domain name has more interest than me and another bidder. Having read that “halvarez” was a big bidder in the past, I may have been more confident in my bidding if he and another bidder were involved.

Another large issue I see is that this rebate offer does not take into consideration domain auctions where the bidder lost to halvarez. Had halvarez not participated in the auction, there is the potential that domain auctions would have been won by another bidder at a lower price.   I don’t know how or if Oversee will address these issues. Maybe there was another email sent to people who lost auctions to halvarez.

Finally, Snapnames requires you to return the acceptance form to Rust Consulting (who according to their website is the leader in “Class Action Settlement Administration”), as they are the third party administrator for these rebates. If you do accept the offer, you will need to waive “any claims you may have against SnapNames and its affiliates relating to this matter.”

I have never been a big Snapnames bidder, so most of this doesn’t really apply to me, but they’re a few things to consider. As with any document of a legal nature, you should consult with an attorney and/or accountant to review your options.

SnapNames Employee Caught Bidding on Auctions

Elliot Silver
-
50

SnapNamesLogoI just received the following statement from Snapnames, and I wanted to share it with readers of my blog, who may have been impacted. Below the statement is some commentary and additional information from Snapnames.

“Recently, SnapNames.com, Inc., discovered that an employee had set up an account on the SnapNames system under a false name and, under this name, bid in SnapNames auctions.   This is a clear violation of our internal policy and was not approved by the company.

Extent of impact

This conduct affected a small percentage of SnapNames auctions:
·                 Bidding affected approximately five percent of total SnapNames auctions since 2005, most of which occurred between 2005 and 2007, before SnapNames was acquired by Oversee.   To a much lesser extent, auctions in 2008 and 2009 were also impacted.
o               In less than one percent of these auctions, the employee won the auction
o               In the other four percent, the employee lost the auction
·                 The incremental revenue from the bidding represented approximately one percent of SnapNames auction revenues since 2005.

SnapNames further discovered that, on certain recent and limited occasions, when the employee won an auction, the employee secretly arranged to refund from SnapNames to the fictitious account a portion of the winning bid amount.

To avoid any question about whether the company benefited from this conduct, SnapNames will offer a rebate to impacted customers, including 5.22% interest (the highest applicable federal rate during the affected time period), of the difference between the prices they paid in winning auctions, and the prices they would have paid had the employee not bid in the auctions.   Impacted customers will be notified by SnapNames or its representative with instructions for the offer of a rebate.

SnapNames has already begun notifying customers of the situation.

SnapNames also has taken further action to ensure its policies regarding auctions are followed, and the company remains committed to taking whatever action is necessary to protect the integrity of its auction platform.

SnapNames deeply regrets this situation and is committed to addressing its customers’ needs quickly and fairly.

Customers with questions may contact:

By e-mail:                                         support@snapnames.com
Phone:                                                   +1 (866) 690-6279 (toll-free in the U.S.)
+1 (503) 241-8547 (outside the U.S.)”

==========

Last year, there were issues surrounding a Godaddy employee who was bidding on expired domain auctions. At the time Oversee.net told Domain Name Wire, “Oversee.net employees are strictly disallowed from bidding against customers.”

Mason Cole, a spokesman for Snapnames has told me the company will not reveal the name of the employee, but DNN is reporting that the user name involved is “HALVAREZ.” The company will not disclose any legal matters related to whether charges are going to be filed against the employee.

One has to also wonder if Oversee.net has any recourse related to the private Snapnames acquisition. The bidding activity impacted revenues prior to the acquisition, and it also had an impact on bidding activity as well. I want to applaud Oversee.net for taking the actions they did and for coming forward with this information. I am sure it will hurt their bottom line, but their reputation is much more important.

I will post further information as I receive it.

Moniker Auction to be Held This Afternoon

Elliot Silver
-
1

Today is somewhat of a bittersweet day in domain auction history, as it marks the final Moniker Live Auction to be held at a TRAFFIC show for the foreseeable future. Moniker was the pioneer in live domain auctions, and they’ve scored tens of millions of dollars in TRAFFIC auction domain sales over the years.

This afternoon at 4pm EST, Moniker will hold its live auction, with simultaneous bidding online at Snapnames. As you can see, there are some great domain names in the auction. Some of my favorites are bolded below (I have no domain names in the live auction).

10 CollegePrepClasses.com $501-$1000
20 PartTimeHelp.com $1001-$2500
30 CustomBoots.com No Reserve
40 TennisCamp.com $2501 – $5000
50 FramedPrints.com No Reserve
60 IceCreamMaker.com $5,001 – $10,000
70 TattooParlor.com $5,001 – $10,000
80 SchoolDresses.com $1001-$2500
90 ImportedLeather.com $2501 – $5000
100 ImportedMarble.com $2501 – $5000
110 Organic.info $5,001 – $10,000
120 SiliconeGel.com $5,001 – $10,000
130 SwineFlu.net $5,001 – $10,000
140 LNN.com $5,001 – $10,000
150 Business.cm $5,001 – $10,000
160 EnergyDrinks.org No Reserve
170 SportFishingBoat.com $1001-$2500
180 HorrorStories.com $5,001 – $10,000
190 ClothesDryer.com $2501 – $5000
200 SmartLink.com $10,001 – $25,000
210 EScripts.com $10,001 – $25,000
220 Pornos.net $10,001 – $25,000
230 Alimony.org $10,001 – $25,000
240 Aging.com $50,001 – $100,000
250 Minority.com $50,001 – $100,000
260 AutoClassifieds.com $50,001 – $100,000
270 Clarinet.com $50,001 – $100,000
280 NewYorkers.com No Reserve
290 CollegeEducation.com $250,001 – $500,000
300 Dropout.com $10,001 – $25,000
310 HonorRole.com No Reserve
320 Tested.com $2501 – $5000
330 Education.cm $5,001 – $10,000
340 GoodTeachers.com $1001-$2500
350 NYC.info $10,001 – $25,000
360 GraduateClasses.com $501-$1000
370 NewYorkSingles.com $25,001 – $50,000
380 NY.biz No Reserve
390 VD.com $250,001 – $500,000
400 NoseJobs.com $25,001 – $50,000
410 Lung.com $25,001 – $50,000
420 PregnancyCenter.com $25,001 – $50,000
430 Flatulence.com $10,001 – $25,000
440 ChestPains.com $10,001 – $25,000
450 ColdRemedies.com $10,001 – $25,000
460 MedicalPractice.com $5,001 – $10,000
470 ConciergeDoctor.com $1001-$2500
480 H1n1FluVaccines.com $1-$500
490 UsTrademarks.com $5,001 – $10,000
500 TrademarkLawyers.com $5,001 – $10,000
510 DivorcePlanning.com $10,001 – $25,000
520 Mediation.com $100,001 – $250,000
530 Arbitration.com $100,001 – $250,000
540 Zimbabwe.com $100,001 – $250,000
550 SanBernardino.com $50,001 – $100,000
560 CityTour.com $25,001 – $50,000
570 Holiday.org $10,001 – $25,000
580 IsleOfCapri.com $10,001 – $25,000
590 Arizona.info $5,001 – $10,000
600 DiscountAirfares.net $5,001 – $10,000
610 EuropeanVacation.com $2501 – $5000
620 FamilyVacation.com $50,001 – $100,000
630 SeattleRestaurant.com $1001-$2500
640 UsedTools.com $50,001 – $100,000
650 PowerSaws.com $2501 – $5000
660 Saws.com $50,001 – $100,000
670 ComputerRecyclers.com $5,001 – $10,000
680 ComputerChip.com $5,001 – $10,000
690 Hockey.org $10,001 – $25,000
700 DataCenters.com $100,001 – $250,000
710 QB.com $100,001 – $250,000
720 GameTickets.com $50,001 – $100,000
730 VolleyBalls.com $10,001 – $25,000
740 ElectricGolfCarts.com $10,001 – $25,000
750 FishingLine.com $10,001 – $25,000
760 SkiLodge.com $5,001 – $10,000
770 ExerciseClass.com $5,001 – $10,000
780 FantasyStats.com $2501 – $5000
790 GolfCaps.com $1001-$2500
800 OK.biz No Reserve
810 LocalGasPrices.com $5,001 – $10,000
815 Pesos.com $25,001 – $50,000
820 40.com $100,001 – $250,000
830 FreeSex.com $1MM – $5MM
840 ContractorsCoverage.com No Reserve
850 FarmInsurance.com $100,001 – $250,000
860 TermLifeRates.com $2501 – $5000
870 CamperInsurance.com $5,001 – $10,000
880 Insurance.cm $5,001 – $10,000
890 LendMoney.com $1001-$2500
900 FinancialProducts.com $5,001 – $10,000
910 I.biz No Reserve
920 SecondMortgage.com $100,001 – $250,000
930 Townhouses.com $100,001 – $250,000
940 Borrowers.com $25,001 – $50,000
950 MortgageModification.com $10,001 – $25,000
960 FreeEstimate.com $10,001 – $25,000
970 FreeFinancing.com $10,001 – $25,000
980 NewCarQuotes.com $5,001 – $10,000
990 Tube.com $1MM – $5MM
1000 HD.biz No Reserve
1010 TemporaryStorage.com $25,001 – $50,000
1020 CreditTips.com $25,001 – $50,000
1030 BostonTerriers.com $25,001 – $50,000
1040 Debentures.com $25,001 – $50,000
1050 Raspberry.com $25,001 – $50,000
1060 RecipeBooks.com $5,001 – $10,000
1070 EZ.biz No Reserve
1080 CostumeRentals.com $5,001 – $10,000
1090 Vultures.com $25,001 – $50,000
1100 IStream.com $10,001 – $25,000
1110 CollectibleCoins.com No Reserve
1120 Photo.com $1MM – $5MM
1130 PearlEarrings.com $50,001 – $100,000
1140 PetProducts.net $10,001 – $25,000
1150 VoiceNavigation.com $501-$1000
1160 SingleMen.com $100,001 – $250,000
1170 Stuff.com $1MM – $5MM
1180 Introduction.com $100,001 – $250,000
1190 StampCollectors.com $5,001 – $10,000
1200 OfficeSupply.com $500,001 – $750,000
1210 WoolSuits.com $1001-$2500
1220 Maintaining.com $1001-$2500
1230 EBuy.com $250,001 – $500,000
1240 PetBoarding.com $25,001 – $50,000
1250 MultiVitamins.com $25,001 – $50,000
1260 OrganicBabyFood.com $10,001 – $25,000
1270 BrassBeds.com $10,001 – $25,000
1280 OnlineWork.com $5,001 – $10,000
1290 WallOvens.com $2501 – $5000
1300 Originals.com $25,001 – $50,000
1310 StockMarket.info $2501 – $5000
1320 LincolnMemorial.com $2501 – $5000
1330 Loans.dk $1001-$2500
1340 Fail.org $1001-$2500
1350 Stage.com $250,001 – $500,000
1360 WineCellar.com $100,001 – $250,000
1370 SecurityNetwork.com $1001-$2500
1380 EarlyEdition.com $1001-$2500
1390 AfricanAmericans.com $250,001 – $500,000
1400 IBill.com $250,001 – $500,000
1410 MedicalExam.com $25,001 – $50,000
1420 HalloweenParty.com $10,001 – $25,000
1430 NannyCams.com $10,001 – $25,000
1440 WiseMen.com $2501 – $5000
1450 VinylCleaners.com $2501 – $5000
1460 EarnMoney.com $250,001 – $500,000
1470 Bands.com $100,001 – $250,000
1480 HouseRentals.com $100,001 – $250,000
1490 Brakes.net $2501 – $5000

Now’s a Good Time to Watch Snapnames & Namejet

Elliot Silver
-
5

I don’t really keep tabs on drop auctions, unless I am bidding on them. I also don’t generally place a bid on a domain in auction to watch it, even if there are many other bidders involved. However, Mike’s post, which has little to do with drop auctions, should make us more aware of what’s dropping.

With PPC down, companies are less cavalier about spending significant money on dropping domain names because they simply won’t be able to maximize the value with a parked page. For domain investors that develop or that buy and then target end users to re-sell, this is a big opportunity. Names that were selling for 4 figures are now selling for 3 figures, and there is less competition – especially for longer tail keywords. Some can even be picked up for registration fee after the auction ends.

In addition to the PPC slide, domain tasting has been virtually killed. This is causing more domain names to drop than ever before, allowing domain investors with a sharp eye to get deals. IMO, there are many great domain names that would be perfect for niche businesses, but they don’t get much type-in traffic. These types of names can be perfect for a quick flip to a targeted end user buyer.

I talked about a good deal I got on CabCompanies.com a while back, and every day, there are dozens of great domain names like this that would have sold for much, much more several months ago – or would never have even dropped. If you haven’t been paying attention to Snapnames or Namejet auctions, now is a very good time to do so.

Use Caution When Buying Typo Drops

Elliot Silver
-
4

I’ve been looking at dropping auctions more regularly on NameJet and SnapNames, and I frequently come across generic typo domain names that are enticing. They seem generic enough that they would avoid any type of trademark violation, and they could potentially get traffic based on some analytics I’ve done. These are typically misspelled words where one letter is replaced with a letter that’s next to the correct letter on the keyboard.

Today I found a typo domain name that I was considering, and I went to the website to see if I could find some analytic information – like Compete.com traffic. When I got there, I saw that it was a porn site, and it got me concerned. I know that a domain owner may not be liable for what a previous owner did, but that wouldn’t necessarily stop a company from filing suit under the assumption that you had something to do with its prior usage.

Now if you are sued for misuse on a high value domain name, that’s another story and a cost of doing business in most cases. However, if you are sued because of a cheap typo name you bought hoping to make enough PPC revenues to cover the drop price, you have to ask yourself if it’s really worth the effort.

Furthermore, you should ask if the domain name is really worth acquiring if it’s currently a porn site, as it wouldn’t make sense for the domain owner to monetize it this way if it received traffic (it’s unrelated to porn).

Snapnames Job & Career Domain Auction

Elliot Silver
-
0

Snapnames is currently running their September Showcase Auction, and this month’s theme is job and career domain names. Many of the domain names up for auction have no reserves, and others have very low reserve prices. Below are my favorite domain names in auction with the current price. The auction ends on Friday.

BreakfastBar.com – Reserve: $1,001 – $2,500

HorrorStories.com – Reserve: $5,001 – $10,000

HuntingKnife.com – Reserve: $2,501 – $5,000

LawyerListings.com – Reserve: None

MontrealVacations.com – Bid: $840

TemporaryWorkers.com – Reserve: $2,501 – $5,000

WineSale.com – Reserve: $1,001 – $2,500

1...101112...15Page 11 of 15

Recent Posts

2021 vs 2025 – % of .coms in my Portfolio

Elliot Silver - 1
I don't closely track the percentage of domain extensions in my portfolio. I could have 75% .com or I could have 99% .com domain...

Nominations Open for 2026 ICA Awards

Elliot Silver - 0
The Internet Commerce Association (ICA) is now accepting nominations for two domain investing community awards. Domain investors may now submit their nominations for the...

Bodis Gives Performance Update After Google Parked Domain Opt-Out

Elliot Silver - 3
Bodis sent an update to customers yesterday about recent performance impacts related to pay per click parking revenue. The company attributed the decline to...

Glad This Sale Wasn’t an LTO

Elliot Silver - 0
Sometimes, the most obvious use for a particular domain name is in a manner that would either be offensive, controversial, or negative. This will...

Com Laude to Acquire MarkMonitor

Elliot Silver - 3
Com Laude has built its reputation as a leading domain name management service and registrar for large corporations. The company competes against several other...
© Important Notice: Unless explicitly stated, Top Notch Domains, LLC does not endorse any advertiser on this website. Advertisements and links may take visitors to external websites. Top Notch Domains, LLC is not responsible or liable for products, services, or content found on any other website. See the DomainInvesting.com disclaimer for additional details and information as well as this website's Terms of Use. Copyright © 2007-2025 - DomainInvesting.com | Top Notch Domains, LLC