When a user searches for a domain name at GoDaddy, and it is not listed for sale via its network, the Domain Broker Service offering is shown. To utilize DBS, a customer pays north of $100 and an additional 20% fee if a deal is reached.
If a customer pays to utilize a GoDaddy DBS broker, the broker will connect directly with the prospect to understand the budget and discuss the acquisition. It is during this initial conversation, I believe, the broker understands if the buyer intended to make an offer or if the DBS purchase was in error, believing the domain name could be bought for that amount. Assuming the buyer genuinely wants to use the DBS, the buyer and broker discuss budget and offer before connecting with the domain registrant.
While these discussions do not include the domain registrant, GoDaddy customers do have a dashboard where they can see their domain names that are subject to a DBS lead. DBS.GoDaddy.com will take GoDaddy customers to a dashboard with their DBS purchase inquiries as well as purchase inquiries that were made for their registered domain names.
In the status section, there is what appears to be a call to action for “Call domain broker.” While I sometimes proactively do this, I don’t think it’s necessary. In general, when a DBS broker has a firm offer from a customer, the broker will reach out to the registrant for the offer. If there is no offer, the lead will sit there in a status that isn’t known to the domain registrant.
More often than not, the broker will only reach out once a bonafide offer has been made, but occasionally a broker will reach out to ask for an asking price. My response is generally the same and something along the lines of ‘If this domain name had an asking price, it would be listed for sale on Afternic or the landing page. You are welcome to submit an offer on behalf of your client, but I am not going to provide a price or price range.‘
I don’t mind working with the GoDaddy DBS team on inbound leads. Whatever deal is reached is net to me as the buyer pays the broker’s commission. Yes, that commission is money the buyer was willing to pay for the domain name above the price, but if I get the number I want, I am content and willing to do business.
I have a whole bunch of domain names with the “Call domain broker” status on my DBS dashboard. I don’t think this is super helpful since that generally means the buyer’s budget is woefully low or the buyer thought he or she was buying the domain name for the DBS fee. Generally, the DBS broker will reach out fairly quickly when a bonafide offer has been made by the client.
It’s interesting to have someone whom you pay for a service engage in conversations with strangers about you without telling you who they are.
For example, imagine if I took calls from people who wanted to buy my clients’ registered trademarks, and then I contacted my clients to say, “Someone wants to buy your assets, but I won’t tell you who it is.”
You would not tolerate that from any other service provider whom you pay for a service.
Interesting find Elliot. I see my most recent one has a status of “Unable to Reach You” which is quite odd. The explanation says,
“We’ve closed this claim.
We’re closing this claim. We made multiple attempts to contact you but got no response. Please let us know if we can help you in the future.”
The domain did end up selling through Afternic last month though, so not sure what that is about. It’s definitely concerning that a GoDaddy broker would find themselves unable to reach me though, especially on multiple attempts, as there is zero reason for that.
Interesting. Thanks!
Found some closed sale but this one “We’ve closed this claim. We’re closing this claim. Please let us know if we can help you in the future. STATUS Negotiations failed”
What negotiations? I never heard from a GD broker for that particular domain, ever. Also, no dates on these entries so there is no way to know when that occurred.
Last “let us know if we can help you in the future”??? I didnt know you were trying to help me in the past!
My guess is the buyer either thought the DBS purchase was actually buying the domain name or the buyer’s budget was so low it wasn’t worth bothering you.