I have most likely spent six figures on NameJet auctions in the last year or so. It’s not something I really track, but I am an active buyer on NameJet. I only mention this because it should go without saying that I trust the fairness of the platform, otherwise I would not participate in auctions.
One of the features of NameJet is that I am able to see who else is bidding on an auction. Even though I don’t personally know many of the bidders I regularly compete against, it is good to know that if I don’t win the other competitors are going to follow through and pay. As a seller on NameJet, it is also helpful to know that someone who is winning an auction is actually going to pay should their bid be the highest.
Because I don’t know all NameJet bidders, I regularly turn to the GoldNames.com blog to see if I can find a bidder’s history. GoldNames seems to track many (maybe most but I don’t know) of the auctions that are run on NameJet. GoldNames also tracks the winning bidder of the auction.
I sometimes find it easier to use Google to search that site for a bidder name, but it is helpful. I can then use DomainTools to confirm that the domain name changed hands post-auction to give me added comfort that I am bidding against a legitimate bidder or that the winning bidder will pay for the auction he won.
There are some limitations with this. I am sure NameJet would tell me that they have new bidders signing up regularly. Obviously a new and legitimate bidder wouldn’t have a trackable bidding history. In addition, I am sure people who privately auction names on NameJet contact end user buyers who may sign up specifically for an auction. This may be their first auction and they may be bidding aggressively because the domain name up for bid is the reason for signing up.
Whenever I have any doubts about the legitimacy of a bidder, the GoldNames blog is where I turn to try and find a bidder’s history.
Elliot, this is the funniest coincidence because I literally just came here to ask you about your NJ auctions (since I’ve seen you talking about this before).
Are you willing to give out your NJ “featured auctions” url and is that something you give out? I saw someone who advertised theirs. It seems some people have nice vanity names on the end of their url, but a lot of people have just gobbledygook. I would have expected yours to be something like these two: http://www.namejet.com/featuredauctions/DomainInvesting or http://www.namejet.com/featuredauctions/TopNotchDomains, but apparently not, unless you simply have nothing listed now.
Do you just use an “incognito” gobbledygook url, e.g. http://www.namejet.com/featuredauctions/93c7jP8x2s? What do you recommend for this?
I have nothing listed for sale on NameJet right now so the page that was being used forwards elsewhere.
I don’t know if you saw my email but I actually found two for you later instead of just one.
I see you sold circulation.com already, which I thought was quite a great domain. “Amazing” what they are doing with it now.
I did see your email. The url NameJet used was this: http://www.namejet.com/featuredauctions/tnd1116
It now forwards to the auction page since I don’t have any names on auction at the moment.
Regarding Circulation.com – I don’t generally comment about sales.
Right I figured you were mum about the details but you do list it as merely having been sold so I imagine it had to be a decent sale for you. I hope it was.
Do you want me to post the other NJ url I found for you? As I mentioned in my email I won’t do that unless it’s ok with you. (P.S. I’ll probably be gone for some hours after this.)
I’m not really sure what you mean. The NameJet auction URL has very little meaning for me.
Well it seems you might still find it interesting that two of them exist if you thought only one exists.
Sorry, I still don’t know what you’re talking about
That’s why I’ve been offering to tell you, Elliot. Do you want me to post it here publicly, or would you prefer I reply to your reply to my email? Either way I’m perfectly willing to say what I found – and it’s clearly another NJ url for your company. But it’s starting to feel a lot more like no good deed goes unpunished…
Yes, post away. I have no idea why it would be an issue.
Well excuse me for being thoughtful and considerate about any possible reason or privacy concern, but I’m sure most normal people would agree it was good for me to do that. And since that’s how it’s gonna be then forget about it.
Sorry, I still have no idea what you’re talking about.
Oh stop, lol…
Ok, so let’s move on to something else.
Enjoy your weekend.
Yikes, just been put in “moderation” here. Don’t think that’s ever happened except maybe years ago when I first started…
There’s a setting the puts comments in moderation if they have 3 links within them.
And come to think of it, it definitely makes perfect sense a post like that would get scooped up in moderation first, so no worries…