‘I Wouldn’t Know Where to Send the Money’

I have been aggressively trying to buy more great one word .com domain names to augment my portfolio. I have been kicking the tires at quite a few companies where I think domain names aren’t being optimally used or something else has led me to believe I could acquire a domain name for the right offer. Buying domain names from large companies is particularly difficult.

Case in point, I got in touch with the right contact at a very large company a few weeks ago. I made a few offers, and our discussion culminated with a $100,000 offer to buy one of their domain names. I also asked if a decision could be made this week since I am discussing many domain name purchases. She asked to speak on the phone and we discussed why we wouldn’t get a deal done.

In addition to the multiple approval channels a deal would have to go through at the company, she mentioned that she wouldn’t even know where to send the money if we reached a deal. The domain name appears to be owned by a subsidiary company that is wholly owned by the main company with whom I was dealing. It seems like the main company owns and manages the intellectual property (domain names, trademarks, websites…etc.) on behalf of the other companies, and there are many divisions at the main company.

I have encountered similar responses before. I have also dealt with people at large companies who have zero motivation to sell a domain name. They either have no P&L responsibility or the domain name wouldn’t fall under the P&L they manage. Put simply, a domain name negotiation and transaction would be a time suck for them but have no benefit to their job and a marginal benefit at best to the company.

There are many large companies that own fantastic domain names that are either not being used or are under utilized. There are many challenges to buying a domain name from a large company. In many cases, you will need to offer much more than the domain name is worth to even elicit a response.

Elliot Silver
Elliot Silver
About The Author: Elliot Silver is an Internet entrepreneur and publisher of DomainInvesting.com. Elliot is also the founder and President of Top Notch Domains, LLC, a company that has closed eight figures in deals. Please read the DomainInvesting.com Terms of Use page for additional information about the publisher, website comment policy, disclosures, and conflicts of interest. Reach out to Elliot: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

6 COMMENTS

  1. Hello Elliot,

    Why would a company sell Their (.com EPA) when they are watching their (.com EPA) Tax Shelters Grow exponentially every year and most likely they are a companies Ace in the deck. $100,000 is not going to cut it. Especially when Googles SEM-CENTRIC model is in real danger? JAS 3/5/2021
    Gratefully, Jeff Schneider (CONTACT GROUP) We don’t Follow, We Create

  2. Been there, done that, got the frustration T-shirt.
    I actually had one guy tell me they are just going to let it expire because not worth their time to renew and sign an agreement with me (one I would gladly provide mind you), that was on a $29k offer. I called up their legal counsel contact and guess what, not worth their time LOL

    Name dropped, sold for $38K.

    Life goes on, big business is not just a term its a fact, too big. Funny to think how most of these businesses started very small, hard work, time, sweat, foresight and financing involved by a guy/gal with a dream or passion and decades later so big they don’t care about 10’s of thousands of dollars for what may be just hours of time.

    On a side note employees of these companies continue to get away with theft and our community big shots keep buying them up. Had a notification on a ” Home Loans” domain I know is not on the up and up. Waiting to see what Award winning domainer buys that one.

    • Had a similar thing happen on a small group of domain names that ended up selling for deep into the five figures. The person told me it wouldn’t be worth the time and effort to sell expiring names in private and they were allowed to expire.

  3. We could share stories for ages I am sure 🙂

    One of the steady, loyal, trustworthy and informative elements of the industry is you Elliot, sincerely. Your friends family and those in the industry should be proud.

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