Buying and Selling in Domain Name Auctions

When I looked into domain name auctions, I found many, many domain names up for auction, but very few with any bids posted. You'll find many domain names on eBay.com, but probably not those of the more serious domain name sellers. There are many other domain auction and brokerage sites that you can find at Yahoo!'s "Domain Registration/Brokerages" section; however, two domain name auction sites stand out: Afternic.com and GreatDomains.com.

Afternic.com http://www.afternic.com is my first choice. The site has a clean design. While you can browse without registering, a standard membership is free and allow more features. To engage in transactions you must purchase an Exchange Membership for $5. In addition to a Buyer's Guide and Seller's Guide, you can ask to have your site appraised by other members, participate in discussions on domain name value, see the latest domain name industry news, and search the auction for desirable names. A member's interface allows you to keep track of domain names you own, are auctioning, or are tracking. Auction and escrow fees: buyer pays $50 on sales under $1,000 or 5% on sales over $1,000.

GreatDomains.com. http://www.greatdomains.com No charge to become a member. Site appraisals by GreatDomains are $75 and based on actual sales of comparables. Auction and escrow fees: No charge for listings (though you can pay more for better exposure on the site), but seller pays 10% of the sales price plus $250 for escrow fees to properly transfer the registration. GreatDomains.com also provides fee-based escrow services for either brokered or private transactions to ensure payment of funds and proper transfer of the domain.