Several years ago, websites appeared on the Internet that call themselves virtual auctions. Their services have already been used by millions of users of the World Wide Web, and many of them were satisfied.
This article is about the auction of antique domains. Real reviews of real Internet users indicate that not all projects of this type are equally good. This project became infamous for offering users of the World Wide Web to buy “abandoned” or “not paid on time” domains with their subsequent resale to careless former owners or anyone else.
What the auction owners offer
The project, which calls itself "Debriefing", recommends that electronic merchants and everyone who wants to earn money by reselling various domains. Possible income from the resale of only one domain, according to the assurances of the owners of the auction, can reach 100,000 rubles.
To earn money, you need to register on the antique domain exchange, move to the "Personal Account", select the domains you like and purchase them in order to resell them for much moremoney without leaving the site.
According to information circulated on thematic forums, the minimum earnings of a merchant reselling antique domains can reach 25,000 rubles a day, and the maximum is 100,000. The funds, according to the assurances of advertisers, are withdrawn in their pure form to any payment system.
Can I make money selling antique domains?
To answer this question, you must first understand which domains are antique. According to the old-timers of the World Wide Web, domains that have existed for several years can be called antique. True, if the website to which the domain is parked generates income, then the price of such a project is several hundred thousand rubles. And if the site brought its owner a very good profit, its value is at least a million.
To be fair, it must be admitted that virtual auctions, somewhat reminiscent of an auction of antique domains, actually exist. Just like there are online entrepreneurs who resell content and domain addresses.
Everyone has the opportunity to purchase a popular domain like kruiz.com in order to profitably resell it to the owner of a travel agency (in this case). But in order to carry out this commercial event, the reseller must first re-register the domain address in his own name by filling out the appropriate documents, in other words, become the new owner of the domain.
And that's not all. When reselling, the procedure will need to be repeated: re-register documents (and these are, as a rule, several forms) for the next owner. Nothing is said about this in the antique domain auction rule book. Real testimonials from entrepreneurs who have worked on this site consist mainly of words and phrases like: "scam", "scam project" and "do not recommend".
According to experts, definitions such as "abandoned domain" and "unpaid domain" cannot exist because a domain name that has not been renewed was most likely not profitable and its price is zero.
What is an online auction
Virtual auctions, experts say, is a win-win chance to start your own business on the Internet. All that is needed for this is to be in the right place at the right time. The concept of this type of income is based on the acquisition of lots at one price and their subsequent resale at a premium.
Every day, a lot of sales are made on auction sites, and both virtual and real services and goods act as lots. The larger the assortment, the greater the turnover.
After registering on one of these sites, the user begins to search for the most sought-after product at the lowest price. But before he buys something, he must find out:
where the purchase will be delivered from (if the purchase is carried from afar, the transaction may not be profitable);
do they matchtechnical characteristics of the product you like and its price;
what feedback did previous buyers leave about the seller and his products
Opinion of the "old-timers" of the Network
Advanced users can easily identify the true intentions of the owners of fake sites. Some of the "old-timers" have already subjected the auction of antique domains to a thorough check (divorce or not - they tried to determine during an independent investigation) and shared their observations with the public. Judging by their comments, an auction site that offers everyone to earn money by reselling abandoned domains is another scam project.
In addition, messages from experienced users who have analyzed the pricing policy of a virtual auction have been published on the Internet. According to the results of this check, the prices of domains offered for resale are a consecutively repeating set of numbers.
If we take into account that more than 9,000 domains are sold at the auction of antique domains (the real reviews of which found on thematic forums do not inspire confidence), then their price cannot be determined by a set of fixed amounts. According to volunteer researchers, the prices were registered even before the “lots” themselves appeared. But that's not what the deception is about. The main idea of scammers is to get real money in exchange for non-existent domains.
Outlining their thoughts on the "bidding", independent experts summed up: "… it will be extremely difficult to return the funds spent on this scam."
What you need to know in order not to fall for the bait of scammers
Experienced people have already compiled advice for beginners who have had a bad experience and do not want to repeat it. So, what should you pay attention to before getting involved in an enterprise whose organizers promise instant enrichment:
administration of the prestigious site quickly responds to user requests, their questions never go unanswered;
purchase of a lot is impossible without filling out reporting documentation;
domains of different levels and sites that differ in subject matter cannot cost the same;
The personal page of the author of a solid web project and the project itself should not be located on the same domain
About the style of the antique domain auction. Real reviews
According to the results of the discussions, the manner of attracting users used by the owners of the auction is reduced to sending spam and promises of honest cooperation with high income. This is how the “first acquaintance” happens: a letter arrives in the user’s mailbox, the author of which “confidentially” informs the addressee that he has earned a tidy sum by buying and reselling domains.
Recipients of strange emails (like this one), who already have experience on the Web, are accustomed to verifying the information received by visiting forums and sites where the topic of cooperation with a potential intermediary is discussed. As for the auction of antique domains, feedback from users who believed the author of the "secret" message can bebe characterized as extremely negative.
Among the authors of other comments on the topic under discussion, there are those who managed to make money on resale, but they were not given the money they earned.
Here's what the authors of negative reviews about the site are specifically dissatisfied with: the auction of antique domains, positioning itself as a project that allows its users to withdraw their earnings without paying a commission fee, actually charges a commission. After transferring the requested amount to the site, users are surprised to find that their accounts have been reset to zero.
