T.R.A.F.F.I.C East 2006 Live Domain Auction FAQ
1) What, where and when is the Live Domain Auction?
A Special Live Domain Auction, sanctioned by the World Association of Domain Name Developers, will be presented and managed by Moniker. This will be the largest concentration of domainers and quality domain names ever gathered for sale in one place, and it will have the largest group of bidders interested in domain names ever gathered in one place.
| When: | 1:30 – 5:00 p.m. EST, October 27, 2006 |
| Where: | T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Domain Conference and Expo October 24-28, 2006 Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa, Hollywood, FL |
| Who should attend: | Domainers, brand marketers, investors, corporations, and webmasters – anyone interested in building and maintaining a strong online presence |
| Why attend: | The Live Domain Auction will feature some of the world’s most valuable domains offered for sale. Several million dollars worth of domain name assets will be available. |
To get more details about the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Conference and to apply for an invitation, please visit www.targetedtraffic.com.
In addition to the Live Domain Auction, Moniker will also be holding a silent auction during the conference from 12:00 p.m. EST, October 26, 2006 through 12:00 p.m. EST, October 28, 2006.
2) Do you have to attend the conference to be admitted to the Live Auction? How do you get in to bid or watch the Live Domain Auction?
Only attendees to the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conference will be automatically eligible to attend the Live Auction. You can apply for an invitation to the conference at www.targetedtraffic.com.
3) Do I have to be attending the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conference or be a Moniker client to participate as a buyer or seller in the Live Domain Auction?
| To attend and/or bid: | Only attendees to the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conference will be automatically eligible to attend the Live Auction. You can apply for an invitation to the conference at www.targetedtraffic.com. You MUST be present at the Live Auction event or have a representative present in order to be a bidder/buyer at the event. Most sales in the Live Domain Auction will automatically be transferred to Moniker as the registrar of record through the sales and escrow process. Therefore, all winning bidders will be required to open a Moniker.com account. In addition, auction sales will automatically use Moniker Escrow Services to ensure a smooth transfer of assets and protect both buyers and sellers. Escrow costs are included in the commission charges. Invited attendees not able to make the conference, may be able to bid in the silent auction with special password access. There also may be a few qualified and approved telephone bidders for the live auction. |
| Sellers: | Anyone can submit a name for consideration in the Live Auction – you do not need to attend the conference. However, sellers who are not Moniker clients will be required to open a free account at Moniker.com. Create your free Moniker account, https://www.moniker.com/newaccount.jsp. |
4) Does it cost anything to participate in the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. auctions?
| Attendees: | Other than registering for the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Conference, there is no separate fee associated with submitting a name for auction or attending the auction. |
| Successful sales: | Names sold in the Live Domain Auction will be assessed a “seller’s” commission and transaction fee of 15% deducted from the sale price. Commission and transaction charges cover all escrow costs, but do not cover domain transfer fees for portfolios of five or more domains purchased as part of a group. Domain transfer fees will be applied separately, and calculated based on the number of domains being transferred. In addition, certain country code domains may include additional fees associated with the regulations issued by the registry. Winning bidders should be prepared to make payment arrangements at the end of the auction for the domains they purchase. |
| Non-sales: | There will be NO fees or commissions assessed on names that aren’t sold. |
5) How will the names going into the live auction be determined?
| 10/2/06 – 10/18/06 | Call for entries -- Sellers will be given the opportunity to submit their domains online via email at sales@moniker.com or through Moniker’s new Marketplace |
| 10/9/06 – 10/26/06 | Potential bidders attending the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. East Conference will be invited to indicate their top choices on the domains that may be of interest to them. To do so, bidders will log onto Moniker’s Live Auction Preview using a special password supplied by the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. East Conference organizers. Once logged on, conference attendees will be able to review the domains submitted and indicate their interest in the ones they want to buy. Bidders will only be able to indicate their interest in any specific domain one time. However, they may indicate their interest in as many different domains as they like. Sellers will not be ale to vote on their own domains. Domains that receive the highest interest from bidders will be included on the Live Auction short list. Domains MUST receive sufficient bidder interest by 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 26, to be included in the Live Domain Auction. Domains will be listed with predicted opening price ranges to ensure that the interest is qualified. |
| 10/26, 10 p.m. EST | Moniker will determine which domains received the highest interest and will post those selections as the final Live Auction list by or before 10 p.m. on October 26, 2006. |
Moniker also reserves the right to add or remove any domains from the final Live Auction list, based upon our evaluation of sales potential. This criteria may include:
- Appraised value
- Revenue generation and/or traffic history (Please note, only DomainSponsor.com monetization results will interface directly to the names in the Live Auction and in Marketplace.)
- Marketability and appreciation potential
- All brand-worthy names with $0 reserve prices will also be considered
6) How are domains listed on the Live Auction website?
Bidders may locate specific domains organized by price category shown on the Live Auction web pages.
7) What will happen to the names submitted for the Live Auction that do not make the list?
Many of the other domains not selected for the Live Auction will be considered for inclusion in the Silent Auction or be offered in Moniker’s Marketplace system, at the sole discretion of Moniker.
8) Can the seller set a reserve price?
Sellers may set absolute minimum reserve prices for their domains. This price should be the minimum “NET” amount the seller will consider selling the domain, excluding commission and transaction fee. While Moniker prefers to feature names for sale that do not have a reserve price, we will consider including high quality names that are attached to a fair and reasonable reserve price. If you are interested in selling a name with a reserve price, we recommend that you keep it as low as possible. Once reserve prices are entered, they may only be lowered, not raised. Domains submitted with no reserve will be listed in the $0-$10K category.
9) What will happen to the names submitted for the Live Auction that do not make the list?
On October 27th at 1:30 PM, a licensed auctioneer will manage the bidding and all standard auction policies.
10) How does the auction work?
The Live Auction is scheduled to start at 1:30 PM EST and end at 5:00 PM EST. This will be a typical open cry auction with a licensed auctioneer managing the process and following all standard auction policies. Bidders must be present in the room to make a bid. However, bidders are welcome to use cell phones to communicate with parties outside of the auction room. Domains will not be sold unless the bid price meets or exceeds the agreed upon reserve price established by the seller and Moniker. For more information on submitting and selecting names for the auction, please see question #5.
Tips for sellers: Sellers attending the conference may lower their reserve prices or accept lower prices during the bidding process by indicating their desire to the auctioneer or to one of the Moniker representatives on the auction floor. Sellers are encouraged to sit in the first two rows so that they can be seen. Sellers are not to sell or put their domains up for sale through any other means prior to the event once their domains have been submitted.
Tips for bidders: When placing bids at the live auction, please make sure you hold your paddle high and let either the spotters or the auctioneer know that you have placed a bid if you feel your bid has not been acknowledged.
All purchases are final at the close of each sale by the auctioneer
11) How do I know if my names are good candidates for the live auction? What’s the best way to attract potential buyers in the live auction?
Please consult a Senior Account Executive from Moniker for feedback and assistance on potential auction candidates by emailing them at sales@moniker.com. In addition, the following steps are recommended to best position your names for selection and sale in the Live Domain Auction:
- Get your parked domains running on the DomainSponsor monetization service. Using DomainSponsor.com allows Moniker to verify any revenue or traffic statistics. DomainSponsor statistics may be directly interfaced to the auction names and will be published for potential buyers to review.
- Have your domains appraised using the Moniker appraisal tool. Moniker’s service is currently the only system recognized by the IRS and domain financing companies.
- Transfer registration of your domains to Moniker. As the vendor of choice for the Live Auction, once a domain is sold via auction, the closing and transfer of assets can be completed right away if the domains are already at Moniker through Moniker’s secure escrow service.
12) When and where will the list of Live Domain Auction names be published?
A tentative auction listing will be available on the Moniker Marketplace Web site in mid October. This will be a current listing updated dynamically whenever a new domain is accepted until 10 a.m. EST, October 18. The last day to submit domains for consideration for the live or silent auction will be by 6 p.m. October 18, 2006. The final list will be available on the Moniker Marketplace Web site by or before 10 p.m., October 18. A printed copy of the Live Auction listing will also be available outside the auction room prior to the start of the event at 1:30 p.m. EST.
13) How will the transaction process work for names purchased at auction?
If a name is successfully “won” at auction, Moniker will work with the winning bidder to complete the sale and receive funds into escrow as soon as possible. This process typically takes a week to complete but could take longer if the domain is not already at Moniker, or if the winning bidder lives outside the United States. Both Buyers and Sellers must agree and abide by the Marketplace User Agreement.
Sellers can request Moniker to pay sellers via check, bank wire, Paypal, or by placing funds in the seller's moniker account. Moniker will use best efforts to complete funds transfer within 3 business days of ownership change.
Funds for all domain purchases will be due to escrow by close of business on November 10, 2006. Funds can be paid by bank wire, personal check, cashier & certified check, paypal (for purchases under $10,000.00 only), credit card (for purchases under $5,000.00 only)
14) Official correspondence:
All correspondences to Buyer/Seller/Escrow Agent regarding this any should be addressed to:
DomainSystems, Inc.
20 SW 27th Ave. Suite 201
Pompano Beach, FL 33069
Phone: 954-984-8445
Fax: 954-969-9155
Legal@DomainSystems.com