Mark One

They've basically admitted responsibility and offered me one free featured listing (value £20). I've rejected this and removed all my domains from sale on Sedo until this is resolved.

"I have just been in a meeting with one of our directors (because I cannot take the decision on my own), just before your email came in. He mentions that we could offer you a free showcase for any domain of your choice since all that happened was no fault of yours, but due to negligence on our side. "

Although I've strongly argued that they should waive their commission in this case they won't budge - even though I've offered to meet them halfway and pay half the commission on this deal.

Currently considering whether to swallow it and take a £5k sale on a domain sedo has appraised at £11.5k given that they prevented me from responding to a potential bidder within a reasonable time frame.

Meanwhile the buyer's money is sitting in their escrow account and I bet they haven't explained the delay to them!

diablo

I think the response from Sedo and one of its directors sums up the company nicely.

How easy would it have been to waive the commission on just this one sale? Unbelievable, they really are.

I had the same problem when short changed on a domain sale. I was out of pocket by about £20, but only because Sedo changed euros into pounds and then back to euros for no good reason - then blamed it on "bank charges". My bank told me that there had been no such charges.

I'm not the only one to fall foul of Sedo's bank charges wheeze so I too moved all my parked names from Sedo to Namedrive.

Not a huge sum I know, but it's the principle - and the way Sedo then cling on to every penny as if there lives depended on them rather than offering CUSTOMER SERVICE.

A few domains were left behind because they were left out the mass transfer and I've had offers on them, but I would never sell through Sedo again. Wouldn't like to see them earning any commission for the sale.

Even funnier, I had an email from Sedo UK asking for my help on a project some months later. I told them that following the bank wheeze I was no longer active on Sedo. I got a reply basically saying, "sorry I didn't know that, but could you still help?"

Aye right. GTF.

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foz

What do you expect? They're German

retired_member12

My thoughts exactly!

Mark One

UPDATE:

Me: "OK please leave it with me while I take advice on whether to cancel the auction or not on this basis. Thanks."

Note that from the outset I made it clear that I was only prepared to continue the transaction process on the basis that I was compensated appropriately for their performance failure.

Their response and what appears to be a thinly veiled threat or maybe just a language problem:

"I will not advice that we cancel the transfer at this point as the previous occurrences was not his fault. Also, because this is binding contract.

I hope you understand where I'm coming from."

Me "I strongly sympathise with the buyer in this situation. However, I am simply not satisfied with Sedo's performance in this matter.

Sedo have rightly admitted professional negligence in this case ("all that happened was no fault of yours, but due to negligence on our side") and despite concessions on my part (to meet you half way on the fees), your offer of approx £25 compensation on a £5.6k transaction (and a domain you have yourselves valued at £11.5k) is simply not commensurate with the loss of business I believe I have suffered as a result of your failure to moderate my response to an interested party or to prioritize my repeated customer service requests during the auction process.

As I have made clear on several occasions during the course of our dialogue, as a result of these failings and of this negligence, I do not recognise the validity of the auction and do not believe your sales contract is binding.

While I am prepared to continue with the transfer if Sedo takes my complaint seriously and offers fair compensation for its failures in this case (why on earth you think I should pay your full fee in light of this is beyond me), I am ready to seek legal advice on the validity of your sales contract and on the damages I might reasonably claim from pursuing this matter if necessary.

Might I suggest that the "director" responsible for making the decisions at your end contacts me with a view to resolving this amicably.

I hope my position is clear."

That's all folks ... though I may post a message on the homepage of the site in question with a link to this thread for the benefit of the buyer ...

rob

Ask them if this 'binding contract' has ever been 'bound' by a court


http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/sedo/2...ing-venue.html etc but that was Sedo & "Roland Seiber" cocking about.

foz

It's under German law. So if you've got cross border transactions then you've got nothing "binding".

rob

Even then Sedo dont want to get involved

http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/sedo/2...html#post99111 has the phrase I was looking for:

Thus it seems Sedo sales agreements are as binding as toilet paper handcuffs as far as Sedo is concerned

Mark One

I am advised that I do have a strong case so I'm not too worried, but I don't want to get into the validity of Sedo's general process (though it seems somewhat flawed in some areas IMHO) and I'm certainly not here to dispute an auction because I don't like the result.

All I expect from a service of this nature is a level playing field - which isn't the case when the referee takes the ball home halfway through the game and doesn't answer his phone until it's over.

retired_member12

There should be no hassle where Sedo is concerned, no money has passed either way between you and them for their services, so no duty of care exists in relation to this from either party!