How To Buy A Domain Name Anonymously?

[Jambo]

Do you guys buy domains anonymously?

I'd like to buy a .com domain from an owner and stay anonymous throughout, mainly because I don't want the seller to know I have an existing business as they may then (wrongly) assume I have more money to spend.

Can anyone advise how I can do this?

If I use Sedo Domain Escrow the seller will be given my details before they complete the transfer won't they? Giving them the opportunity to pull out.

Should I have a friend transfer the domain and then transfer it over to me later?

What do you guys do please?

 

[Systreg]

If I use Sedo Domain Escrow the seller will be given my details before they complete the transfer won't they? Giving them the opportunity to pull out.

When selling .UK names on there, the only details I get from Sedo about the buyer is their email address to send the transfer to.

The only time I get to know their name/address details is if the buyer asks for an invoice, in which case it states who the invoice should be made out to, I assume it works the same when buying .com's? Maybe others could advise on that.

You could register a completely made up Yahoo email address just for the purpose of using it to purchase the domain, there would be no way for the seller to check who you are as the email address would have no history.

 

[Jambo]

When selling .UK names on there, the only details I get from Sedo about the buyer is their email address to send the transfer to.

The only time I get to know their name/address details is if the buyer asks for an invoice, in which case it states who the invoice should be made out to, I assume it works the same when buying .com's? Maybe others could advise on that.

You could register a completely made up Yahoo email address just for the purpose of using it to purchase the domain, there would be no way for the seller to check who you are as the email address would have no history.

Thanks Systreg. For some reason I thought it gave you access to one another's details but now that you mention it there was one domain I was buying previously and I wasn't convinced the Sedo seller was the owner. I tried to compare the Nominet whois with their address but wasn't able to so I think you're right about that.

The only issue then is that the domain isn't listed on Sedo so it would be a third party domain escrow. Does anyone know if this works differently?

Edit: Found some info on External Domain Escrow. I'll fire over an email and ask them about it. Thanks.

 

[Systreg]

For some reason I thought it gave you access to one another's details

Sedo deliberately dont give any details out until money has been received by them from the buyer, and then only if you requested an invoice. If they did give details out, buyers and sellers could contact each other directly and cut Sedo out of the chain, then there would be no commission for Sedo

 

[Murray]

Sedo deliberately dont give any details out until money has been received by them from the buyer, and then only if you requested an invoice. If they did give details out, buyers and sellers could contact each other directly and cut Sedo out of the chain, then there would be no commission for Sedo

Which is easily done really.. all the buyer needs to do is look at the whois in most cases no?.

 

[Jambo]

Sedo deliberately dont give any details out until money has been received by them from the buyer, if they did give details out, buyers and sellers could contact each other directly and cut Sedo out of the chain, then there would be no commission for Sedo

Yeah but my worry was that after I paid the seller would then see my details, do some digging and then decide to pull out and try for a higher price.

And now I think I've discovered they can see your details after you pay. It's in the Purchase and Sales Agreement document and the Payment Request document.

I might get a friend to do it to be on the safe side.

Edit: Sorry I think their details are only showing to me because the seller didn't own the domain in the case I checked. And then Sedo gave me their details in case I wanted to take legal action.

 

[Simon]

On sedo the other party can tell what country your are from and what buyer history you have.

If your worried get a friend to open a new account and do it but to be honest I would think there is more chance of a greater sale if I noticed the person has a fresh account with no buyer history than if I see they set up the account in 2000 and have a full bar on buyer transactions. In this case I would think it is a domainer fishing for a bargain.