Domains, prices, and disputes

Sunner

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
11,641
0
76
Just looking for a little information from someone experienced in stuff like this.

Background:
Quite a few years ago, I registered the domain sunner.com, me being Sunner and all, Sunner in turn is a nickname I picked up in school a long long time ago, derived from my surname.
So, today some guy from Sedo calls me and says he has a customer willing to pay me $3,000 for the domain.
Tempting, but I've already decided not to take it, not cause I want more, but because I rather like my domain, plus I'm using my mail address there on about a billion places, so it would also be a major PITA to change that.

Question:
If they decide to try to wrestle the domain from me, given the above background, any chance they'd succeed?
As far as know, they'd need to prove that I don't use the domain, and/or bought it with the intent to pressure someone for money.
Obviously, I do use it, the front page looks like ass, doesn't provide anything useful, and hasn't been updated in 4-5 years.
There's a forum for me and my friends though, and I do use the domain for various mail addresses, so that should cover the usage part, right?
And, it should be obvious to any dimwit that I didn't get it to pressure someone for money, seeing as I've owned it for...6-7 years or something.
Plus, me having the nick Sunner pasted all over forums on the internet, along with being called that by pretty much everyone in real life should give me a good association to the name, right?

So, if they do decide to play hardball, do I have any reason to worry about losing it?
Advice or opinions much appreciated.
 

AMCRambler

Diamond Member
Jan 23, 2001
7,706
28
91
How much would they have to pay to make it worth your while to sell it to them? You could just give them a counter offer and see if they'll accept. Make sure you outline your reasons for doing so as you have in this thread. Could be lucrative.
 

Sunner

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
11,641
0
76
Originally posted by: AMCRambler
How much would they have to pay to make it worth your while to sell it to them? You could just give them a counter offer and see if they'll accept. Make sure you outline your reasons for doing so as you have in this thread. Could be lucrative.

Don't know really, can't say any specific amount of money would do it, more like an offer that made me go "Wow, that's one I can't refuse".
But I have no particular interest in selling it, so unless they decide to just throw me a badass offer that makes me go WOW, I just want to make sure there's no way in hell they can wrestle it from me.
 

MrBond

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2000
9,911
0
76
I've heard (and I don't know if this is true) that by replying back to their offer with something like "$10,000 and it's yours", you've effectively proven that you bought the domain with the intent to sell it to someone else and they can force it from you.

That may not be true, but it's often advice I see in similar threads. Although usually what the person is asking in that case is when they get a letter from a "lawyer" saying they need to C&D using the name and surrender it to the "lawyer's" client because they want it for their business (ie, your name is Bob and you own bobscars.com because you like to post pictures of your cars online, but the car dealer who owns bobscars.net is sick of people going to your site instead of his).

You might check over at Webhostingtalk, but I think from what you've said, you should be fine in proving you're actually using the site. I have a domain like that with practically nothing on the front page, but I keep pictures/email/etc there and actually use the website.