Moral Dilema: Someone wants one of my domain names.

[GTaudiophile]

So I have three domain names, the primary one being www.threewood.com. The other two are rarely used, but the one in question is used more than the other. I use it to host various work-related projects for colleagues. I even host one project for Georgia Tech's Department of Modern Languages. Let's call this site XXXXXX.NET.

Today, I came home to read this e-mail:

Hi there.

I'm an independent artist in Nashville Tennessee desperately trying to phase out of my job as a Video Engineer into a full time furniture designer/builder. I've been in "business" for about a year and have an online portfolio-website with nearly the same XXXXXX address as yours (mine ends with .US). I own none of the pieces on the site since I custom build and deliver to the client's home. Meaning that the piece never really gets to be seen by the public, other than as a photo in my protfolio. Having a showroom is still a few years away for me.

I was wondering if it would be even possible to negociate with you about aquiring the XXXXXX dot NET address you own. Many of the people I tell about my site automatically use the dot Com or dot NET affix instead of the dot US and therefore get lost and give up which causes a potential client loss.

My wife is a web programmer/designer and would be able to make any address changes (If you wish to do so) as smooth and easy as possible.

Have a look at my site if you wish. It's just me and my garage/shop and all I desire is to live as an artist working my craft. Most days I feel like I was born a century too late.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, any response would be greatly appreciated.

So, what should I do?

1) Give it to him for free.
2) Charge him some amount?
3) Screw him and continue using it for various work-related projects?

 

[imported_malcontent]

I don't see why you should give it to him for free. If you are open to selling it, ask him to make an offer.

 

[xSauronx]

you attached to it or getting any kind of particular benefit from it that would cause a problem or hassle for you in using another domain?

 

[Zim Hosein]

So, what should I do?

1) Give it to him for free.

H*ll no, that's not the US way!

 

[pyonir]

about $1000 is the going rate.

 

[Whitecloak]

give it to him for a nominal fee.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: whitecloak
give it to him for a nominal fee.

$1300 would cover the cost of my next lens

 

[imported_Mike]

Sell it or keep it

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: whitecloak
give it to him for a nominal fee.

 

[desk]

why can't the guy just pick another website name?

 

[razor2025]

Free? No way.... I'm pretty sure you've paid some money into registering that domain. If you want to be insanely generous, you can charge him the money you've spent keeping that domain registered for so long.

I'm attending GAtech now. Surprised that GAtech faculty posts on AT OT too...

 

[GTaudiophile]

I wonder if he's checked into XXXXXX.ORG. That's available.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: razor2025
Free? No way.... I'm pretty sure you've paid some money into registering that domain. If you want to be insanely generous, you can charge him the money you've spent keeping that domain registered for so long.

I'm attending GAtech now. Surprised that GAtech faculty posts on AT OT too...

I am not faculty. I helped a professor develop a series of online lessons for the ModLangs Department.

 

[Mermaidman]

Trade it for one of his pieces of art. It would be mutually beneficial and it won't hurt his cash flow.

 

[crypticlogin]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
2) Charge him some amount?

If what the guy says makes sense with the domain name, and you won't have a big issue with not using it yourself, I say sell him the name for the cost of registering a new domain for (say) 5 years plus whatever costs it takes to transfer the old one. I think that's a fair compromise -- nobody's really bending over for the other.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Demand vs. Supply

In this case you are the supply, you decide, I certainly wouldn't give it for free though.

 

[GeekDrew]

#2. Tell him to make an offer.

 

[RaistlinZ]

Ask him to make an offer for it. Don't just give him a price straight off, because he might be willing to pay substantially more depending on how badly he wants it.

 

[gotsmack]

it is not a moral dilemma. you are entitled to a profit on the sale of your assets if the market permits.

as to the amount of profit? whatever the market will bear

 

[Lithium381]

Being that it is used by many other people for varoius academic reasons, i don't think it would be unreasonable to simply put an "if you were looking for THIS site, you have come here in error, please click here to visit bla bla furnature.US or whatever, doesn't hurt you at all(depending on the layout of your site), and if you're using it for the hosting space only, throw a redirect to him from your index.html file, charge him for that or something, but i think you can find another way out that switching domain names

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile

Originally posted by: whitecloak
give it to him for a nominal fee.

$1300 would cover the cost of my next lens

24-70L?


Anyway...I would respond and tell him that if only he would have learned to spell "Negotiate" that I would have given it to him for free but now must charge.

 

[George P Burdell]

Originally posted by: razor2025
Free? No way.... I'm pretty sure you've paid some money into registering that domain. If you want to be insanely generous, you can charge him the money you've spent keeping that domain registered for so long.

I'm attending GAtech now. Surprised that GAtech faculty posts on AT OT too...

<---------------- Just another GT student

 

[RossMAN]

Sell it or keep it.

Get his phone number, call him and give a "feeler" for what he's willing to pay.

I wouldn't go any lower than $200 depending on the domain.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: OdiN

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile

Originally posted by: whitecloak
give it to him for a nominal fee.

$1300 would cover the cost of my next lens

24-70L?


Anyway...I would respond and tell him that if only he would have learned to spell "Negotiate" that I would have given it to him for free but now must charge.

Close. 24-105 F4L IS.

 

[skyking]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
Sell it or keep it.

Get his phone number, call him and give a "feeler" for what he's willing to pay.

I wouldn't go any lower than $200 depending on the domain.

I was thinking $200 also. I imagine it is both the minimum for a seller and the maximum for most small businesses.