How we work
How a name leaves our rail and lands on yours
Every name is handled the same way, whatever it costs. There are five points along the way, and at each one you know exactly what you hold and what happens next.
You can stop at any of them. Saying no, or saying nothing, costs you nothing and closes the matter.
The five points
A note
Elise writes to the person most likely to decide, says which address it is and why it fits the business, and asks whether it is of interest. If there is no answer she may send a few brief reminders. A reply of "stop" ends them the same day.
A figure
If you would like to go further, you get one price for the name, in writing. It does not change with the size of your company and there is no bidding against anyone else.
A signed page
A short purchase agreement names the address, the price, the escrow service, who carries its fee and the dates. Your lawyer is welcome to read it first.
Funds in escrow
You pay the escrow service directly. We are told the money is there; we cannot touch it until you confirm the name is yours.
The name
We push the address to the registrar account you choose. You check that it works, tell the escrow service, and only then is the price released to us.
What we look at before a name is offered
- Blocklists. The address is run against the public spam and abuse lists that mail providers consult. A listed name is not offered.
- Past use. We read the archived versions of the address to see what, if anything, it carried before, so nothing unwelcome comes attached to it.
- Other people's marks. We search for registered trademarks and past disputes on the words in the name, and pass on anything that trades on someone else's brand.
- The registration itself. The name sits in our account at a mainstream registrar, unlocked for transfer when the time comes, with no liens or shared ownership.
What we will not do
Set a deadline to hurry you, or suggest that another buyer is about to move when none is.
Raise the figure once you have shown interest, or quote a different figure to your competitor.
Share your enquiry, your name or your plans with anyone outside the transaction.
Ask for money before an agreement is signed, or ask you to pay anyone other than the escrow service.
Questions about a particular name?
Tell her the address and what your company does. Elise will tell you what she knows about it and what it would cost.