Emailing Potential Domain Buyers
- Thread starter Chris.C
- Start date
Go for it, I say. auDA used to have a rule that you couldn't use whois details to send unsolicited commercial emails (such as an offer to buy) but they changed that last year ... although it still remains for resellers as we found out a while ago 
So the issue is whether you are breaking any spam rules as per ACMA guidelines. If the email addresses are published on the website then that would be fine but I wouldn't like to say what the ruling is with whois emails
So the issue is whether you are breaking any spam rules as per ACMA guidelines. If the email addresses are published on the website then that would be fine but I wouldn't like to say what the ruling is with whois emails
neddy
Top Contributor
Absolutely no problem - provided that:
1. If it is a new registration, you have owned the domain for at least 6 months.
2. If you purchased domain on secondary market, time limit doesn't apply.
3. You don't spam. From a selling point of view, you would want to be personalising a sales email as much as possible. That's what I do.
4. I always put something like this as an opening paragraph:
" Please excuse me for contacting you "out of the blue", but I notice that you have the website xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.com.au. I own the domain name yyyyyyyyyyyy.com.au and am interested in selling it.
I wondered if you might be interested if the price was right?"
(This is my latest strategy - and believe me I have tested a few. I don't put a price - the "if the price was right" comment tends to get lots more initial replies. Then you have got something to play with!).
5. I always close like this:
" If you are not interested in the domain name, I apologise for bothering you, and you won't hear from me again!".
Hope that helps.
Cheers, Ned
1. If it is a new registration, you have owned the domain for at least 6 months.
2. If you purchased domain on secondary market, time limit doesn't apply.
3. You don't spam. From a selling point of view, you would want to be personalising a sales email as much as possible. That's what I do.
4. I always put something like this as an opening paragraph:
" Please excuse me for contacting you "out of the blue", but I notice that you have the website xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.com.au. I own the domain name yyyyyyyyyyyy.com.au and am interested in selling it.
I wondered if you might be interested if the price was right?"
(This is my latest strategy - and believe me I have tested a few. I don't put a price - the "if the price was right" comment tends to get lots more initial replies. Then you have got something to play with!).
5. I always close like this:
" If you are not interested in the domain name, I apologise for bothering you, and you won't hear from me again!".
Hope that helps.
Cheers, Ned
shags38
Top Contributor
phone first - your email may end up in the junk folder as spam or it may not get to the right person which is more likely the case - it is amazing the number of so-called marketing managers out there that are wearing blinkers and will poo poo the idea whereas the owner of a business may see benefit - so find out who would make such a decision.
Treat it no differently to making any sales call - qualify the prospect and then get an appointment (in this case permission to send the email which will be expected and hence read by the right person and in with the right frame of mind relative to the content).
Treat it no differently to making any sales call - qualify the prospect and then get an appointment (in this case permission to send the email which will be expected and hence read by the right person and in with the right frame of mind relative to the content).
Just because a site lists an email address does not make it acceptable to send unsolicited email. I'd suggest to the OP, read the ACMA guidelines as it will ultimately govern what is an isn't SPAM in Australia.
Bacon Farmer
Top Contributor
You'd have to be a pretty hard core spammer to get any serious rise out of ACMA. Here's a copy of a response to a complaint I made:
I love the bit about reminding them of their obligations under the Spam Act. Nah no prosecution, not even a nasty letter, just a polite reminder of their obligations pffftt.
I love the bit about reminding them of their obligations under the Spam Act. Nah no prosecution, not even a nasty letter, just a polite reminder of their obligations pffftt.
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Really? I'm no expert but I would have thought that a company listing their email address was inviting contact?
It's a little bit of a gray area. Inferred consent is not automatic for a publicly available address. This link summarises how it works: http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_310515
This link contains the general info on the ACT: http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_310513
neddy
Top Contributor
That's a good link that you provided Nova. I have studied that before.
Provided you use common sense, I don't see how you can run foul of the Spam Act in terms of inferred consent. One of their examples spells it out:
They also say:
So imho, if I'm selling a domain name cowboyboots.com.au, there is absolutely no problem in me emailing retailers of "Boots" provided their email
address is publicly available.
However, as I said in an earlier post, I do try and comply with the "unsubscribe" feature of the Spam Act by saying:
" If you are not interested in the domain name, I apologise for bothering you, and you won't hear from me again!".
P.S. One other really important point to note with regards the Spam Act. You must identify yourself in your email. In other words, don't just say "Regards, Chris"!
To me, that's not a problem, because it adds to the credibility of your message.
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