Sedo increasing commission?

[Brassneck]

I just followed up an email from Sedo regarding changes in commission. Have I read this correctly - i.e. are they going to charge minimum commission again unless you list domains with fixed prices? That is how I read it.

Here is what it says on their website:



Minimum commission fee is 50 EUR/USD or 35 GBP:

.com / .net / .org / .co.uk / .org.uk / .me.uk / .info / .biz / .us / .tv / .li / .be / .st / .dk / .de / .at / .ch / .name / .ws / .mx / .in / .cc / .to / .eu / .mobi / .nl / .es / .tel
Important: The minimum commission fee for domains with the above extensions may be waived if the domain is verifiably parked with Sedo for at least 32 days prior to a sale. This waiver applies to most countries. The minimum commission for .tel domains cannot be waived because .tel domains cannot be parked.

Beginning on 21 October 2009 a new promotion will replace the offer above. The minimum commission fee for domains with the above extensions may be waived if the domain is both verifiably parked with Sedo and sold for a fixed price.

 

[charlie]

Still not sure what they do for the day to day domainer who is paying renewals and then suffers the commission payments. If you want your domain promoted you have 2 pay them more. I'd like to see some evidence of a more proactive approach.

 

[stender]

theyre treading water. your getting sod all from parking revenue so thats no doubt declining, they now include bank transfer fee for transfers another kick. They're like labour on they're way out.

 

[sedo]

Please find details of why the commission is changing here:

Sedo Introduces a New No Minimum Commission Offer

The domain industry is always changing, and Sedo’s suite of tools and services for domain owners are evolving to keep pace. Our $50 Minimum Commission offer will be waived for domains that meet two criteria: your domains must be parked in Sedo’s system, and set at a fixed price. Sedo's latest research shows that a combination of parking and applying fixed prices to your domains will see the greatest drop in the time it takes to find a buyer. Parked and fixed price domains – especially in the $200-$1,000 price range – sell three to six times faster than "make offer" listings.

Setting fixed prices and parking your domains is the first step to improving domain sales. Coming in 2010 Sedo is launching SedoMLS (multi-listing service), a product that expands your domains’ reach. For the first time, fixed price domains listed with SedoMLS will be eligible for instant purchase and transfer through a large network of registrar partners.

“We are excited to open our SedoMLS sales network to all sellers in 2010 and are asking domain owners to set fixed prices for their domains,” said Tim Schumacher, CEO of Sedo.com. “With this promotion we invite everyone to experience the tremendous impact of fixed pricing on sales velocity and cash flow, even prior to the start of SedoMLS.”

If you’ve tried pricing domains in your portfolio before, you know it can sometimes be a guessing game. In order to make it easier, Sedo has launched the industry’s first automated, completely free Price Suggestion Tool. The tool helps even the biggest domain owners find a reliable price to set for their domains by allowing sellers to appraise their domains in bulk. Many buyers prefer to purchase domains right away, forgoing a multi-step auction or negotiation process. You can be confident that Sedo’s Price Suggestion Tool will help set you on the right track to increasing your sales volume

 

[redbird]

Sedo has launched the industry’s first automated, completely free Price Suggestion Tool. The tool helps even the biggest domain owners find a reliable price to set for their domains by allowing sellers to appraise their domains in bulk.

Why is it that when I use the price tool and get a price and then apply to add the domain to an auction at the lower end of that price I can only get it accepted with a reserve well below the bottom of price tool's range?

Why don't Sedo accept that bottom of the range as a reserve?

Dave

 

[sedo]

The auto appraisal tool is merely a suggestion, and we cannot guarantee that this pricing is a value that an owner can immediately get. There is no substitute for the human touch to appraisals. Also, the auction format is one that offers a quick liquidation at market value, and to do this, often users must inspire bids by setting a lower reserve price. Once a reserve is met, bidders become attached to the name, knowing that they are guaranteed ownership with this highest offer. This is why we often suggest lower reserve prices, even though we expect final pricing to be significantly higher.