Sedo's (misleading?) Press release

[fred]

In case anyone doesn't check the news section, you might want to look at this thread: http://www.acorndomains.co.uk/domain-name-news/27071-recycle-co-uk-sold-gbp150-000-become-highest-value-page-ranking-newswire-u.html

 

[sedo]

Hello there,
Just wanted to post in response – Shaun is out of the office today, but will be back next week. We would like to apologize to all parties who feel that this week’s press release was misleading in any way.

Sedo’s intention was to utilize the statistics we have available to us to reflect the positive development of the market so that we all – buyers, sellers, auction platforms, event coordinators, interested parties – might benefit from increased interest and awareness in the development of the dynamic .uk domain market. It was not our intention to mislead in any way. The year-to-date’s largest sale was included in the release so that it might enforce the positive market development and demonstrate the booming nature of the .uk secondary domain market.

We are all part of a great stage in the development of the .uk market and we hope that you understand that this release was well-intended. We would like to congratulate Doug and Paul on a tremendous sale. I’m sure it is the first of many in what is sure to be an exciting upcoming year for the UK market.

Best wishes,
Nora
[email protected]

 

[retired_member9]

UK market would benefit with some straight players, that's for sure!

You could have done press release for mobile.co.uk and mentioned recycle.co.uk sale as another example of healthy market, without making it look like you deserve credit for both.

that this release was well-intended.

yes, well-worded.

 

[Paullas]

well sedo are suppose to doing another press release so lets see if they put in what i quoted.

 

[Vialli]

well sedo are suppose to doing another press release so lets see if they put in what i quoted.

You can't put that sort of thing in a Press Release can you :shock:

 

[mxm]

home start new york fly

well sedo are suppose to doing another press release so lets see if they put in what i quoted.

maybe they will release a press release about the press release

IM sent to a biggie at UI so lets see what occurs over the weekend... if you want to PM us paul will forward it to all the right article places for you

or

give it to nora at the meet in london, uk?

 

[Admin]

I hope this time they put "Acorn Domains moderator....... "

 

[dougs]

domain sale

It was nothing to do with me gov.

Doug

 

[retired_member11]

Hello there,
Just wanted to post in response – Shaun is out of the office today, but will be back next week. We would like to apologize to all parties who feel that this week’s press release was misleading in any way.

Sedo’s intention was to utilize the statistics we have available to us to reflect the positive development of the market so that we all – buyers, sellers, auction platforms, event coordinators, interested parties – might benefit from increased interest and awareness in the development of the dynamic .uk domain market. It was not our intention to mislead in any way. The year-to-date’s largest sale was included in the release so that it might enforce the positive market development and demonstrate the booming nature of the .uk secondary domain market.

We are all part of a great stage in the development of the .uk market and we hope that you understand that this release was well-intended. We would like to congratulate Doug and Paul on a tremendous sale. I’m sure it is the first of many in what is sure to be an exciting upcoming year for the UK market.

Best wishes,
Nora
[email protected]

On this occasion I defend Sedo. Nothing in the release I read states that Sedo acted in the sale of recycle.co.uk. If newspapers and othe rmedia misinterpret the release, perhaps because journalists are often lazy, then that is their fault. Buyer and seller should approach The Telegraph et.c. to ask for a correction...if it really is that important to them. I can't see that it would be that important. What real damage has been done to anyone?

 

[Paullas]

there is no physical damage here but to do a press release and mention they handled the sale (intensionally or not it was printed) and mention them the pr on that is massive. It would have been nice to mention my website as well so at least i can get some good pr out of it.

I am still awaiting for sedo to release another version (correct this time).

 

[rob]

On this occasion I defend Sedo. Nothing in the release I read states that Sedo acted in the sale of recycle.co.uk. If newspapers and othe rmedia misinterpret the release, perhaps because journalists are often lazy, then that is their fault. Buyer and seller should approach The Telegraph et.c. to ask for a correction...if it really is that important to them. I can't see that it would be that important. What real damage has been done to anyone?

I see your point, however I just think it is bad manners on the part of Sedo.

 

[retired_member11]

there is no physical damage here but to do a press release and mention they handled the sale (intensionally or not it was printed) and mention them the pr on that is massive. It would have been nice to mention my website as well so at least i can get some good pr out of it.

I am still awaiting for sedo to release another version (correct this time).

Do you have a link to the release you refer to? I've read at least one Sedo release and it didn't read as you say and so there must be another release I haven't seen. Where is it? Thanks.

 

[Paullas]

Do you have a link to the release you refer to? I've read at least one Sedo release and it didn't read as you say and so there must be another release I haven't seen. Where is it? Thanks.

no i spoke to sedo friday and they are apparently they have ammended it.

 

[retired_member11]

no i spoke to sedo friday and they are apparently they have ammended it.

Amended.... after having been released? So did the original gain traction in the public domain? What was the wording of the original? Did it say, "Sedo brokers recycle.co.uk sale and takes GBP 15k commission"?

The timing of the conclusion of your agreement to sell, the day of the Domain Live auction, suggests a confluence of convenience. Were both you and buyer present at that event?
It isn't hard to see why there might have been confusion about the nitty gritty circumstances of the transaction...but were you both wanting this sale to go through without it being in the public domain? Publicity is vital oxygen to a domain/ website business. The Telegraph.... et.c.... et.c. - you couldn't buy that kind of exposure for less than the value of the domain sale and so in the overall you both did very well. Move on and prosper. Gordon Ramsey!!!

 

[Admin]

I agree the exposure is massive, the people in my place of work (who have no interest in domains) were discussing it yesterday.

I think the point is Sedo have obtained advertising under the false impression that they brokered the deal.

Kudos though, I wish I'd thought of it, I could have contacted the Telegraph, "Acorn Domains moderator sells domain for £xxx,xxx" - damn it, I hate missing opportunities to promote AD!

 

[rob]

I think the point is Sedo have obtained advertising under the false impression that they brokered the deal.

Kudos though, I wish I'd thought of it, I could have contacted the Telegraph, "Acorn Domains moderator sells domain for £xxx,xxx" - damn it, I hate missing opportunities to promote AD!

I think that is the crux of the matter. Someone reading the story will go to Sedo rather than here where the deal was created.

Sedo knew that by association they would benefit, and for the same reason Acorn does not issue PR's about sales made via Sedo and tack on a 'talk at acorndomains.co.uk' note.

That would not happen as the people behind Acorn have a tad of class

 

[Edwin]

Here's a link to a copy of the press release...
http://www.scientificblogging.com/n...ighest_value_for_a_co_uk_internet_domain_name

The release itself begins...

Sedo, the leading market place for Internet domain names and websites, has announced that recycle.co.uk has sold for GBP150,000. It is the highest figure paid for a co.uk internet domain name and breaks the last recorded value by GBP40,000 which was set by J Sainsbury plc when it purchased taste.co.uk for GBP110,000 in 1997.

The Internet domain name, recycle.co.uk, was bought by ASAP Ventures, a venture capital company. ASAP Ventures will use the Internet domain name to fund a business which will provide UK customers with information on recycling services.

After the sale of recycle.co.uk, Sedo oversaw the sale of mobile.co.uk for GBP120,000. The sale of mobile.co.uk was completed at Sedo's live auction event for Internet domain names and was the first of its kind to be held in the UK. Over GBP350,000 was generated in the sale of co.uk secondary Internet domain names.

So they make the line between what they did and didn't do very, very thin indeed. Especially the "After the sale of..." paragraph, which doesn't actually say "After Sedo sold..." but which you could probably set on an English exam as an essay question and derive a whole page of possible interpretations from.

Hopefully they'll learn from this and ensure in future that the only trumpet being blown, or even featured in the background of a trumpet-blowing session, is their own...