Rules for Domain Buyers

It is Sedo's goal to provide buyers and sellers with a marketplace with secure and painless transactions for domain purchases. This goal can be achieved best when buyers and sellers follow our standard rules which apply to domains purchased or sold through the Sedo marketplace or with the assistance of Sedo's domain acquisition service.

The following activities are not permitted on Sedo

Interfering with another user's offer

Sedo users are not allowed to interfere with another user's attempt to either purchase or sell domain names. Users are not permitted to email buyers in an open or completed transaction to warn them away from a seller or item. If you have a problem with a transaction, please review our Rights Protection Program and/or submit a general complaint through the Sedo complaint forum.

Refusing to follow-through with a successful bid

Buyers automatically enter into a legally binding contract to purchase a domain from the seller if their bid is accepted by the seller or if they accept a seller's offer to sell. Give careful consideration when making or accepting offers. Sedo's user agreement requires buyers to pay for the domains that they have committed to purchase. Buyers who refuse to follow through with domain offers that have been accepted by the seller are potentially liable to the Seller for breach of the sales contract to which both are parties.

Soliciting sales outside of Sedo

Sedo prohibits email offers to buy or sell listed or brokered domains outside of the Sedo marketplace. Offers of this nature are meant to avoid Sedo's fee structure and are a potential fraud risk for both buyers and sellers.

This includes, but

  • Using information obtained through Sedo to offer to buy or sell a listed or brokered domain outside of Sedo.
  • Canceling a domain listing or brokerage agreement to sell to a buyer who became aware of the domain due to the efforts or listings of Sedo.
  • Ending a domain listing early to sell it at a higher price to the winning bidder by avoiding having to pay the Sedo commission.

Domain purchases outside of Sedo do not receive the benefit of Sedo's Domain Sales Agreement or Sedo's escrow or domain transfer services that ensure safe and secure transfers of the domain and purchase price.

Retracting Bids

If you make an offer or counter-offer, it is binding for seven (7) days from the time you make the offer. During this time, you cannot cancel the negotiations or change your offering price. Sellers are similarly bound to commit to their offers for the same time period.

Purchasing domains protected by trademark rights

It is the Buyer's responsibility to research whether or not their desired domain is subject to trademark or intellectual property protections. Sedo prohibits the purchase or sale of domains comprised of trademark protected terms. If you would like to research whether a particular domain is protected by trademark rights, please click here.

To report a violation of Sedo's rules for buyers

  1. Submit an email via Sedo's contact page which can be located here.
  2. Include any appropriate information, including any relevant emails and background.

Related Help topics

Domain FAQs
Rules for Domain Sellers
Rules for Domain Parkers