FAQ | the answers you are looking for
Live Auction Questions
What can I do on Aftermarket.com?
Buy and sell domains within the marketplace. Select from three listing styles or host a private listing. Aftermarket.com provides all of the tools necessary to market your listing or make an informed buying decision.
How do I create an account?
Simply click Register Now on the right side of the menu bar. Follow the simple steps to create a basic account. Upgrade to a Verified membership to gain the ability to bid on listings up to $5,000. Complete the additional form and submit the necessary information to become a Premium Member and enjoy the ability to bid on all listings without limit.
How do I upgrade my account?
Please select the membership tier that best meets your needs within the My Account page. Follow the steps shown and submit any necessary documents (if applicable). You will receive a confirmation when your account has been upgraded.
Will my credit card be charged?
When applying for a Verified or Premium membership, you will be charged $1.00 to authenticate your credit card.
What can I do with a Basic Membership?
A Basic membership allows you to make offers and sell domains. You will be required to upgrade to a Verified account to complete a transaction.
What can I do with a Verified Membership?
A Verified membership allows you to make offers, bid in auctions and purchase BuyNow listings up to $5000
What can I do with a Premium Membership?
A Premium membership allows you to make offers, bid in auctions and purchase BuyNow listings with no limit. Please submit the requested agreement and supplemental documents to upgrade your account. Please allow 72 hours for your application to be processed. Please keep this timeframe in mind when participating in auctions with the possibility of surpassing $5,000
How do Auctions work?
Any user with a Verified or Premium membership may bid in auctions up to the limit of their permission level. If a reserve price was set by the seller, it must be reached in order for the close of the auction listing to result in a sale. Auction bids are binding.
What is Buy Now?
Buy Now is a great option for sellers with a specific price in mind. Set a Buy Now price in combination with an Auction listing, or as a standalone. The listing results in a sale to the buyer who purchases the name for the Buy Now price. Buy Now offers are binding and will immediately move to procurement.
May I Make an Offer on a BuyNow listing?
Yes, if the seller has elected to allow offers. Simply place your offer in the field provided and the seller will be notified if the offer exceeds the seller's floor price. Please be aware that an offer on a BuyNow listing is binding for 7 days.
What happens if an auction finishes with a final bid price which is lower than the seller's reserve price?
The auction will not result in a sale. The listing will be open to receiving offers.
Where do I set a floor price for my account?
On the My Account page you have the ability to specify a floor price. This floor will not be public unless a user makes an offer below the floor. In those situations, a pop up showing your floor is provided and a note encouraging the potential buyer to place another bid is shown.
The account level floor is only applied in a listing-specific floor price was not provided during the time of upload.
You will not receive notification of any offers that fall below the floor price
How do I add domains to Aftermarket.com?
Create an account or login to an existing account. Navigate to Add Domains and follow the upload sequence. If you are importing more than 100 domains, please use the Upload Excel Sheet. Find sheets tailored to your preferred listing style at the bottom of the document.
How do I control how much I pay for a domain name?
Aftermarket.com does not currently utilize proxy bidding. You will know exactly what you are going to pay by managing each bid you place. Be sure to check the seller's escrow obligation to include that potential cost in your estimate.
How does Aftermarket.com protect my privacy?
Aftermarket.com takes privacy very seriously. Please view our Privacy Policy to learn what we do to keep you safe.
What are the rules of Aftermarket.com auctions?
Please refer to the Terms of Service to learn about our policy. Please remember, bids are legally binding.
What is a reserve price?
A reserve price is a base threshold set by the seller. A reserve is not a starting price, but rather a barrier that must be broken prior to the auction resulting in a sale.
What are the numbers appearing below the bid entry field?
These numbers show the minimum bid you may make based on the Aftermarket.com bid increments schedule.
How long does it take for my listing to show up on Aftermarket.com?
Listings appear live on Aftermarket.com as soon as the verification process is complete. During this time you may view the pending domains at Sell Domains > Pending Imports. We take security and integrity of the marketplace very seriously. As such, we work to ensure the validity of each domain we offer. We thank you for your patience if domains take more than an hour to appear.
How can I manage offers for domains I am buying or selling?
Manage your listings and offers by clicking on Buy Domains or Sell Domains from the menu.
What are the end date and end time settings on each auction page?
The countdown clock appearing on Auction and Buy Now listings signifies when the listing will expire.
How long are offers valid on Aftermarket.com?
Offers are valid until the close of the listing or another bidder exceeds the bid. Make an Offer bids and counter offers can be valid for up to 21 days but the member making the offer or counter determines exactly how long it is valid for.
When is my domain purchase or sale final on Aftermarket.com?
As soon as the buyer confirms delivery of the domain the money is released to the seller and the transaction is deemed complete. Stay current with the status of your domain transaction on your dashboard transfers tab.
How are domain names transferred to the buyer after a sale?
Aftermarket.com is proud to offer procurement through Escrow.com. Upon completion of the listing, the buyer and seller will receive notice to supply necessary information to Escrow.com. Transactions typically conclude within a matter of days.
How much does using Aftermarket.com cost?
Aftermarket.com takes a 10% commission on all domain sales
What forms of payment does Aftermarket.com accept?
We accept Visa, Master Card, American Express, Pay Pal and wire transfer. Please contact support@aftermarket.com with specific concerns.
My WhoIS check failed and I don't want to complete CNAME. What else can I do?
Navigate to My Account and use the email manager to add any email addresses associated with the domains you are attempting to upload. This will not work if your settings in the Whois are set to private. Once you have verified ownership of the email addresses by clicking the links that are automatically sent, simply re-import the domains and select WhoIS during the verification step.
This process requires the email address appearing on the WhoIS to match an email address that is tied to and verified on your account. You may still retain your primary Aftermarket.com address as the recipient of all email correspondence.
My Whois Verification failed when uploading and now I'm being asked to validate with CNAME. What does this mean and how do I do this?
The reason you experienced a Whois validation failure might have been because the email address tied to your user account isn't the same as the one appearing on Whois records. Whois validation failure can also occur if your domain settings are set to private in the Whois. The CNAME validation process requires you to login to your registrar account, take control of your DNS and add a CNAME record using the unique identifier appearing next to your domain in the Pending tab of Aftermarket.com. Once you have added the CNAME and pointed to Host Name correctly (link provided below the pending table) your listing(s) will be pushed live by Aftermarket.com. Please note that each unique identifier code is only valid for 72 hours. If you exceed that period, the code becomes invalid and you will have to attempt your upload again. For issues adding a CNAME record, please contact your domain registrar.
What is EPP (Authorization Code)?
You can find your EPP code within that particular domain's registrar and you MUST obtain it before finalizing any transfers. Below is a list of common domain registrars and instructions on how to access your EPP code. If your domain is registered somewhere else, please reference their FAQ on how to access your domain's EPP code.
GoDaddy: http://community.godaddy.com/help/article/1685
Register.com: http://help.register.com/cgi-bin/register_help.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=1689
Namecheap: http://www.namecheap.com/learn/transfer-your-domain/transfer-process.asp
Once you have your EPP code, please upload it in the "Upload EPP" tab and complete the transaction process from there.
May I input a value other than US dollars?
Unfortunately, Aftermarket.com offers are in USD. We recommend www.xe.com using a currency converter if you are dealing in a different currency.
What is an Aftermarket.com live auction?
Aftermarket.com Live domain auctions are called by professional auctioneers in a traditional auction setting. We support bidding in room as well as online through our specially designed live bidding interface.
Premium lots are hand selected based on value and supported with industry-accepted data.
Live Auctions contain Premium names, pre and extended bidding, simultaneous live in-room and online bidding, Livestream video feed, professional support and expedited transfer processes.
Who do I contact for help with Live Auction online bidding?
We work with each seller to agree on mutually beneficial and realistic plans. This process usually concludes about three weeks after we end the submission period. The auction catalogue is made public shortly after.
When will the auction catalog be available?
Please reach out to support@aftermarket.com with any and all questions that you have.
How can I bid?
Simply create or login to your Aftermarket.com account. Ensure you have a Verified or Premium level membership as this does determine your bidding ceiling. We recommend completing the process for Premium Membership.
Can I participate if I am unable to physically attend the event?
Absolutely! Bid online at Aftermarket.com.
-Simply login to your account at www.aftermarket.com
-Follow the link on the homepage that takes you to the online bidding screen
-This interactive view allows you to watch streaming video, chat with other bidders, place bids, monitor the catalogue and even set a Max Bid.
How much time should I allow for the bidding interface to load?
We recommend logging in to your account about 20 minutes prior to the start of the live auction. This will ensure you are comfortable with the interface before any bidding starts.
Do I have to register?
You do not need to register specifically for the Aftermarket.com Live auction. You do need an Aftermarket.com membership account. We recommend a Premium Membership so you have the freedom to bid on lots above $5,000.
Where do I create an account?
Create an Aftermarket.com account by clicking on the orange Register Now button in the menu. If you already have an account with us, simply click on My Account and then Membership Status to ensure you have the appropriate membership to meet your bidding needs.
Please remember it does take between 48 and 72 hours to be approved for Premium Membership. Be sure to apply early so you are approved to bid by the live auction event.
What is Pre-bidding?
Pre-bidding provides interested buyers the opportunity to bid on lots prior to the live event. Bids placed during the pre-bidding timeframe are considered real and binding. The winning bid at the close of pre-bidding will serve as the starting bid for the live auction event.
What is Extended Bidding?
Extended bidding allows interested buyers a second opportunity to bid on lots that did not sell during the live event. Bids placed during extended bidding are considered real and biding and will result in a sale if the winning bid is above the reserve when the auction clock closes.
How do I submit my domains for consideration in future auctions?
Please check the homepage for updates about upcoming live auction events. When the domain submission period is open you will be able to submit domains through a form located on the homepage.
How do I collect the domain I just purchased?
We will contact you shortly after the close of the live event or extended bidding. The transfer process will be handled manually and timely by our highly skilled team.
Do Aftermarket.com Live auctions have a specific bid increment schedule? Where can I find details on the bid increments for live events?
We have a specific bid increment schedule for live events. You may view this here.
What forms of payment does Aftermarket.com accept for Live Auction Events?
Aftermarket.com accepts Live Auction Event payment via wire, ACH or check only.
What is a Max Bid?
If you are unavailable during the live auction you have the option of placing a max bid. A max bid should be the highest amount you are willing to pay. Once you set a max bid you may not lower it or remove it as it is considered a live bid. The computer will automatically bid on your behalf until your Max Bid amount has been reached.
In the event the auction ends with your Max Bid in the lead - you will have won the auction.
If your Max Bid is passed, simply clear the previous Max Bid and place your new Max Bid to continue.
