Frequently Asked Questions
What happens when the buyer doesn't pay? Am I charged?
NO, NEVER! Firstly, we don't allow websites to list unless they are real websites. This attracts undesirable buyers who are not trustworthy. Secondly, we offer ALL customers who list on the marketplace a "Sellers Guarantee" - so you only pay when you have been paid. That's our Sellers Guarantee!
How much does it cost to list a Website/App?
It is US$15 for a listing and SearchForecast charge 5% of the price it sells for up to a maximum of US $250. The listing price is in US dollars and the commission fees is US dollars. For example, if a Website/App sells for $1,000, SearchForecast receives $250.
Who pays the 5%?
The seller pays the 5%.
Can I split the selling fee with the buyer?
It’s up to you. This helps lower the cost to the seller and also ensures the buyer is going to be pay for the Website/App.
Why are minimum bid prices $100?
We hope to encourage Website/Apps that are real businesses and real buyers to engage with our auction process. A minimum bid of $100 must be placed before a buyer can accept the bid. Bids less that $100 will not be accepted.
What types of Website/App are NOT permitted to be sold on SearchForecast?
SearchForecast does not permit the selling of illicit, vulgar, typo-mispelling URLs and content Website/Apps such as pornography, adult, sex, or other illegal content, pirated or copyright-infringing images, content, video or rich media. SearchForecast reserves the rights to remove Website/App listings that contravene our User Agreement and Terms.
How much information do I need to provide to sell my Website/App?
The more the better! Be factual and list the traffic figures, take photos of your advertising checks received from Google and don’t hold back information. We encourage sellers to detail how their Website/App is search engine compliant and optimization best practices deployed across the Website/App..
How can I increase the trust for a buyer?
The registration process for the seller allows for the inclusion of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other Website/Apps that list personal information. Buyers can then view your background, number of friends, types professional colleagues and how engaged you are online. This is often an important part of building trust with a buyer.
Multiple Listings on Other Auction Website/Apps?
It is against the SearchForecast User Agreement & Terms to list the same Website/App on another auction Website/App at the same time as the Website/App is listed on SearchForecast. This ensures there is no confusion, deceptive intent or misleading offers being made by the seller.
What NOT to include in the listing?
SearchForecast strongly suggests you do not include invitations for buyers to contact you directly but rather post questions and answers on the listing. Like eBay, we want to provide a transparent marketplace for all of the users.
How do I know if I am the successful bidder?
Following the expiration of the auction, if your bid is above the reserve price or the highest bid where there are multiple bidders and the seller accepts your bid, you are the successful buyer and are legally bound to purchase the Website/App from the seller at the price indicated by your winning bid.
The seller is not obligated to accept the lower bid than the minimum or reserve price yet may enter into a private sale with the bidder.
How do I contact the seller?
SearchForecast will send an email with the seller’s contact details.
Can the seller refuse my bid?
Yes. It is option of the seller to accept any bid even though your bid is the highest. That is the right of the seller, SearchForecast has no part in the transaction between buyers and sellers apart from offering the technology platform and marketplace rules. If the seller doesn’t accept your bid after 5 days, SearchForecast will automatically reject your bid. We encourage buyers to contact the seller and enquire as to why their bid isn’t accepted.
How do I arrange delivery/transfer of the Website/App?
SearchForecast suggests you ask the seller before you start bidding where they are located, where the Website/App is hosted, how it will be delivered/transferred to you. The buyer must be given full control and ownership of the domain name, including the ability to transfer the domain name to another registrar.
Can I make a private offline?
No. SearchForecast auctions transactions must be conducted using the SearchForecast bidding system. Failure to abide by this rule will result in Account Holders being removed from the system.
Does SearchForecast act like a bank and transfer the money?
No. SearchForecast does not collect any money, we collect listing fees and commission from the seller. The buyer and the seller arrange the money transfer and delivery of the Website/App URL and files, etc from each other directly without any interaction from SearchForecast following the completion/expiration of the auction.
What are my obligations as a seller once the Website/App is listed in the auction?
Following listing your Website/App for sale, the auction will begin immediately. Buyers will ask questions via email and you should answer in a timely manner. It is the responsibility of the seller to accept bids. and once you accept a bid greater than or equal to your reserve price, you are legally bound to sell the item to the winning bidder at the end of your auction.
What happens once a seller accepts the bid?
When do I pay SearchForecast the commission?
Once the auction has finished and the bid is accepted, the seller will receive an email from SearchForecast to pay the success fee on 30 day nett terms - allowing you to finalize delivery/payment from the successful bidder.
Didn’t sell? How to relist my auction
There is a “Relist this Auction” link on the auction details page which requires an additional listing fee prior to the listing being reinstated in the marketplace.
How do I adjust my Reserve Price?
Account Holders can increase or decrease their reserve price using the “Edit my Auction” link on the auction page. You can only change the reserve price when a bid has been made and can’t lower the reserve price when a bid is made but hasn’t reached the reserve price as SearchForecast sends emails instructing bidders they have not met the reserve price.
What does Acquire Immediately mean?
Exactly what it says, you can skip the bidding process and purchase the Website/App immediately.
How do Acquire Immediately bids work?
When a seller creates an auction, he or she can specify a “Acquire Immediately” price, which must be greater than or equal to the reserve price. An Acquire Immediately bid is simply a bid that meets that price., When a Acquire Immediately bid is placed, no other bids can be placed until that bid is accepted or rejected., If the seller accepts a Acquire Immediately bid, the auction ends and the bidder is declared the winner immediately., Acquire Immediately bids may only be placed as long as no normal bid has been accepted for an amount equal to or exceeding the Acquire Immediately price.
The process for accepting or rejecting BIN bids depends on whether the seller is willing to accept instant payment via PayPal:, If the seller has provided a PayPal address for instant payment, Acquire Immediately bids must be accompanied by an immediate PayPal payment. The buyer will be prompted to make this payment at the time the bid is placed, and the Acquire Immediately bid will be accepted automatically as soon as SearchForecast confirms that payment has been made.
If the seller has not provided a PayPal address for instant payment, the seller has 72 hours in which to accept or reject the Acquire Immediately bid. Unlike non-Acquire Immediately bids, however, SearchForecast will automatically accept the Acquire Immediately bid at the end of that period if the seller takes no action.