Considering buying first 2nd hand domain.

Trying to side step the scammers and such.

[Broadway]

I have a successful website that has a hyphenated domain name.
I bought the domain in 2000. Back then registration was $70/year via network solutions. I was a newbie. At that time the website was just a hobby site. It never crossed my mind to get both versions.
As my website prospered, I would visit the non-hyphenated website from time to time. It went through various versions of garbage. Now it is essentially just a parked domain. It's page is just a "related-links" (ads) type thing.

Out of the blue, I got an email from a company named Regystro who said the domain was available and to reply to them to get "more details."
The "more details" were simply that they could get the domain for me for a cost of $97. If I was interested then I should reply and they would "contact you (me) when the domain name is ready for purchase and transfer."

I went to the current version of the non-hyphenated domain. Clearly across the top of the web page it states that the domain is for sell via a company called AfterNic (which I think is a Godaddy company).

There's no price mentioned on the site. There is an AfterNic form you can fill out for more information. I'm hesitant to immediately pursue that route because it would immediately become clear who I am. (The owner of the hyphenated version, and probably the only person in the universe who would want this domain. And therefore the person given the highest quote.)

Then I went into my Godaddy account ;to check about availability. They said the domain could be had for $1999. (The Regystro company said I could get it for $97.)

So I need some help understanding what is going on here and what is the best way to go about pursuing this matter.

Should I do things through: Regystro, Godaddy, Godaddy/auctions, AfterNic?
Do I need to try to shield the fact that I already have the hyphenated version of the domain and therefore really am an eager buyer.

Having said that, my only plans for the new domain would be to put up a redirect to my current website (no domain name change is planned). I can easily live without the non-hyphenated form but if I could get it for a few hundred bucks, I'd consider that a deal.

What's the way to go about this and get the lowest price and not get ripped off?

[not2easy]

Don't you have a trusted brother, sister, cousin who would be able to buy it and sell it to you at cost plus whatever? Someone who owns no domains, is not dealing with WHOIS currently?

[Webwork]

What's the domain's status? Is it in the deletion cycle and about to drop or has someone simply listed it for sale/auction? The price difference suggests that it's registered and up for sale or auction, with a "buy now" price. If that's the case then the $97 is BS, i.e., "That's our (their) fee for attempting to negotiate a purchase".

Send me $95 by PayPal and I'll convey your offer . . professionally . . by email.

Of course, it's up to you to pay the real cost $$$$ to acquire the domain.

[robzilla]

What's the domain's status?

I was gonna ask this, too. I often get e-mails from people saying they could get this or that domain name for me at a low price, and usually it's because they're expiring soon or being auctioned somewhere and they want to be the middleman. So check the current expiry date.

If it's just a nice-to-have domain, and noone else is likely to want it, I'd probably just let it rest and add it to a watchlist at some expired domain marketplaces, so that you're notified when you get a chance to pick it up cheap. I picked up a dozen good names this way over the years.

[Broadway]

The whois for the domain shows:
Registrar Registration Expiration Date: 2018-12-07-T19:40:09Z
I just assumed someone had been renewing this domain for the last 16 or 17 years. Possibly it has a history of being bought and sold and I just didn't realize it. Possibly it will lapse some day. I can watch.

As I mentioned, on the domain's page itself it states it is for sale via AfterNic, I just assumed that that meant the owner was actively interested in selling (had listed it). (Somebody correct me if I'm wrong on that please.)

I went to AfterNic's website. There you can do a search. I searched my own domain's name. It said it was for sale ($1999, or make an offer, $1299 minimum) and clearly that isn't correct.

The exact same prices are shown for the non-hyphenated domain (the one I want).

I think I have to conclude that it may be for sale but there's no fire sale going on.

I guess I could fill in the AfterNic form the website links to "get a price." And then just reply that my top offer is $300 and be done with it.

It seems the Regystro offer has no potential.