Afternic.com Launches 'Make Offer' Service for All Domain Owners; Even Domain Names That are Not 'Officially' for Sale Receive Offers.

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 1, 2000

Afternic.com, the aftermarket domain name exchange, today launched its "Make Offer" service for businesses and individuals that have never previously considered selling their domain names, but are willing to entertain unsolicited offers. The service is designed to be easy for first time users, with no knowledge of auctions or domain name appraisal value required.

Listings are free for Afternic.com members, and are non-exclusive so that even names listed elsewhere can be listed at Afternic.com. All domains listed are sent out through Afternic.com's partner network of auction and domain-related sites, reaching more than 20 million qualified viewers each month.

"My shoes aren't for `officially' for sale, but if I'm walking down the street and someone offers me $500 for them, I'll walk home barefoot," said Chris Maroney, co-CEO, Afternic.com. "Every domain name, whether it is `officially' for sale or not, has a price tag. Domain name holders have nothing to lose, and potentially a lot of money to gain, by listing their holdings with Afternic.com - even those domains that are in use. For the right price, every domain name, even `yahoo.com' (NASDAQ: YHOO) is for sale, although I wouldn't want to speculate what that price might be."

Since Afternic.com launched last November, domain name holders that are not active traders but who were curious about the value of their names have listed their names for appraisal on Afternic.com's highly trafficked community appraisal boards. With today's `Make Offer' launch, these `domain trading newbies' can start receiving offers on their names right away, without having to figure out what their names are worth first. Members trying to decide whether or not to accept an offer can search through the domain name appraisals and previous sales in Afternic.com's research section, the largest resource of domain name valuation available.

Upon the acceptance of any offer, both buyer and seller are protected by DNescrow - a proprietary process whereby the financial and administrative tasks involved in transferring a domain name are securely expedited. Just as the new `Make Offer' service makes it easy to receive and potentially accept offers on domain names, DNescrow takes the hassle and risk out of the funds transfer and domain transfer process.

"'Make Offer' makes buying and selling names a simple, hassle free process for people who don't know the first thing about buying and selling domains in the aftermarket. This new service is another example of our commitment to bringing the domain aftermarket into the mainstream, and further establishes Afternic.com as the hub of the aftermarket," concluded Maroney.

ABOUT AFTERNIC

In just nine months of operation, Afternic.com has become the premier destination on the Web for aftermarket domain name sales, acquisition, and research. Buyers and Sellers are able to value domain name assets, place automatic bids, track auction activity, and manage complex domain name portfolios. Afternic.com currently lists nearly one half million names for sale and the site's 60,000 members have created over 1000 unique valuation models, and made nearly one million community appraisals, making Afternic.com the leading domain name valuation resource on the Internet. Industry news and topical discussion forums firmly position Afternic as home to the savviest domain trading community on the Web. All transactions are protected by Afternic's exclusive registration transfer process, DNescrow. Currently a privately held company, Afternic is based in New York City.