Selling a site that will go down eventually
- Thread starter Smart SEO
- Start date
Whateverest
Elite Member
- Apr 20, 2012
- 2,035
- 1,638
Why are you going to sell something that will go down in such quick period at all?
tony_d
Elite Member
- Jun 22, 2013
- 2,673
- 3,294
It depends, in my view, on;
a) your intent, and
b) whether you know or reasonably ought to know that it will get penalized, and
c) whether you fully disclose what you know to the buyer.
Depending on the answers to the above it may be right or wrong. However, my concern is that your question went to whether you were liable for a chargeback/refund, and that seems to indicate that your only interest is getting paid and staying paid. Though I also understand the other side of the coin, which is, someone who buys a website ought to know the risks they take and that they need to continue doing SEO lest the site lose it's ranking - much the same as selling a retail store to an operator who has no experience and decides to randomly start closing the store early some days... sales will start to tank rapidly, and he might well blame you, but it was his in-experience that caused the issue.
All of that said, however, go back to the top three points above
a) your intent, and
b) whether you know or reasonably ought to know that it will get penalized, and
c) whether you fully disclose what you know to the buyer.
Depending on the answers to the above it may be right or wrong. However, my concern is that your question went to whether you were liable for a chargeback/refund, and that seems to indicate that your only interest is getting paid and staying paid. Though I also understand the other side of the coin, which is, someone who buys a website ought to know the risks they take and that they need to continue doing SEO lest the site lose it's ranking - much the same as selling a retail store to an operator who has no experience and decides to randomly start closing the store early some days... sales will start to tank rapidly, and he might well blame you, but it was his in-experience that caused the issue.
All of that said, however, go back to the top three points above
tony_d
Elite Member
- Jun 22, 2013
- 2,673
- 3,294
I can attest to sape working longer than just a month or two
So if full disclosure is made, I don't see the problem...
ChrisX
Regular Member
- Oct 8, 2011
- 307
- 159
Plenty of douches doing exactly that on flippa as we speak (ranking and selling churn & burn sites that will inevitably be penalized).
Tell buyers that the reason you're selling for such a low price, is because you've used some questionable tactics to get it ranking and the site may or may not go down in flames. Tell them that if they clean up some of the bad links, they might keep it going.
People are gready and will hope for the best, despite your warnings.
Tell buyers that the reason you're selling for such a low price, is because you've used some questionable tactics to get it ranking and the site may or may not go down in flames. Tell them that if they clean up some of the bad links, they might keep it going.
People are gready and will hope for the best, despite your warnings.
- Sep 30, 2012
- 1,617
- 1,313
Man... this is what you do, shut the fuck up.
You have been doing link building and your strategy is so awesome that you have achieve incredible rankings that are producing awesome profit.
If after purchase the website gets penalized, tough luck buddy... everybody who buys a SEO'd website should know what they are getting into, and if not, it is their very own mistake. You have already done the honest thing by telling them you have been doing link building.
You have been doing link building and your strategy is so awesome that you have achieve incredible rankings that are producing awesome profit.
If after purchase the website gets penalized, tough luck buddy... everybody who buys a SEO'd website should know what they are getting into, and if not, it is their very own mistake. You have already done the honest thing by telling them you have been doing link building.
Roshaen
Elite Member
- Sep 24, 2012
- 2,237
- 1,362
Please COntact Meathead he has tons of experience in website selling and he got own website better and cheaper than flippa.
And if you want to know anything related to flippa you should contact him he's the mods of domain flipping as well.
HeRBaR
Supreme Member
- Aug 15, 2011
- 1,370
- 1,119
Just make it clear to buyer what kind of SEO and tools have you used.
The penalization is just a speculation that you think will happen but you are not sure too.
Maybe the site will get penalized maybe not.
If you are sure that the site will get penalized just don't sell it, just put yourself in the buyers shoes.
If you are not sure, then sell it, but at the description make everything clear what have you done to your site.
The penalization is just a speculation that you think will happen but you are not sure too.
Maybe the site will get penalized maybe not.
If you are sure that the site will get penalized just don't sell it, just put yourself in the buyers shoes.
If you are not sure, then sell it, but at the description make everything clear what have you done to your site.
SkyrocketSEO
BANNED
- Nov 5, 2012
- 4,614
- 12,217
Bought first site few days ago on Flippa, and I must say that 95% of the sites there are crap. People are asking some insane prices for sites that rank for nothing...and the ones that actually rank for some KWs look like shit and it is obvious these sites are churn/burn sites.
ikilledkenny
Junior Member
- May 1, 2012
- 171
- 62
no he won't get in trouble. the buyer pays for a site not rankings. nothing can happen to your $$$.
but to be fair i'd 100% let the buyer know that those are paid links, and also sell him the links per month at x5/10 price to have some change for more links. edit: only if you buy the links directly obviously, sellers here already sell at x10/20 than real price so i guess it will be too much for him to pay.
but to be fair i'd 100% let the buyer know that those are paid links, and also sell him the links per month at x5/10 price to have some change for more links. edit: only if you buy the links directly obviously, sellers here already sell at x10/20 than real price so i guess it will be too much for him to pay.
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alvin.orrt
Power Member
- Mar 13, 2011
- 512
- 90
simple answer: NO
no one can dispute a claim - if you go over paypal, they can file a claim only for physical goods, since a website is a digital product, even if the buyer files a claim paypal is not going to rule in his favor. the only case you might lose your money is if you do this on paypal and the buyer pays using his credit card, he might go to his bank and do a chargeback / reversal and you lost your money (and probably your website). if you do this by using escrow, once the money is in your account, nothing can happen to them as the buyer specifically agreed to pay you the $$$ for your website, he had a testing period and accepted the product as it was in the moment of acceptance.
also, from a legal pov, the buyer purchased the website and not the actual rankings or anything like that, so unless you guarantee via a contract of some sort that the ranking won't go down, you don't have anything to worry about.
so in the end, there's just a question of morality but that's your only problem
hope this helps
no one can dispute a claim - if you go over paypal, they can file a claim only for physical goods, since a website is a digital product, even if the buyer files a claim paypal is not going to rule in his favor. the only case you might lose your money is if you do this on paypal and the buyer pays using his credit card, he might go to his bank and do a chargeback / reversal and you lost your money (and probably your website). if you do this by using escrow, once the money is in your account, nothing can happen to them as the buyer specifically agreed to pay you the $$$ for your website, he had a testing period and accepted the product as it was in the moment of acceptance.
also, from a legal pov, the buyer purchased the website and not the actual rankings or anything like that, so unless you guarantee via a contract of some sort that the ranking won't go down, you don't have anything to worry about.
so in the end, there's just a question of morality but that's your only problem
hope this helps
fxphil
Senior Member
- Jul 16, 2010
- 1,090
- 512
I sell on Flippa all the time but as a curiosity I also rip apart auctions I think are BS. So If I see a sketchy site for sale I will research it and call out the seller on their listing. Ripping people of in the same field we work in is ridiculous.
2nd to answer your question in your auction just post that the buyer will be responsible for all ranking after the sale is processed and that you are not responsible for their lack of seo or their ranking.
I would if offering a legit site offer a few months of e-mail support if needed just giving them tips for ranking in that niche.
2nd to answer your question in your auction just post that the buyer will be responsible for all ranking after the sale is processed and that you are not responsible for their lack of seo or their ranking.
I would if offering a legit site offer a few months of e-mail support if needed just giving them tips for ranking in that niche.
alvin.orrt
Power Member
- Mar 13, 2011
- 512
- 90
-- double post , sorry ---
It will come down to your intent. If you are selling it knowing that it will go down anytime soon and you haven't mention it in your auction, I can see some deception there if not entirely fraud.
Then again, You can always argue that "how the hell do you know that it will be penalized" Afterall, you don't know when and how google algo works. you can always say that you sold it in good faith.
I strongly advice not doing it. you might find stubborn buyer that will bitch you bout it everyday once they realize their loss. If you are living in the same country of your buyer, He/she might sue you (but of course you can still win it) but think about the hassle.
Anyway, You might get positive feedback from the buyer after the sale is done, but if the site tanked in month, the buyer can still leave a nasty feedback with the same transaction after 3 month or so. so if you care about your flippa account, thats another reason not to do it.
Then again, You can always argue that "how the hell do you know that it will be penalized" Afterall, you don't know when and how google algo works. you can always say that you sold it in good faith.
I strongly advice not doing it. you might find stubborn buyer that will bitch you bout it everyday once they realize their loss. If you are living in the same country of your buyer, He/she might sue you (but of course you can still win it) but think about the hassle.
Anyway, You might get positive feedback from the buyer after the sale is done, but if the site tanked in month, the buyer can still leave a nasty feedback with the same transaction after 3 month or so. so if you care about your flippa account, thats another reason not to do it.
D
Deleted member 708208
Guest
You have to make sure the buyer understands the risk they are taking before purchasing the site to comply ethically and yes they
can seek to get their money back or not release payment with escrow. Main thing here is for them to understand your link building
style so they know what they are getting into.
-RK
can seek to get their money back or not release payment with escrow. Main thing here is for them to understand your link building
style so they know what they are getting into.
-RK