How to Deal with a "Sit There" Buyer?

[christopheravell]

Just over a year ago I sold a website (group of sites) to a buyer who had agreed to work on the site and the product it sold to keep improving it and increasing profits. The site is top ranked on Google for a very competitive term and brings in $150-$200/day in profit on average. However, the buyer has not done ANYTHING with the site. It is just sitting there collecting payments and the product (a guide) itself has not been updated.

I have offered to buy the site back from the buyer (at full price) or to resell the site for the buyer but they are not interested... I am wondering your opinions on what I can/should do? I get along with the buyer really well and I understand she is busy, etc but I do not want the site just sitting there. I have approached the buyer about this but really made no progress. And, when I start to push too hard she becomes difficult to reach. Any advice? What do you do when you have a buyer who isn't maintaining / growing the site they purchased from you?

[petertdavis]

Why does this bother you? It's her site now, let it go.

[christopheravell]

Why does this bother you? It's her site now, let it go.

The site represents me. When I sold the site I made it clear that I wanted the buyer to grow the site, not let it sit.

[mgallone]

I don't think there's anything you can/should do. I'm inclined to agree with Peter, there is little point in you worrying about this, the site belongs to someone else, and it is ultimately up to them what they do with it.

[hooperman]

I do not want the site just sitting there.

Why?

Do you have some kind of obligation to see the site improve?

To be honest, I think I would become difficult to reach if someone who sold me a site started hassling me about what I'm doing with it. Is it possible that she feels hassled?

Maybe her time is more profitably (financially or otherwise) spent elsewhere. Either way, it's not really any of your business what she does with the site. That probably sounds ruder than I mean it to sound, by the way - I'm not trying to be rude.

Unless...

Just over a year ago I sold a website (group of sites) to a buyer who had agreed to work on the site and the product it sold to keep improving it.

... means that there's some contract that says she must work on the site...?

Time commitments change, interests wane, maybe she has less time or inclination to spend on the site. If she has no interest in selling the site back to you, I'd just move on.

EDIT: Ooops, took too long typing that up, looks like I'm echoing some of what's already been said.

[christopheravell]

Well, the site carries MY (first / middle) NAME and MY STORY which is essential to the site... So, it represents me and therefore, the product represents me. There was no specific clause in the contract to improve the site but WHY NOT sell it back to me if she is doing nothing with it (but collecting payments)? Verbally we both agreed that the sites would not site there and there IS a first right of refusal clause in the site -- before it is sold to a 3rd party it must be offered to me.

[christopheravell]

A guess a better question here is WHY buy a site if you are going to do nothing with it... And if you planned to and your circumstances changed WHY NOT sell it back to the original seller?

[hooperman]

WHY NOT sell it back to me if she is doing nothing with it (but collecting payments)?

She obviously has her reasons, which she is entitled to. Having a site that makes $150-$200/day in profit while she does nothing to it might just be one of those reasons. Can you see things from her point of view? Although she initially intended (or said she did) to work on the site, maybe her circumstances changed.

If you don't want to be personally linked to the site, why not change your name? There aren't any photos of you on the site are there?

A guess a better question here is WHY buy a site if you are going to do nothing with it

Easy. She doesn't need to lift a finger and the site continues to make a tidy sum.

[christopheravell]

She obviously has her reasons, which she is entitled to. Having a site that makes $150-$200/day in profit while she does nothing to it might just be one of those reasons. Can you see things from her point of view? Although she initially intended (or said she did) to work on the site, maybe her circumstances changed.

If you don't want to be personally linked to the site, why not change your name? There aren't any photos of you on the site are there?

Change my name!?? I don't really see things from her point of view. It seems mighty selfish to keep the site just for the money when someone else could actually grow it and bring it to higher profits. I am not willing to change my name -- that is too extreme.

[hooperman]

Change my name!??

I was joking Chris

It seems mighty selfish to keep the site just for the money when someone else could actually grow it and bring it to higher profits.

Selfish or not (and I don't think she is being selfish), the site is hers to do with as she wishes.

I would learn the lesson and move on graciously.