Can you get scammed using escrow.com

IT IS POSSIBLE TO GET SCAMMED!!!

I had a funny video website kickazzvideos.com. I sold it last year to a guy who turned it into an adult site unfortunately but anyhow, I set everything up with the guy who in turn requested the domain thru his registrar. He used a different name on Escrow.com and a different domain from his registrar which I did not notice. He had the money already in Escrow. I didn’t think much of it, once the transfer of the domain went thru he stopped talking to me completely. I called Escrow they said they could not release the money cause he had not received the domain name, which in fact he had but it could not be verified. The domain showed as owned by a company. I went through a crazy process of researching and writing emails to every possible person i could think of that would help me. Finally his registrar company was the one who actually saved me. He showed up after two weeks saying he had some issues and released the money. He had been active in some forums I visited so i know he was around.

When I read online about him and the company that held the domain I found he had used a similar scam and had a ton of lawsuits against him.

Most of this was MY FAULT, I should have checked everything thoroughly but regardless people do try to scam you no matter what so make sure you check everything!!!

This is true. But if you research properly, there would have been more chances that you could have known about these issues before, and then reject the job or take some measures so it doesn’t happen to you. But there is never a 100% guarantee.

Is there any danger in this from a buyer’s perspective? If the seller breaks the escrow.com transfer into two transactions. One for the domain and one for the datafiles, etc? I’m concerned that after sending payment for the domain I don’t get the data. Is that a real concern? Is there a way to protect myself?

Thanks.

No, there isn’t a way to 100% protect yourself. Buying any business is risky. Buying sites is even riskier. A lot riskier. Especially considering you’re dealing with people you’ve never met, who may be in places where your lawyer can’t reach them and who don’t need to have bad intentions for you to end up getting screwed. Many people don’t seem to appreciate that. Bear that in mind if you ever bid for a site or put one up for sale.

The bottom line is that’s there’s only one guarantee: that nothing is guaranteed.

Well put 3Six, this is internet business, like I would have said it myself. But I have only had good experience with escrow myself, and can easily recommend it as “safe enough” for most people.

As a buyer, I’d never accept such a process. Sounds like a sure way of getting scammed.

Someone mentioned transferring the domain after payment is received and your reply:

The poster said it has always worked for him and I can see why. You’ve done the work on the site and they can view it and play with it. They have no access to the server side code or the database so the most they could do is copy static pages. Why, after doing all that work would one want to not transfer the site to the buyer’s host after receiving payment? Personally. I wouldn’t spend hours on a project just to scam someone. If I wanted to pull a scam, I’d trick the buyer with screen shots of someone else’s work. But a fully developed site isn’t the work of a scammer, IMO. Upon final payment, the seller xfers the domain and everyone is happy.

jeeze. doesn’t it suck that with something as great as inet and all the available technologies, we have to worry about getting ripped off? But then again, hasn’t law been designed (or at least used) to give the criminal more rights than the victim? At least with a physical storefront, the merchant has several options when dealing with a thief: Do nothing, say “f you” and take a bullet, hit the alarm and hope the cops show up, or administer a bullet or *** whipping of his own. If you guessed that the latter option is my choice, you’d be correct.

mike

in reply to my post

how about this , i transfer the domain and the site. i wont get the money until the buyer clicks the accept link in escrow.com.

he can do what ever he wants with the code and what not till that time or possibly copy the database or the source code itself.

This is my policy when i sell sites i never give content till i receive money and it has worked in my case

That is where trust comes in to play.

I think ultimately this whole issue comes down to trust. What I am hearing, and what I have concluded is that the best way to reduce the risk in your transactions is to spend time building good relationships with buyers and sellers and to use the same network of folks. Also, making greater strides with the trust factors on Site Point is another good step.

Someone mentioned transferring the domain after payment is received and your reply:

[Quote]As a buyer, I’d never accept such a process. Sounds like a sure way of getting scammed.

The poster said it has always worked for him and I can see why.[/quote]

As Spock would say, your logic is flawed. Just because you wouldn’t spend hours on a project just to scam someone you can’t assume that others won’t. For the type of transactions Edman and I go for, there are at least a few thousand at stake. There’ll be a lot of people willing to spend a few hours on a scam for that kind of money.

As a buyer, I agree with Edman’s sentiments 100% - it sounds like a sure way of getting robbed.

Let’s say I pay you in full via escrow. You transfer the domain without database. I accept it. Now, you’ve got my delicate parts in a vice and can extort some more money because you’ve “reappraised” the value of the database. Even if your intentions are honourable, you could go away on holiday and plan to do that on your return - you have no incentive to continue with the transaction, sort out problems that may arise etc.

What I am hearing, and what I have concluded is that the best way to reduce the risk in your transactions is to spend time building good relationships with buyers and sellers and to use the same network of folks.

Networks are largely useless unless your business model is selling the same product again and again. Like templates. Of the last 10 sites I bought, I didn’t know one single seller prior to the sale. The best sites that come up here are from people who’ve not posted numerous previous sales.

Relying on your ability to assess investment opportunities and appreciating the level of risk is better than dumping your money on the local tramp and “trusting” him to invest it for you. In other words: This is money, use your head not your heart. And if you don’t have a head for heights, get off that bl**dy cliff.

Networks are largely useless unless your business model is selling the same product again and again. Like templates. Of the last 10 sites I bought, I didn’t know one single seller prior to the sale. The best sites that come up here are from people who’ve not posted numerous previous sales.

I see your point, but I would disagree that networks are useless. I would still argue that by you building a good relationship with other sitepoint members (and on other forums and sites) that you are building your credibility over time. If you have a network of people you have successfully dealt with in the past, a seller who is largely inactive in forums will likely be much more willing to choose you over another buyer, and you will have the added benefit of people vouching for you.

Additionally there are some venture funded companies who develop, buy and sell websites on a much larger scale. They are essentially building an efficient portfolio of websites, similar to what a hedge fund might do in alternative investments. Surely developing good relationships with these companies will be beneficial.

Hi Guys,
Definitely, there isn’t any way to 100% protect yourself from being scammed using escrow.com
Cheers,
Andy

I said that networks were largely useless.

I bought a site here a few weeks ago for $24,000 from a seller I’ve never encountered before. A large sum for some people, right? Would they hand it over in advance without payment? No? Well this seller gave me full domain control, the database, the code, everything and even set it all up for me on my server before he got a cent. Why? Because he researched me, saw the numerous $xx,xxx transaction I’ve done here, saw the sticky I’ve written on how to sell your site, read the report I’ve written for Sitepoint on [URL=“http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread?t=562618”]how to value websites etc.

Why do I mention this? To demonstrate it has nothing to do with network but everything to do with credibility. They are not necessarily the same thing.

The quick answer is yes, you can get scammed with Escrow.

:cool: Great advice… :cool:

Originally Posted by designerinside
This is what i do when i sell websites.

I tell them before the escrow process that once the domain is transfered they have to accept the transfer of domain so that i get the money. once i get the money. I give them the database and the site pages. It always worked in my case.

That is the way I started the process, but as everybody mentioned as I got to know the person (lived fairly close to me in the U.S.) and had many phone conversations, if the trust factor was not established the domain only is transferred and no access to files would be forthcoming until payment is release, escrow.com only deals with domain names technically, once the domain is release the funds are to be released, any reasonable buyer including myself understand that this could happen. Talk about this arriangment prior to selling to a person. If they are no scamming then it should be no problem as you give them your info (phone number etc) to make a good clean transfer of domain and files. I have been very lucky in selling many sites without incident with proper caution and doing some homework.

I’ve only ever used Escrow once, but it seemed to me that it was a pretty straightforward and safe way to do business.

I can’t fault it personally.