New domain name escrow service offers a good user experience to streamline domain transactions.
Thought Convergence has formally launched its new online escrow service, Agreed.
Those of you at TRAFFIC in Florida last October will recall that I wore an Agreed t-shirt one day. This was because Ammar Kubba won a charity auction: For a $2,750 donation to The Water School, I agreed to wear an Agreed.com t-shirt for a day, and to post a write-up about the company on Domain Name Wire.
I asked Ammar what makes Agreed.com different than existing domain name escrow providers. Here’s what he had to say:
Let’s start with what we have in common with some of the current escrow providers… first and foremost, Agreed is in a very select group of only a handful of escrow providers licensed by the California Department of Business Oversight (“DBO”) to act as Internet escrow agents. Most of the other “escrow” providers are conducting business in a gray area of the law, and it’s just a matter of time before they’ll have to start complying. Like the other licensed escrow provider, Agreed is subject to significant government oversight and regulation. Agreed is independently audited on a regular basis, our employees are fingerprinted and legally required to pass extensive FBI background checks, and our Escrow Manager’s credentials and experience are reviewed and approved by the DBO to oversee escrows.
Now let’s talk about what sets us apart… in two words: User Experience. Agreed understands that transactions can quickly go south during the escrow process. Often times, this is a result of how the escrow is conducted and how the user interacts with the site. Agreed.com was designed to simplify and streamline the escrow process, and to keep our users fully informed of the escrow’s progress. We’ve also paid special attention to novice domain purchasers who have never conducted an online escrow transaction. Agreed’s unique user interface ensures that these users will enjoy assistance and guidance throughout the process, keeping them feeling comfortable, safe and secure, and always apprised of next steps.
User experience, however, is not measured solely by the ease of getting a simple task accomplished; it’s also measured by providing the features that the market needs and demands. Throughout our design and development cycle, Agreed sought the input of domain industry experts, from investors to brokers to consultants to marketplaces. These individuals provided invaluable feedback on, among other things, the complex transactions that they regularly encounter, and they all expressed their desire to have a platform that could handle such transactions without having to call in for set up or administration. Agreed heard this loud and clear, and we’ve built all of these features in to our platform. Financed transactions, lease transactions (with or without an option to purchase), and holding transactions, all with or without confidentiality, are a breeze to set up and administer on agreed.com. And Agreed’s responsive design ensures that our clients can easily set up, view and update their escrow transactions, anytime and anywhere, whether on a computer, smartphone or tablet.
Now that we’ve launched, we’ll be looking for and listening to your feedback. Over the coming weeks and months and beyond, we’ll continue to listen to your feedback, improve the platform, and add new features and functionality. Once you’ve had a chance to log in and explore, we’d love to hear your thoughts on Agreed and any new features or functionality that you’d like to see. Please email us at ideas(at)agreed.com.
Domenclature.com says
Sounds awesome! Congratulations!!!!!
Makis.TV says
Well done Ammar!
I m going to use your service in my next domain sale.
Wish you the best for your new business.
Len says
I was really hoping this new Escrow service would be a full escrow service and also be its own registrar and be able to escrow the domain and not just the funds like Escrow.com does.
We domainers need an escrow service that can take possession of the domain and not have to rely on the buyer to confirm or a whois screenshot for verification.
Will we ever see an escrow company do this?
Ammar Kubba says
Thanks for the kind words, Domenclature and Makis. Len, this is on our roadmap, and we’re already working on a solution for you… Agreed will soon offer the option of taking possession of the domain name as part of the escrow process. As I mentioned in my post, we will be listening to your feedback and continuing to add new features and functionality. There is much, much more to come.
Sameh says
Sounds interesting. Holding the domain by the Escrow Service is the only thing I hate about Escrow.com and I like about Sedo.
Now you combined both, less fees and holding the domain.
BTW, Agreed.com is a great domain for an Escrow Service. Congratulations!
Andrew Allemann says
Regarding holding the domain, is anyone aware of a time in which someone got screwed by direct transfer while using an escrow service? I’ve heard of it “happening”, but then the Escrow service made it whole.
Len says
Thanks for the great reply Ammar,
That sounds great, I cant wait for that to happen.
I think once you are able to take possession of domains you will easily become the #1 escrow service for all domain properties.
Good luck with your new venture.
Ammar Kubba says
Shouldn’t be too long, Len… stay tuned.
Karel Zeman says
LEN actually MONIKER Escrow escrows money AND the domain too. Another escrow which does not escrow the domain itself ? Why ?
jayjaymejayjay says
I’m liking the escrow fee’s which is really the nut’s ‘n’ bolt’s of the business.
They look like the most economical/fairest in the business 🙂
I’ll probably head there with future sales.
Congrats again Ammar!
chandan says
how they pay ? i cant see any bank details , paypal details to add in account
Edward Jeffries says
Good luck to Agreed.com.
Lower priced than Escrow.com, but still nowhere name as competitive as Transpact.com (which is not USA based, but fully regulated in the UK).
Agreed.com should shake up the market for the good.