Settlement
Money through escrow. The name into your account.
The handover is built so that neither party is asked to go first on faith. An independent escrow company holds the funds until you have checked the name under your own registrar login.
Who holds the money
A licensed online escrow service, Escrow.com unless we agree on another. It verifies both parties, takes your payment by wire or card, and pays out only when you confirm receipt. Its fee is split between us as the agreement says, most often half each.
How the name moves
If your registrar is the one the name already sits with, we push it to your account and it arrives within hours. If it is a different registrar, we unlock the name and send you the transfer code; the move then takes a few days, as registrars require.
When it counts as done
Once the name is listed under your login, its settings are yours to change, and you have notified escrow. Until then the funds stay where they are and either side can raise a question with the escrow company.
Questions buyers ask
- When can we start using the name?
- As soon as it is in your account. Pointing it at your site or setting up email on it is then entirely in your hands.
- Can we pay over time?
- For some names, yes: a short schedule of instalments held by the escrow company, with the name moving to you once the last one is paid. Ask when you hear the figure.
- What does the name cost to keep?
- Only the ordinary yearly renewal at your registrar. We charge nothing after the sale.
- Do we need a lawyer?
- The agreement is short and in plain English, and many firms sign it themselves. If your counsel wants to read it first, we send it in advance.
- Will anyone know we bought it?
- Not from us. We do not announce sales or name buyers, and registrar privacy can keep your details out of the public record.
- What if something goes wrong in the move?
- The funds stay in escrow until you confirm, so the worst case is a delay, not a loss. Fiona handles any registrar hold-up herself.
Something not covered here?
Send the question with the domain it concerns. The answer comes within one working day.