How To Select Best Escrow ServicesEscrow stands for a tripartite agreement where an agent takes money from a buyer and pays it to the seller upon completion of the transaction by the latter. Escrow Services are provided by corporations created with the express purpose of acting as custodians of funds or any other asset. Escrow is a simple process based on trust. The Escrow Service will act as an intermediary between a buyer and seller. It is a widely used practice in many industries and trades. The basic principle however remains the same. Escrow Services are used extensively in on line auctions, purchase and sale of property, paintings, work of art and in any similar situations where the need arises. As a buyer the service will charge you a nominal fee and ensure the seller does not get paid until you are satisfied. In the event of a dispute or disagreement the Escrow Service may act as an arbitrator. It will ask both the buyer and seller into an arbitration exercise. In the event that arbitration does not work out the agent will close the transaction. It will refund the money to the buyer after deducting a nominal fee. Select an Escrow Service very carefully. If taking part in an on line auction as a buyer, do not take the recommendation of the seller. In case the seller does recommend, then chances are that there is a vested interest involved. It is a very good idea to select an escrow service before entering into an auction. Reputed and credible auction sites will usually provide you with good recommendations. Some auction sites also act as Escrow Agents Try to obtain the physical address of the Escrow Service. Call up the customer support. Check your local state for a directory of valid Escrow Services. Source Code Escrow is a practice prevalent in the software industry. Source Code Escrow allows a software developer to handover sensitive and confidential source code to a third party or an Escrow Agent. This is done to protect the interests of the licensed users of the software who have been provided the binaries or the executables. In normal circumstances the users do not have access to the source code. However in exceptional situations the users may obtain the source code from the Escrow Service which maintains the copy. The triggers which would result in such an eventuality could be the Developer filing for bankruptcy or not being able to service the client's needs as promised. A very good example of an Escrow service which provides Source Code Escrow is ComponentSource. In case you need to engage into an Escrow Agreement then do so very carefully. Selecting the right Escrow Service is important to protect your interest. |