......... The escrow service from CQout

Frequently Asked Questions

Escrow is when two people agree on a transaction but ask an independent third person to act as a "go between" to ensure that both sides of the agreement are met. 

In case of internet auction deals, this totally eliminates the risk of scams & fraud from either the seller or the buyer.

For this reason we insist that all CQout sellers should accept SecurePay as one of the payment options alongside any other payment option they offer, and we strongly advise all buyers to use SecurePay for their total peace of mind.

SecurePay is CQout's in-house payment system and does not require any separate sign-up or registration. All Buyers and Sellers alike have access to use SecurePay.

SecurePay may not be appropriate in every case, but in all cases the buyer has the option to use SecurePay for total peace of mind or use any of the other payment options offered by the seller

Note: All users are automatically registered for SecurePay and can use the system straight away. For some transactions however buyers will need to apply for our trusted status before access to this facility is provided, this normally takes no longer than 24hrs.

A buyer needs to be sure that the goods they have bid on are exactly as described by the seller, and that they exist, i.e. they are not going to become victim of a scam. SecurePay acts as an independent 'third party' to both buyer and seller, holding payment that the buyer makes by credit card to SecurePay  until the buyer has received the goods from the seller and agrees they are as described in the auction description. Only then does SecurePay release the buyer's payment to the seller. SecurePay has its owns stringent security routines when accepting payment from buyers.

SecurePay therefore guarantees payment to the seller with no risk of chargebacks, ensuring a safe and rewarding transaction for both buyer & seller at no risk to either party.

SecurePay costs the seller nothing...  Zero...  There are no charges from CQout for receiving SecurePay payments and monies are paid direct to the seller's bank account.

SecurePay fees are paid to CQout by the buyer, as it is the buyer who initiates the SecurePay process as a means of protecting their purchase. 

SecurePay charges the Buyer a fee of 4.9% of the total cost (Final bid price + delivery charges)  agreed between buyer and seller, subject to a minimum fee of £2.50 ($3.66 USD). SecurePay fees are subject to VAT at current rate of 17.5%.

SecurePay fees are calculated and clearly displayed for each transaction before the buyer make the decision to proceed with payment.

Notes:

1- In the instance that the seller fails to dispatch the goods once the SecurePay process has started, the seller is in breach of our rules, therefore the seller is liable for suspension and site rule infringement charges. The buyer is refunded 100% of the SecurePay Sum ( amount placed in escrow), The transaction fees (SecurePay fees) are not refundable. However, in case of very high value transactions where the SecurePay fee is in excess of 7.00GBP, the fee is capped at 7.00GBP for the purposes of calculating the refund.

2- In the instance that the Seller requests the transaction to be cancelled due to a legitimate or honest reason for not being able to supply the goods, then the Buyer is refunded the SecurePay sum plus SecurePay fees. The applicable SecurePay fees are charged to the Seller's account.

The key advantage to a buyer of using SecurePay is the ability to take delivery of goods and check that they are as described before the seller receives payment. This discourages a seller from trying to take advantage of a buyer by providing damaged, faulty or non-existent goods. In addition, the buyer has the security of having provided CQout Ltd with their credit card details rather than a seller about whom they may know very little.

Benefits for Buyers:

• 100% Protection against fraudulent sellers or any type of scam, giving you total peace of mind and financial security
• Quick & Easy payments across all International borders and currencies.
• Guaranteed Refunds if goods are not as described.

SecurePay eliminates All potential scams.......the only 100% safe way to transact. 

For the seller, accepting SecurePay provides a confidence boost for potential buyers and demonstrates that the seller is genuine and reputable. It also provides a means by which sellers who are not credit card merchants in their own right can accept credit card payments from buyers.

Benefits for Sellers: 

• Zero Cost- whereas Paypal, Nochex and others charge sellers 3%-4% for using their service. SecurePay costs you nothing
• Guaranteed Payment - There is no risk of chargebacks. Whereas with PayPal, the seller carries the risk of chargeback for up to 6 months.
• 100% Protection against dishonest buyers

SecurePay is operated by CQout Ltd, a  company registered in UK with over 9 year's trading history. The company's reputation rests on providing the highest standard of service to users and maintaining high standards of security, integrity and impartiality within its auction site. SecurePay has been operational for over 9 years with a perfect track record.

Some items- such as new CD or DVD software carry very little risk, and the cost of SecurePay as a proportion of the whole may not prove worthwhile. Other items, for example a pre-owned musical instrument, may not only be more valuable, but could also suffer from defects not apparent during the auction - such as a 'ding' in the metalwork of a saxophone that is not visible in the photograph or mentioned in the listing text by the seller. In this case. SecurePay easily justifies its cost in giving protection to the buyer. It is obviously incumbent on sellers to describe and display their goods accurately, and a seller who is willing to accept SecurePay is signalling to potential buyers that they are confident in the description they have given of their goods.

Once the goods have been accepted by the buyer, the monies in escrow are released to the seller's account. Monies in the SecurePay account are transferred direct to the seller's bank account once a month, at the end of each month. This keeps cash flow reasonably quick which we know is important to many sellers while keeping administration to a minimum. Sellers who transact more than £1000 per month can opt for a fortnightly payout.

CQout will contact the seller on first use of the system when monies are due to the seller, for their account details. For International sellers without a UK bank account we offer a range of alternative payment options to suit the seller's particular circumstances

Occasionally a buyer may forget to complete the required step on SecurePay which "Accepts" the goods and therefore the payment to the seller is not released as promptly as it should be.

 These are the steps CQout takes to reduce such events:

Buying Reminders (Last 31 days)
I need to release SecurePay payment for	2 items

 

You, as the Seller, could also send a timely email reminder to the buyer, as the Seller will know for certain when goods have been delivered. You can send this email yourself or use the simple "one click" Release Reminder button  provided on your SecurePay pages, see example.:

LOT#	ITEM	QTY	BUYER	STATUS	Started	Dispatched	Accepted	Release Reminder	Sent back	Accepted back	View Details
4058977	Visual Basic 4 - Professional Edition	1	david	Dispatched	06Oct08	06Oct08	-		-	-

You can see a step by step explanation of the process, and check on progress of your items by logging into the SecurePay service at;

SecurePay Login

a brief version is shown below;

Buyers are reminded that simply changing one's mind about an item after purchase is not a good enough reason to reject goods under the SecurePay scheme. However, depending on the Sellers returns policy they may still agree to a full or partial a refund, outside of SecurePay scheme.

• Goods can only be rejected by the buyer if these are not exactly as described in the auction listing, or the item differs significantly from the photo used to sell the product.
• Buyers are required to advise the seller of their intention to return the goods within 48hrs, outlining the reason for return. This gives the seller the opportunity to resolve any problems and maybe avoid the need for a return.
• If the seller does not respond or a resolution is not achieved goods should be posted back to the Seller's registered address with CQout.
• The Buyer must use a shipping service that provides tracking and adequate insurance
• Goods should be returned complete and in their original packaging where possible, or an equally secure alternative to avoid damage or loss on the return journey
• A refund is only made to the Buyer when the seller confirms safe receipt of the goods in a satisfactory condition

CQout reminds its customers that in agreeing to make a sale or purchase, they have entered into a contract with the other party which may be enforceable in law.  Typical legitimate grounds for return of goods would be :

• Misrepresentation or exaggerated claims when describing goods.
• Misrepresentation of their condition.
• Damaged or faulty goods ( when not already declared and described as such).

- Antiques & Second-hand Goods
In cases of subjective judgments on condition of antiques and second-hand items, the buyer's judgment will prevail. Provided the goods are returned promptly and in the same condition in which they were despatched, the seller is expected to accept the returns without quibbling over for example whether an item described as "fair condition" can have 2 or more scratches on it!. 

- Brand New Goods
In cases of supply of brand new goods, the scope for potential disputes is very limited, as the item is either as describes and working or it is not.

The point both parties need to bear in mind, is :

"If an item has been described fairly and accurately. It has been packed adequately and shipped appropriately. Disputes are rare and there is little ground for a buyer to seek legitimate returns"

The SecurePay process has been designed to minimise the likelihood of disputes and to make those disputes easy to resolve should they arise.

To minimise grounds for complaint, CQout recommends :

• Sellers describe their goods fairly and accurately.
• Buyers communicate with the Seller and attempt to resolve any issues before returning the goods
• Goods are dispatched back to the seller by a reputable company that can track and confirm delivery, and are insured in transit
• Goods are returned in their original packaging where possible, or an equally secure alternative to avoid damage on the return journey
• Any documentation such as emails or invoices are retained

In the event of a dispute, recommended course of action is for the Buyer and Seller to communicate directly with each other in an attempt to resolve it amicably. If this proves impossible, the parties could seek remedy in the courts. Alternatively CQout can act as an arbitrator with the consent of both parties.