[yinyang]

Originally Posted by Dean C

Unless you were backed financially by a major corporation and the system was implemented and maintained by experts in network security and the programming language the system was developed in, then I wouldn't even trust $5 in your hands

As filburt said, it's not personal, but I'd have to say anybody would be crazy to use a gateway as this.

definitely no offense taken! i was just thinking of a solution for a common problem. i've set up many of these type of accounts for film financing, which is the industry i've been in for 12 years. i've moved millions in and out of escrow throughout the years for numerous film projects, but am able to do so because of our insurance bonds.

however, these AAA firms won't touch something as measley as vbulletin or other software hacking projects. that's why i indicated setting it up as a non-profit.

but, for the sake of knowledge, i can understand why you would want the corporation backed by a large corporation, but can you elaborate on how a "system that was implemented and maintained by experts in network security and the programming language the system was developed in" would give you more ease of mind?

after all this is an escrow account. when we added a pool/guest house to my main house last year and the contractor wanted his usual payment schedule, i instead used a construction escrow account. now, this was backed by a bank but a bank will do this for construction since the escrowed amount was well over $250K.

what it sounds like is that taking a chance on a client not paying a coder or a coder not completing a project is just all part of the biz. it's just that the size of the fee for these coding services are two to three zeros shy of anyone like a bank or insurance company to bother with. but to someone who's left with either money out of pocket and no result or someone who's created something that won't ever be paid for, these few hundred dollars do mean a lot.

i just wish there could be a better way!