Escrow terms

Version 2.55.1 · as of 11/06/2026

1. Subject

DNS.legal LLC (escrow agent) receives the purchase price from the buyer, holds it in an escrow account separate from its own assets and pays it out to the seller or refunds the buyer in accordance with these terms. Every booking is recorded in double-entry in the transaction ledger.

2. Procedure

1. The parties agree on domain, price, fee allocation, transfer method and inspection period.
2. The buyer pays within 7 days using the stated reference. Without timely payment the transaction is cancelled.
3. After receipt of payment the escrow agent asks the seller to transfer the domain within 7 days.
4. The buyer inspects within 3 days and confirms receipt or opens a dispute.
5. Upon confirmation, or expiry of the inspection period without dispute, the amount less fees is released to the seller.

3. Buyer guarantee

The seller is paid only once the domain has arrived with the buyer. If the transfer fails, the amount paid is refunded (less third-party costs caused by the buyer, e.g. bank charges).

3a. Checks before and during the transaction

When the transaction is created, the escrow agent records the state of the domain’s publicly available registry data (including registrar, creation date, status, expiry date) and shows it to both parties. The data comes from third parties; the escrow agent does not verify its accuracy and owes no particular result. If the check shows that the domain is no longer at the seller’s disposal, the transaction may be refused and any amount paid refunded.

3b. DNS zone snapshot

Before the transfer the escrow agent records the domain’s publicly available DNS records at that time and makes them available to both parties so the buyer can rebuild the zone. This is a snapshot of public data without warranty of completeness.

3c. Confirmation of the sale

The escrow agent may require the seller to confirm the sale by an entry in the domain’s DNS zone containing the transaction and the purchase price as a checksum. The price itself does not appear in plain text in that entry. Until the confirmation is in place, payout to the seller may be withheld; the buyer’s rights are not affected.

3d. Deadlines, silence and days

All periods run in calendar days and are shown in the transaction with date and time. If the buyer neither confirms receipt nor opens a dispute before the inspection period expires, the transfer is deemed accepted and the amount is released. If the seller does not transfer within the transfer period, the buyer may demand reversal; after a reminder the escrow agent may end the transaction on its own motion and refund the amount.

3e. Information required for the transfer

The seller provides everything needed to make the transfer technically possible, in particular the auth code or the release for an account change, and lifts any transfer locks in good time. As long as this information is missing, the transfer is not deemed initiated and no payout is made.

4. Disputes

While funds are in escrow, either party may open a dispute. The escrow agent decides on release, refund or split after reviewing the evidence. This decision does not affect legal remedies between the parties. If the evidence does not allow a decision, or if the parties’ instructions remain contradictory, the escrow agent may deposit the amount with a competent authority or refund it and thereby withdraw from the transaction.

5. Identity checks and anti-money-laundering

The escrow agent may require identity verification before payment or payout, request proof of source of funds, and suspend or refuse transactions where there are indications of money laundering, fraud or sanctions violations.

6. Fees and documents

Fees and their allocation are shown before the contract is concluded. No fees are charged if a transaction is cancelled before payment. After completion the buyer receives an invoice and the seller a credit note.

7. Payout

Payouts are made to the recipient’s registered account once identity, master data and bank details have been verified. If a confirmation under section 3c or a requested document is still outstanding, the payout is withheld until then. For a sale by an office holder, the account holder must match the proceedings.

7a. Escrow Plus

If one side wishes to remain unnamed towards the other, the operator steps into the chain as a contracting party (section 6a of the terms of service). It is then the seller or buyer towards the other side, issues the invoice in its own name and settles with the unnamed side by credit note. The procedure, the deadlines and the buyer guarantee under these terms remain unchanged.

7b. Cancellation, chargebacks and costs

If a transaction ends before payment is received, no fees are charged. After payment, third-party costs incurred are borne by the side on whose part the reason for ending it lies; by mutual agreement they are shared. If a payment is reversed after a payout, the recipient must return the amount; the escrow agent may set it off against future payouts.

7c. Payouts that cannot be delivered

If an amount cannot be paid out for want of bank details, missing information or an incomplete identity check, it continues to be held separately and the recipient is reminded. If it remains unclaimed after twelve months, the escrow agent may deposit it or deal with it under the law applicable at its seat; the recipient’s claim remains unaffected.

8. Liability

The escrow agent is liable for proper safekeeping and payout in accordance with section 10 of the terms of service. It checks neither the value of the domain nor whether it is free of third-party rights, neither ownership nor the accuracy of the parties’ statements. Warranties given by one party to the other are not attributable to it. It is not liable for acts or delays of third parties, in particular banks, payment providers, registrars and registries.