DannyHamilton - can I ask how it is that you're able to offer a free escrow service?
I provide escrow free of charge as a community service for members. If the volume or complexity of escrow requests becomes overwhelming, I may require a fee in the future. I am assuming the risk of holding the escrowed Bitcoins, and I am using my own time to facilitate this transaction. As such, if it does not represent a burden to do so, please consider sending a bitcoin gratuity after the satisfactory resolution of your transaction.
Offering escrow costs me nothing but time and effort. I get a sense of satisfaction for providing the community with a safe and reliable way to engage in bitcoin transactions, and so far that sense of satisfaction is worth the time and effort.
In the beginning I wasn't "offering" escrow. Instead, I was being "requested". There were people who felt that I was trustworthy and reliable and they contacted me asking if I would help facilitate a transaction for them. I didn't mind helping out, and so I agreed to act as a "middle-man" for those transactions.
After a few such transactions, someone suggested that I should let others know that I was willing to offer the service. It sounded like a good way to give back to the community where I had learned so much. Eventually I created the "announcement" thread and added the link to my forum signature.
So far, it hasn't been overly burdensome. Some people who have used my service have sent me a gratuity after the completion of the transaction, and I am very appreciative of that compensation.
