Patent ID: 7571127

Claim:
A method for securely purchasing merchandise using a remote computer purchasing system, securely providing purchased merchandise to a buyer for a monitored inspection using a camera surveillance system, and securely providing funds to the seller using an escrow account, comprising the steps of: receiving a payment for a purchased item at an escrow account associated with a payment and inspection service and issuing a notification message to the seller who used the remote computer purchasing system that said payment was received by the escrow account; receiving the purchased item at the payment and inspection service inspection location site after said item has been purchased using the remote computer purchasing system and shipped to the inspection location site; issuing a notification message to the buyer who used the remote computer purchasing system that the item has been shipped and is ready for inspection at the inspection location site; providing the purchased item to the buyer for a monitored inspection of the shipped item at the payment and inspection service inspection site, said inspection service monitors the buyer using a camera surveillance system to record the buyer's inspection of the purchased item during the inspection wherein the monitored inspection allows the buyer to inspect the shipped item and assure its acceptability, but does not give the buyer an opportunity to alter or swap the shipped item with something else without being observed by the surveillance system; and after the buyer accepts the purchased item after said monitored inspection, approving the payment funds transfer from the escrow account to the seller, or after the buyer rejects the purchased item after said monitored inspection, approving the refund of the payment funds from the escrow account back to the buyer.