This is a great idea, and I checked your resume on LinkedIn: JP Morgan, Sunguard, Bloomberg, and you speak 3 languages? Impressive. Why choose Havelock though instead of BTC-TC or BitFunder? They are more reputable IMHO due do their resiliency to DDOS attacks in the past. Havelock is based in Canada if I remember correctly- sure they look pretty and have a nice trading interface but the last time they were down it took them 2 WHOLE DAYS to recover. I think if you go with BTC-TC or BitFunder you are more likely to reach your goal because the trust is already there.
The only incentive I see would be potential volume from marketing. But the number of people who are paranoid enough to require face-to-face meetings for fiat<->BTC transactions is small enough that I'm not sure the volume is there for any provider, be it Dealcoin or someone else. (I'm not saying the paranoid are the only users of localbitcoins, but let's face it - if you're going to buy regularly, and you're not paranoid, it's easier [and faster!] to get an account with an online seller like Gox or what have you than it would be to arrange a face-to-face meeting, drive there, and hope you don't get stood up - or worse, mugged.) I don't see that paradigm changing by any appreciable extent any time soon.
Hello radiumsoup,
Dealers and members can make the fiat transaction through other means than face-to-face. They may use any payment channels they agree on be it direct bank wire, paypal, etc.
The fact for Dealcoin not to be involved in these fiat transactions means much lesser risk of a regulatory clampdown which seems to be one of Mt.Gox main issues till now. Withdrawing USD on MtGox is not so easy at the moment...
Regarding the risk of mugging in face-to-face, we advise members to conduct their transactions in a bank lobby, preferably the bank of the seller where it will be safe, and convenient for the seller to have the notes checked while being deposited in their account.
Additionally DealCoin features a reputation system to help members deal with the most reliable dealers only.