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What is Escrow?
Escrow is a neutral third-party service that holds your payment until you confirm the vendor delivered as promised. It prevents scams by ensuring vendors only get paid for goods they actually ship, while protecting vendors from buyers claiming non-delivery after receiving products.
How Escrow Works (Simple Flow)
- Buyer places order → Payment goes into escrow (held by Atlas Market)
- Vendor sees payment confirmed → Ships the product
- Buyer receives package → Confirms receipt and releases escrow
- Vendor receives payment → Transaction complete
If there's a problem (non-delivery, wrong item, etc.), either party can open a dispute. Atlas Market staff reviews evidence and decides who gets the escrowed funds.
Why Escrow is Essential
Without escrow, darknet markets would be scam festivals. Buyers would send money and hope vendors ship (many wouldn't). Vendors would ship and hope buyers don't lie about non-delivery (many would). Escrow solves this trust problem by holding funds in the middle until both parties fulfill their obligations.
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Atlas Market Escrow Options
✅ Standard Escrow (Recommended)
Atlas Market holds your payment until you release it. This is the safest option for buyers.
- Protection: Maximum - funds can't be taken by vendor without your approval
- Auto-Finalize: After 14-21 days (depending on shipping), escrow auto-releases if you don't finalize
- Best For: All buyers, especially first-time purchases from a vendor
- Fee: None - Atlas Market's escrow service is free
⚠️ Finalize Early (FE) - Use With Caution
Payment goes directly to vendor immediately. No escrow protection.
- Protection: None - if vendor doesn't ship, you lose your money
- When to Use: Only with highly trusted vendors you've ordered from successfully many times
- Vendor Perspective: Some vendors require FE for large orders or new buyers (red flag if they demand it)
- Risk: High - selective scamming is common (vendor ships small orders, scams large FE orders)
🔐 Multisig Escrow (Advanced)
Cryptocurrency is held in a 2-of-3 multisignature wallet. Requires 2 of 3 parties (buyer, vendor, Atlas Market) to release funds.
- Protection: Maximum - Atlas Market never has unilateral control over funds
- Exit Scam Proof: If Atlas Market tries to exit scam, they can't steal escrow funds
- Setup: More complex - requires multisig-compatible wallet
- Availability: Check if Atlas Market supports this (not all markets do)
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Placing an Order with Escrow
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Browse Products & Choose Vendor
Review vendor feedback, ratings, and sales history. Check how long they've been active. Read recent reviews carefully. -
Add to Cart & Enter Shipping Details
Encrypt your address with the vendor's PGP key (Atlas Market does this automatically). Never send plaintext addresses. -
Select Escrow Option
Choose "Standard Escrow" (recommended). Only select "Finalize Early" if you completely trust the vendor. -
Review Order & Confirm
Double-check product, quantity, price, and shipping details. Once confirmed, payment moves from your wallet to escrow. -
Track Order Status
Vendor marks order as "Shipped" when sent. You can see order status in your dashboard. Expected delivery time varies (domestic 3-7 days, international 7-21 days).
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Finalizing Escrow (Releasing Payment)
"Finalizing" or "releasing escrow" means you confirm receiving the product and approve payment to the vendor. This is the final step that completes the transaction.
When to Finalize
- Package Arrived: You've physically received the package
- Contents Verified: You opened it and confirmed the product is correct (right item, correct quantity)
- Quality Checked: Product is as described (not damaged, fake, or wrong quality)
- No Issues: Everything is satisfactory - if not, open a dispute first
When NOT to Finalize
- Package hasn't arrived yet (even if vendor says they shipped)
- Wrong product received (different item, wrong quantity, fake product)
- Product damaged or poor quality (not as described)
- Empty package or missing items
- Vendor is pressuring you to finalize (legitimate vendors don't rush buyers)
Leave Feedback When Finalizing
When you finalize, Atlas Market asks you to rate the vendor and leave a review. Be honest and detailed - this helps other buyers avoid scammers and find quality vendors. Good vendors appreciate fair reviews (good or bad), while scammers fear them.
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Opening & Resolving Disputes
If something goes wrong with your order, you can open a dispute. Atlas Market staff will review evidence from both sides and decide who gets the escrowed funds.
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Valid Reasons to Open a Dispute
- Non-Delivery: Package never arrived after reasonable time (usually 2x expected delivery time)
- Wrong Product: Received different item than ordered
- Short/Missing Items: Ordered 10, received 5
- Poor Quality: Product significantly worse than described (but not personal preference issues)
- Damaged Goods: Arrived broken or unusable due to poor packaging
- Vendor Not Responding: Vendor won't reply to messages about problems
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How to Open a Dispute
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Contact Vendor First
Message the vendor about the problem. Give them 24-48 hours to respond. Many issues can be resolved directly. -
Open Dispute
Go to your order page → Click "Open Dispute" button → This freezes the escrow and notifies Atlas Market staff. -
Provide Evidence
Write a clear explanation of the problem. Include photos if relevant (wrong/damaged product). Upload any evidence (screenshots of vendor messages, tracking info, etc.). -
Vendor Responds
Vendor has 48-72 hours to provide their side of the story with evidence. -
Atlas Market Decides
Staff reviews all evidence and makes a ruling (typically within 3-7 days). Possible outcomes:- 100% Buyer: Full refund to you
- 50/50 Split: Half refund, half to vendor
- 100% Vendor: Vendor gets full payment (if you're disputing unfairly)
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Decision is Final
Atlas Market's ruling cannot be appealed. Funds are released according to the decision.
Don't Abuse the Dispute System
Opening frivolous disputes (product wasn't exactly what you imagined, took 2 days longer than expected, etc.) gets you marked as a problem buyer. Vendors can refuse your future orders. If Atlas Market sees a pattern of unfair disputes, your account may be suspended. Use disputes only for legitimate issues.
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Escrow Best Practices
✅ For Buyers
- Always use standard escrow for first orders with a vendor
- Read vendor reviews carefully - look for recent feedback, not just ratings
- Don't finalize until you've verified the product in hand
- Save all communication with vendors (screenshot disputes before they disappear)
- If vendor pressures you to FE or rushes you, consider it a red flag
- Check auto-finalize date and plan to receive package before then
📦 For Vendors
- Ship products promptly - delays lead to disputes
- Use tracking when possible (keeps escrow time shorter)
- Respond to buyer messages within 24 hours
- If there's a legitimate issue, work it out with the buyer before they dispute
- Keep proof of shipment (receipts, tracking) for dispute evidence
- Don't ask buyers to FE unless they've ordered from you successfully before