How to Buy Safely with Crypto Escrow: Buyer's Guide | BM Escrow

How to buy safely with crypto escrow.

Your payment stays locked in escrow until you mark the deal complete. This guide shows you how to pay, what to check, and when to complete.

The quick checklist

1Read the deal description before you accept. It's what any dispute is judged on.
2Send the exact amount shown, on the network shown, in one payment, from a wallet you control.
3Wait for the deal to show Held. Your payment is now locked in escrow.
4When the seller delivers, check everything. There's no time limit.
5Happy? Mark the deal complete. Not happy? Open a dispute instead. Completed deals are final.

Before you accept the terms

Accepting fixes the deal. Make sure it says what you expect.

Read the description as if you had to settle an argument about it. Does it say exactly what you're getting, its condition, and how it will be delivered? If something matters to you, like a version, a quantity or a delivery date, ask the seller to add it before you accept.

Check the price, the coin and network you'll pay with, and who pays the escrow fee. Everything is fixed once you accept.

Paying into escrow

Exact amount, right network, one payment.

Send the full amount shown, every decimal, on the network shown. Those last digits are how we match your payment to your deal. You have 120 minutes to pay once the terms are accepted.

Paying from an exchange? Exchanges often take a withdrawal fee, which leaves you a little short. If that happens, the deal shows the missing amount and you can top it up from the same wallet.

Paying in Bitcoin, Solana or TON? The price is locked for 15 minutes. If it runs out, get a fresh quote first.

Check the network before you send

USDT runs on several networks (TRC-20, ERC-20, BEP-20). Sending it on the wrong one can mean losing it for good. Match the network name in your wallet to the one on your deal.

Checking the delivery

Take your time. Your payment isn't going anywhere.

Once the seller delivers, check everything properly. There's no countdown and no automatic release, so don't let anyone rush you.

Open the files, log in to the account, or test the item.
Compare it point by point with the deal description.
Keep all messages on the deal page, so they're saved as evidence.
If something is wrong, take screenshots or photos with dates visible.

If there's a problem, ask the seller to fix it in the deal chat. If you can't agree, open a dispute. Your payment stays frozen until it's resolved.

Completing the deal

When you're happy, complete the deal and the seller is paid.

Marking the deal complete sends your payment to the seller. Like every crypto payment, it can't be reversed by you, the seller or us.

BM Escrow doesn't offer returns or refunds after a deal is completed, and our support for that deal ends once the payout is confirmed. Any later issue is between you and the seller. This doesn't affect legal rights you have that can't be waived.

Not sure yet? Don't complete.

There's no penalty for waiting, and no reason to complete early because a seller asks you to.

Buying something? Start the escrow deal yourself.

Opening an escrow deal is free and commits nobody. You only pay the fee once money is held.

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