How Escrow Works
Escrow protects both buyers and vendors by holding funds securely until work is complete.
What is Escrow?
Escrow is a secure payment holding service that protects both parties in a transaction:
For Buyers
Your payment is held safely until the vendor delivers. If they don't deliver or the work isn't as agreed, you can get a refund.
For Vendors
Once you complete the work, funds are released to you. You're protected from buyers who ghost or refuse to pay after receiving their order.
Think of it like this:
Escrow is like having a trusted friend hold money while you buy something from someone you don't know. The friend only gives the money to the seller after you confirm you got what you paid for.
When Escrow is Used
Escrow is used for transactions that take time to complete:
✓ Service Bookings
Miniature painting, cosplay commissions, 3D printing services - anything that requires time and custom work
✓ RFQs (Request for Quote) (Coming Soon)
Custom projects where you'll describe what you want and vendors will submit offers
✗ Regular Products
Standard product purchases don't use escrow - payment is processed immediately and vendor ships when ready
The Escrow Process
Payment is Captured
When you book a service (or accept an RFQ offer once available), your payment is captured immediately and held securely by Stripe (our payment processor).
Your card is charged immediately
The money leaves your account right away, but the vendor doesn't receive it yet. It's held in escrow.
Vendor Does the Work
The vendor completes your order according to the agreed specifications and timeline.
Communication is key
Vendors should provide progress updates and photos. You can ask questions through messaging at any time.
Delivery & Confirmation
The vendor marks the work as complete and (for physical items) ships it with tracking.
You have 7 days to review
Once delivered, you have 7 days to inspect the work and confirm it's as expected. If there are issues, open a dispute.
Funds Released
After you approve the work (or after 7 days if you don't respond), funds are automatically released to the vendor.
Auto-release protects vendors
If you receive the work but don't approve it (and don't open a dispute), the money is automatically released after 7 days.
Common Scenarios Explained
✓ Everything Goes Well
Scenario: You order a custom painted miniature. Vendor paints it beautifully. Ships it with tracking. You receive it and love it.
What happens:
- You click "Approve" or 7 days pass
- Funds released to vendor automatically
- Vendor receives payment within 2-3 business days
- You can leave a review
⚠️ Work Doesn't Match Agreement
Scenario: You order a blue costume but it arrives in red. Or the quality is significantly lower than shown in vendor's portfolio.
What to do:
- Click "Open Dispute" on your order page
- Upload photos showing the issue
- Vendor has 48 hours to respond with a solution
- Options: Remake, partial refund, full refund
- If no agreement, admin reviews and decides
⏰ Vendor is Running Late
Scenario: Vendor promised delivery in 2 weeks, it's been 3 weeks with no updates or progress.
Your options:
- Message vendor asking for update
- If no response in 48 hours, you can request a refund
- If work hasn't started, full refund
- If work is in progress, partial refund based on completion
- Admin reviews evidence (messages, photos) and decides
👻 Buyer Doesn't Respond
Scenario: Vendor completes work perfectly, ships it with tracking, but buyer never responds or approves.
Vendor protection:
- Vendor marks order as "Delivered" (with proof)
- Buyer has 7 days to approve or dispute
- If buyer doesn't respond after 7 days, our admin team reviews
- Admin verifies proof of delivery and manually releases funds
- This prevents buyers from holding funds hostage
🚫 Need to Cancel Before Work Starts
Scenario: You booked a service but changed your mind, or found a different vendor.
Cancellation policy:
- If vendor hasn't started work: 100% refund
- If vendor started: Partial refund based on work completed
- Vendor provides evidence of progress (photos, time logs)
- Admin reviews if parties can't agree
- Cancel as early as possible to avoid disputes
Milestone-Based Payments
For large projects, vendors can set up milestone-based payments where funds are released in stages as work progresses.
Example: $300 Cosplay Commission
Each milestone is approved separately. If you're unhappy after Milestone 1, you can cancel and only pay for the completed work.
Key Timelines
Tips for a Smooth Transaction
For Buyers
- • Review vendor's portfolio before ordering
- • Read their reviews and ratings
- • Communicate clearly about expectations
- • Respond to vendor messages promptly
- • Approve delivery within 7 days if satisfied
- • Open disputes early if there are issues
For Vendors
- • Set realistic timelines and stick to them
- • Send progress photos regularly
- • Respond to messages within 24-48 hours
- • Use tracked shipping for physical items
- • Take photos before shipping
- • Mark orders as delivered promptly
Your Money is Safe
All payments are processed through Stripe, a trusted payment processor used by millions of businesses worldwide. We never directly handle your payment information.
- • Stripe is PCI-DSS Level 1 certified (highest security standard)
- • Your card details are encrypted and never stored on our servers
- • Funds are held securely until work is complete
- • You're protected by Stripe's buyer protection policies