Escrow

What is escrow?

Escrow is optional protection for a trade. Instead of sending Forum Gold straight to a seller and hoping they deliver, the buyer pays into escrow. The site holds the FG while the trade happens in-game, and only releases it once the buyer confirms they got what they paid for.

• Buyers can't be left with nothing: the seller isn't paid until the buyer confirms.
• Sellers can see the FG is already secured before they hand anything over.
• If there's a disagreement, an admin decides, using recordings from both sides.

What does it cost?

The buyer pays the agreed price plus a 5% escrow fee. The seller pays nothing and always receives the full agreed price.

Escrow trades can be between 1.00 FG and 100,000.00 FG.

Step by step

1. Agree a deal. Find a listing, talk to the seller, and agree what is being traded and the price in FG.
2. Either side can start the escrow, and both must agree.
   • On a sale listing, the buyer presses Buy with escrow. Their FG (price + fee) is taken from their balance and held by the site, and the seller is notified.
   • On a wanted post, the seller presses Sell with escrow. The buyer is notified, and nothing is taken until the buyer agrees and pays.
   • You can also start one from the Escrow page for any trade you've agreed.
3. The other side accepts the escrow agreement. The seller reads the terms and ticks to accept (or the buyer ticks to agree and pay). If they decline, or you cancel before they accept, you get everything back, fee included. Sellers: don't hand over anything until the escrow shows "Funds secured".
4. Trade in-game, and record it. Both players should record the whole trade (see below). The seller hands over the items and presses Mark as delivered.
5. Buyer checks and confirms. If everything is right, the buyer presses Confirm I received everything. The seller is paid the full price straight away, and the site keeps the fee.
6. Something went wrong? Either side can open a dispute instead (see below).

Record every trade: no video, no help

A recording is the only evidence we can use. If you don't provide a video showing the entire trade, we cannot help you, whichever side you're on. Record every escrow trade, so you have proof either way, whether the trade went through or didn't:

• At least 3 minutes long, in one continuous, unedited take. Clips shorter than 3:00 are rejected.
• Start before you meet and keep going until after the hand-over (or until it's clear it isn't happening).
• Show what is being traded and how much, before and after: inventory, cash or the item itself.
• Proof of trade: show the items or money changing hands, with the other player clearly present.
• Proof of no trade: show you at the agreed spot the whole time, the other player not turning up or not handing over what was agreed, and your inventory unchanged.
• Upload it somewhere that works with a link (an unlisted YouTube video, Streamable, Medal, Discord, Google Drive…), then paste the https:// link and the clip length on the escrow page.
• Only the two people in the trade and site admins can see clips on the escrow page. Clips may show in-game names, so don't post them publicly.

Disputes

• Either side can open a dispute while the trade is in progress: the buyer if they didn't get what was agreed, the seller if they delivered and the buyer won't confirm. You must describe the problem.
• Once a dispute is open the funds are frozen. Nobody can cancel, confirm or take the money out, not even the person who opened the dispute.
• Both sides then submit their recordings (and can add notes). If you don't submit a video showing the entire trade, we cannot help you.
• Only an admin can decide. After reviewing the clips and notes, an admin either pays the seller or refunds the buyer. That decision is final, and the admin's reasoning is shown on the escrow page.
• Both people are told the result by message.

What happens to the 5% fee?

The fee pays for the escrow service and the admin time spent on disputes.

Once a seller has accepted, the fee is kept in every outcome. If the trade never starts, you pay nothing.

Good to know

• Escrow is optional. Sending Forum Gold directly is instant and cannot be reversed, and staff can't recover it. Use escrow for anything you wouldn't happily lose.
• Escrow protects the payment, not your in-game items. Never hand over items before the escrow shows "Funds secured".
• Escrows never expire. The money stays held until the trade is confirmed, cancelled, or an admin decides a dispute. If the other person goes quiet, open a dispute.
• Everything is logged on the escrow page, and your gold log shows every hold, payout and refund.