The fact is that escrow is no better than a blind faith loan. Either way you are giving your coins to another person, that you very likely do not know. Are loan websites better? Website escrows? No matter what, you are trusting a total stranger to return something you have given them. It either will or will not happen.
It is better to go for multi signature escrows like bitrated because no one can get a chance to scam there.
Even if the scammer does not sign the transaction, the mediator will and I am sure the mediator will not ruin his reputation for a one time bribe from the scammer.
Or... the mediator gets reputation, then establishes alot of selling trades as being a seller with another account, then delays everything a bit and at the end he, as the mediator and he as the buyer... releases the bitcoin to his scammy address.
No, as long as I do not miss a point the same thing like with master-P could have happened there.
I admit I did not check bitrated out so I might miss something.