Well it is not the most trusted site but i have made some purchases on it and it has always went well. I have not experienced any problems with the sellers on the site, which means that i don't know how escrow works.

It's very similar to localbitcoins. Except i think their timeframe for refunds is a bit longer.

They have a lot of positive reviews. I would not hesitate to use them especially if you are being forced to send first - nothing to lose and everything to gain.