Thank you for the link you provided. It was an interesting and very useful reading although,
from my perspective, everything what is written there is
common sense. I mean that some things should be in everybody's mind, like (highlight is mine):
Shouldn't it be the escrow's responsibility to make absolutely sure the trade can't go wrong in any possible way? The escrow provider is the experienced trader, who should assume one of the other parties could be a total n00b and the other one an experienced scammer.
I'd also say the deal should be completely clear before any payment is made, and once payment addresses have been exchanged, the deal should not be changed anymore.
or like:
This is what I would have expected:
- Buyer and seller provide payment and shipping details to escrow.
- If all agree on all terms, buyer pays escrow and seller sends product to escrow.
- Escrow verifies product.
- Escrow releases product and payment only if everything is okay.
However, if such details don't come up to mind in an automatic (even unconscious) manner (
like breathing -- you breath, but you don't have to think that you actually have to inhale then exhale), then maybe the respective escrow was also a noob or imprudent...
Before accepting any escrow deal, ask yourself if there's any scenario possible in which none of the involved parties can really prove what happened. If that's the case, I wouldn't accept it.
I will take this advice and use it each time. As I stated in OP, since I am a honest person, I will also want to work only with honest people. If I'll feel anything fishy I will not get involved, as I don't want to be part of a scam (even without realizing it) nor to stain my reputation here. Thank again, Loyce, for the tips! Highly appreciated!