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I will try to develop a better method of escrow. Better then oG's and better then mine.
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Back when I had the time to handle escrow, my method was:
- Generate a unique address for the escrow (do not provide it to the transacting parties yet)
- Ask the paying party to provide a refund address
- Ask the paid party to provide a release address
- Ask either party to provide the terms of the agreement
- Write up an agreement that describes the terms, includes the escrow address, refund address, and release address
- Send the agreement to both parties to be accepted
- Make it clear that escrow should NOT be funded until I acknowledge that BOTH parties have accepted the agreement
- Make it clear that NOTHING should be provided by the paid party until the escrow address has been funded with at least 1 confirmation
Is there a flaw in this method that I'm overlooking?
The buyer sends to you a refund address that matches his send address and has control of it.
The deal dies and the buyer needs a refund.
You go to return the to the designated refund address.
The buyer lost control of the address. It can happen and be real and legit.
What do you the escrow do?
If the buyer has a way of proving his identity do you send to a different refund address?
I can tell you most USA laws would favor the buyer and the escrow should send the coin to the new address.
The case with isoneguy and OgNasty
The buyer sends to you a funds with a coinbase address that he does not have control of it.
The deal dies and the buyer needs a refund.
You go to return the to the designated refund address.
The buyer has no control of the address. It can happen and be real and legit.
What do you the escrow do?
If the buyer has a way of proving his identity do you send to a different refund address?
I can tell you most USA laws would favor the buyer and the escrow should send the coin to the new address.
This opens up a big can of worms for escrow.
I had a looser system then you or OG
OG explained the exploit scammers are trying and his rule 2 stops the exploit as does your method.
But if shit happens and it does sometimes the buyer can lose control of the refund address.
The escrow faces a choice to alter refund address or not. isoneguy did multiple sales with me and I have his home address with my records in this case my mediation would have worked.{i think} But scammers can do a clever long term scam with 3 or 4 legit sales to establish that a shipping address is good.
Then create the isoneguy vs OG setup for a large refund say 10-15 coins. So I do understand why OG wants rule 2 to stand . Just like your rules if you enforce them it stops the scam.
But it that buyer truly had lost control of an address and can prove it. The escrow agent gets put into a spot. I for one no longer think I can do escrow and fully protect
The escrow agent
The Buyer
The Seller
This address is my main address
https://blockchain.info/address/1JdC6Xg3ajT3rge3FgPNSYYFpmf53Vbtjeit is a blockchain.info hotwallet
I have control of the keys as I imported it from core years ago.
I send 50 coins to OG for a large purchase. Someone breaks into my home and gains control of the wallet.
The deal falls through I show police reports to OG and other proof of whom I am. OG follows rule 2. Sends to a compromised wallet. I have a court case.
change and I did deal with Danny H followed his rules
even used my core wallet that has multiple hdd backups.
the wallet gets compromised due to a natural disaster. I am in NJ so Hurricane Sandy
I proof to Danny this happened he sends to core wallet address effectively burning the money.
I take him to court he could lose.
So as I see it for now I won't be doing escrow.
As I do not have a solution for the issues I see here.
Look with isoneguy vs og they both got a bit stubborn (I think) , but frankly I am glad it happened as I see issues
in providing escrow I did not see. Possibly I won't ever do escrow again.
I do not want to get stuck or have to stick someone.