How a trade works

A trade moves through a fixed set of states: awaiting payment, funds in escrow, awaiting confirmation (once marked delivered), pending clearance (after you confirm), and finally completed, when the seller can actually withdraw the funds.

Two automatic safety nets exist alongside the normal path: if a seller never delivers within the delivery window, the trade auto-refunds the buyer. If a buyer never confirms within the confirmation window, the trade auto-completes toward the seller instead -- so neither side can be held hostage by the other going silent.

Funds released to a seller don't become withdrawable instantly -- they sit in a short "pending clearance" window first (the length depends on the category; instant digital-code trades often clear the fastest). This is the same pattern behind "pending clearance" shown on your balance.

Either party can open a dispute while funds are still in escrow, or (via a recall claim) even after release but still inside the protection window. Describe what went wrong -- the trade's chat history is preserved and reviewed as evidence. An admin makes the final call: release to the seller or refund the buyer.