Escrow definitely has its place, especially for high-value transactions or when trust is limited. But yeah, it can feel like overkill sometimes. A few thoughts:
- PayPal and credit cards do offer decent buyer protection, but they're not foolproof. I've seen cases where disputes dragged on forever or didn't end in the buyer's favor.
- Escrow adds friction, sure, but that friction can be beneficial—gives both sides time to verify details and reduces impulsive decisions.
- When I bought some equipment online last year, escrow slowed things down by about a week. Annoying at the time, but looking back, it probably saved me from a sketchy seller.
I guess it boils down to your risk tolerance and the transaction size. Curious if anyone's had experiences where escrow actually complicated things more than it helped?
