HAMRADIO .DEALS
Buyer & seller protection

How our escrow works

Our goal is simple: protect buyers and sellers equally. Every transaction runs through escrow — no exceptions, no direct payments, no "just PayPal me."

Step by step

Money moves only when both sides have held up their end

01

Item sells

Buyer pays. Funds go into escrow — a dedicated FBO account held by our regulated financial partner. The seller can't touch it; neither can we.

02

We issue the shipping label

The seller packs and ships to the buyer's verified address — no last-minute address changes. Every shipment is insured.

03

Item arrives

The buyer has an inspection window to test the equipment on the bench and on the air.

04

Funds release 48 hours after confirmed delivery

Unless the buyer opens a dispute first. Sellers never wait indefinitely.

The foundation

Three things are true of every deal

Identity verified

Everyone is verified

  • Sellers must be ID-verified to list; buyers must be ID-verified to buy.
  • Identities are matched against the FCC license database — callsigns here belong to the people using them.
  • You're never dealing with an anonymous stranger.
Members only

Your privacy is protected

  • Callsigns, serials, locations, and comments are visible only to verified members — anonymous browsers see redacted listings.
  • Buyers and sellers never see each other's street address. Only the carrier does.
  • Serial numbers are recorded privately — never displayed publicly.
FBO ACCOUNT

The money is held safely

Not by the seller — and not by us. Payment goes into a dedicated "For the Benefit Of" account held by our regulated financial partner.

  • The seller can't touch it until the transaction is confirmed.
  • Never mixed with our own funds — released only when the rules are met.
If something goes wrong

Every failure has a rule

Disputes are arbitrated against the original listing, with evidence from both sides. Nobody gets paid while a question is open.

01

Item never arrives

The transaction is reversed and the buyer's funds are returned in full.

02

Item isn't as described

The buyer opens a dispute within the inspection window, with photo or video evidence. We arbitrate against the original listing. If the buyer prevails, we issue a return label; the buyer has 3 days to ship the item back.

03

Return arrives — is it the same item?

Refunds release only after the return arrives, and only if the serial number matches the one recorded at listing. Escrow protects sellers from swap fraud just as it protects buyers from bad gear.

04

Damaged in shipping

Every shipment is insured. The buyer is refunded and we handle the carrier claim — it's not your problem on either side.

05

Something looks fraudulent

The transaction is frozen and goes to human review. Nobody gets paid until we've looked at the evidence.

Real-world scenarios

What actually happens when it goes sideways

Protects the buyer

You buy an $800 HF radio and open the box to find bricks.

You open a dispute with your unboxing video. We freeze the funds, review the evidence from both sides, and refund you. The seller doesn't get a dime, and fraud gets reported — every seller here has a verified identity attached to the deal.

Protects the seller

You sell your $1,200 amplifier, and the buyer claims the box was empty.

Your packing video shows the amp — serial number visible — going into the box, sealed with marked tape. Your evidence holds up under review, and the funds are released to you.

Protects the seller

A buyer tries to return a different, broken unit.

The serial number doesn't match the one recorded at listing. The return is rejected, the original funds release to you, and the buyer's verified identity goes into our fraud record.

Protects the buyer

Your radio arrives damaged in shipping.

Open a dispute with photos. Shipping insurance covers it — you get your money back, and the carrier claim is ours to fight, not yours.

Protects the buyer

The seller never ships.

No carrier scan appears, the transaction is reversed, and your funds come straight back.

Full fraud protection

Two minutes of video makes disputes nearly impossible to fake

On higher-value transactions, both parties record one continuous take — sellers: serial number, item into the box, sealed with marked tape, label applied. Buyers: label and seals intact, box opened, contents revealed. Strongly recommended on every deal.

What it costs

Roughly half of what the big auction sites charge

And unlike them, every dollar of it buys verified identities, held funds, insured shipping, and a real dispute process.

Pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App, or bank transfer.

Listing Free No cost to list your gear.
Seller fee 3.5% Deducted from your payout.
Buyer Transaction Protection 3.5% Added at checkout.
Shipping insurance 1% Of the sale price, included on every shipment.

The bottom line

Money moves only when both sides have held up their end. That's the whole system — and it's why you can buy and sell gear here with people you've never met.