Segregated funds
Principal is held by a regulated payment institution, separate from our operating accounts.
Escrow for high-value private sales
Neither side has to send first.
TrustDeal holds the buyer's funds while the goods are shipped and inspected. Payment is released when the agreed conditions are met — and stays put when they are not.
Segregated client accountsBoth sides verifiedWritten terms
Rolex Air-King · released to sellerRef. TD-2317
- Protected to date
- €470k+
- Completed deals
- 124
- Disputes escalated
- 1.6%
- Median payout
- 1.2 days
Figures cover deals administered between March 2025 and October 2026.
Recent activity
Representative deals
ItemValueOutcome
Hermès Birkin 25€14,800Released
Rolex Datejust 41€12,900Released
Cartier Love bracelet€6,900Price adjusted
Omega Speedmaster Professional€6,400Released
Van Cleef & Arpels pendant€4,250Released
Illustrative examples. Client details anonymised at their request.
Process
Read the full processFive steps, in this order
Higher-value deals add extra verification milestones. The sequence does not change.
01
Terms agreed in writing
Item, price, currency, inspection window, transit method and who pays the fee. Both sides accept before anything moves.
Same day02
Both sides verified
ID, proof of address and a liveness check for each party. Companies provide registration and ownership details.
1–2 hours03
Buyer funds the deal
Transfer goes to a segregated client account. The deal is marked funded only once we can see cleared funds.
On clearing04
Seller ships, buyer inspects
Insured, tracked transit. The buyer has the agreed window to check the item or send it to a nominated specialist.
48 hours standard05
Release or resolve
Buyer confirms and the payout leaves the same business day. If something is wrong, funds stay put until it is settled.
1–2 business daysWhat the fee covers
Six things that have to be true before money moves
Escrow is not a holding account with a nice interface. The protection comes from the checks that happen either side of it.
Verified counterparties
Nobody reaches the funding stage anonymously. Both sides clear KYC first.
Independent authentication
We coordinate an approved watchmaker or gemologist. We never self-certify.
Insured transit
Tracked, signature-on-delivery shipping with a recorded handover above €10,000.
Dispute handling
Evidence from both sides, then a return, a price adjustment or a written determination.
One written record
Terms, reports, tracking and messages sit in a single deal room both sides can rely on.
Fee estimateStandard band
EUR
Fee paid by
- Escrow fee · 1.9%
- €352
- Buyer transfers
- €18,852
- Seller receives
- €18,500
Indicative only. Minimum fee €95. The fixed quote is confirmed in writing before funding.
Not sure it fits?
Send the item and the value. If escrow is the wrong tool, we will say so rather than open a deal.
+359 89 645 3914
Client feedback
From completed deals
We had agreed the price and then lost a week arguing about who moved first. TrustDeal held the money, the watchmaker's report came through, and it settled the same afternoon. The only awkward part of the deal was the part they removed.
Funds were confirmed before I flew in. I had 48 hours with my own watchmaker and released in one click.
Buyer in Seoul, bag in Vienna. Insured label, funds cleared before dispatch. I never had to chase a payment.
The clasp was not as described. They held the balance while we agreed a €600 reduction. Unemotional and documented.
First private sale and I was nervous. The checklist told me what to send and when. Nothing was left to guess.
4.9 average from 96 post-deal reviewsSurnames shortened at client request
Questions
Asked before most deals
What exactly does TrustDeal do?
We sit between buyer and seller as a neutral third party. The buyer's funds are secured with our regulated payment partner, the goods are inspected within an agreed window, and payment is released only when the deal conditions are met — or adjusted by agreement.
Who actually holds the money?
Client funds are held in segregated client accounts with a regulated payment institution, separate from TrustDeal's operating funds. Neither the buyer nor the seller can move the money unilaterally once a deal is funded.
When does the seller get paid?
After the inspection window closes and the buyer confirms the item as described — or immediately after an agreed variation. Standard payouts leave the same business day and typically land within one to two business days.
What if the item is not as described?
Do not release. Send your findings and evidence in the deal room. We can pause the deal, arrange a return or negotiate a price adjustment. Funds stay secured until both sides agree or the dispute desk issues a written decision.
Who pays the escrow fee?
Either side, or both by even split — it is agreed before the deal opens. The fee is calculated from the deal value on a published sliding scale, with a €95 minimum.
Still unsure?
A question before funding is cheaper than an assumption after. The desk answers six days a week.
Start
Open a deal, or ask what it would look like
No account and no payment to start. Nothing is binding until both sides accept the written terms.
Or call +359 89 645 3914 · Mon–Sat, 09:00–20:00 EET