What is escrowing points?

Introduction 

You can use your points balance as a virtual currency with other members for goods or services. Our "escrow" system allows for a trusted system to exchange these points. When a member "escrows" points to another member, those points get held by a third party (in this case, Midwest Nudists) until both members indicate the stated agreement terms have been met. Once both members mark the agreement has been satisfied, the points will be released and sent to the escrowed member. If the agreement has not been met, one of the members can "dispute" the escrow, resulting in the escrow being raised to the Midwest Nudists staff for intervention.

Creating an Escrow 

Let's say, for example, you want to exchange points with another member in exchange for a piece of art they will make for you. Here is what you would do:

• Go to the member's profile and the "points" tab.
• Under "Escrow transactions", click "Send via Escrow"
• You will be asked to provide how many points you are escrowing (e.g. how many points it will cost for the piece of art), a short description, the full agreement terms (in our example, you would detail that in exchange for your points you are requesting a piece of art with [insert requirements here] requirements. For example, maybe you want a black and white 1600x900 line art of a large oak tree in a park. You would put that in the terms.)
• Optionally, you can provide an expiry date. If neither member marked the escrow as satisfied (or disputed) by the expiry date, then the escrow will be canceled, and the points refunded back to the escrowing member. If only one member marked the agreement as satisfied by the expiry date, then the escrow will automatically enter dispute status and be raised with the staff of Midwest Nudists.

After Creating the Escrow

When you create the escrow, your points are deducted from your balance and held by Midwest Nudists. An escrow transaction is created between you and the other member... and the other member is notified of it. Both of you can view the escrow at any time through the link provided, and take action.

When you deem that the other member has satisfied their portion of the agreement, you will mark the escrow as satisfied. Once both you and the other member mark it as satisfied, then the other member will receive your points, and the escrow will be closed.

Disputing an Escrow 

If the other member is not cooperating with their portion of the agreement, or you wish to refund the escrow or have the agreements changed, you can dispute it from the escrow screen. You will be prompted to explain your dispute so staff can get a better picture of what happened.

When either member disputes the escrow, it enters "dispute" state, meaning no more actions can be taken on the escrow until the staff review the dispute and resolve it. Resolution can come in the form of one of three actions:

• The agreement terms are modified, and the escrow exits dispute state / goes back to open.
• The escrow is canceled, and a full refund is given to the escrowing member.
• The escrow is marked satisfied, and either all or a part of the points are given to the escrowed member. If only a part of the points are given, then the rest will be refunded back to the escrowing member.