What happens in a dispute
Most escrows end with the buyer releasing the funds. When the two sides disagree, the escrow stops, both sides make their case, and a ruling decides. Here is the full sequence, what each stage takes, and what Vaultion can and cannot do at every step.
Start an escrowWhich process applies to your escrow
Every escrow names its dispute path at creation and the escrow page shows it. The steps below describe the Vaultion-assisted path, which is available on every live network. Ethereum escrows can instead use Kleros arbitration, where randomly drawn, staked jurors vote and the disputing party pays a Kleros fee.
A Vaultion-assisted dispute, start to finish
Either party opens the dispute
From the escrow page, while the deal is open. The escrow freezes: no release, no refund, until the dispute is settled.
Both sides submit evidence
Each party writes their account and attaches files. Evidence is private and stored encrypted: only the two parties and the reviewer can see it, and it is never published. AI tooling helps organise the case for the reviewer; it never decides anything.
A Vaultion reviewer rules
A person reads the deal terms agreed at creation and every piece of evidence, then submits one of three rulings: release to the seller, refund to the buyer, or a split.
The challenge window runs
The ruling does not take effect immediately. A window chosen when the escrow was created runs first, so a mistaken ruling can be caught before money moves. On EVM networks the choices are 12, 24 or 72 hours. On Solana it is a fixed 48 hours.
Finalize, then collect
Once the window closes the ruling is finalized on-chain. Finalizing credits the winning party inside the contract; they collect the funds with their own wallet. Vaultion never moves the money for anyone.
How long it takes
Evidence beats argument
The reviewer can only weigh what is in front of them. Tracking numbers, timestamps, the delivered files and the original agreed description decide most cases. A long message without any of those rarely does.
Frequently asked
Who can open a dispute?
Either party, from the escrow page, while the escrow is still open. Once a dispute is open nothing can be released until it is settled.
What counts as evidence?
Your written account plus anything that supports it: photos, receipts, tracking numbers, screenshots of the conversation, the delivered files. On a Vaultion-assisted escrow your evidence is private and stored encrypted: only the two parties and the reviewer can see the case, only the reviewer can open the files, and nothing is published. Every submission is wallet-signed and fingerprinted, so neither side can quietly change it afterwards. On a Kleros escrow, evidence is published to IPFS because jurors must be able to read it. The deal description agreed at creation is what the reviewer measures everything against.
What rulings are possible?
Release to the seller, refund to the buyer, or a split between them.
Can Vaultion take the money?
No. On the assisted path the reviewer submits a ruling, and a separate freeze-only guardian can pause it, but neither can send funds anywhere other than to the buyer or the seller. Vaultion holds no key that moves your money to itself.
Does the winner receive the funds automatically?
No. Finalizing credits the winning party inside the contract. They then collect the funds themselves with their own wallet, paying only gas. The escrow page shows a collect action when it is your turn.
What if the other side simply goes silent?
Escrows have timeouts. On EVM networks, if the buyer never responds after delivery, funds can be released to the seller when the buyer review period ends. In a Kleros dispute, if the other side never pays their arbitration fee within the fee window, the paying party can claim by default. On Solana, a disputed escrow with no ruling for 30 days can be settled by timeout. In every case the contract credits the winner, who then collects.
Keep reading
Write the deal down before you fund it
The deal description you agree at creation is what any ruling is measured against. Specific terms make disputes short.
