<b>SOP 35: The Escrow Flow-of-Funds (who touches what, when)</b>

<b>SOP 35: The Escrow Flow-of-Funds (who touches what, when)</b>

Never release money before assets, never release assets before money. Escrow exists to break this standoff. Sequence it exactly.

— 1: Buyer funds escrow in full. Seller sees "funded," not your bank.
— 2: Seller initiates domain transfer (push or auth code) and account transfers.
— 3: Buyer confirms receipt of EVERY line item on the asset list — domain, hosting, content, accounts, list.
— 4: Inspection period begins (3–7 days) to confirm assets work, not just arrived.
— 5: Buyer approves release. Escrow pays seller.

PASS = use a licensed escrow service (Escrow.com, Payoneer Escrow, or marketplace escrow). FAIL = direct wire to a stranger. Never do step 5 before step 4 is genuinely complete.

Save this — run it every deal.