Question 1

What happens to the frozen crypto during a dispute?

Accepted Answer

Throughout the dispute, crypto stays in platform escrow. Neither the buyer nor the seller has access.
What's held in escrow:

The trade crypto amount (cryptoAmount).
The platform commission (if it was set aside at SELL trade opening).

Possible outcomes:

Decision
Where crypto goes
Commission

BUYER_WINS
To buyer (cryptoAmount)
Collected by platform

SELLER_WINS
Returned to seller (cryptoAmount + commission)
Not collected

CANCELLED
Returned to seller (cryptoAmount + commission)
Not collected

If the ad creator has a referrer, part of the commission on BUYER_WINS is credited to them — see Referral program.
Timing: crypto stays in escrow until final moderator decision — from a few hours to several business days. See How long does a dispute take.
Important: even if one party is blocked or deletes their account during the dispute, the crypto does not vanish — it remains in escrow and is distributed by the outcome.

Question 2

What evidence should I attach in a dispute?

Accepted Answer

For the buyer (prove payment):

A screenshot of the incoming payment from your bank app — with visible recipient name, amount, date and time. Take it yourself and attach the original from your gallery, don't forward it through messengers.
A PDF bank statement for the relevant period — the best evidence, hard to forge.
A receipt from SBP or another transfer service.

For the seller (prove non-payment or fraud):

A screenshot / PDF statement of the account with no incoming funds for the period.
Trade chat correspondence where the buyer asked you to do something suspicious (release crypto before payment, move to Telegram).
AML data (if applicable) — ask the moderator, they have access.

General rules:

Unedited files. Forgeries are detected and work against the offender — attach only genuine files.
Full documents. Don't crop screenshots beyond recognition — the moderator needs context (URL, bank header, date).
Don't send other people's documents or personal photos — privacy violation.
One file at a time, multiple in sequence allowed. File size is limited.

What does NOT work:

Other people's screenshots — not evidence.
Photos of a screen from another device — low quality, easy to forge.
Screenshots forwarded via messengers — weaker than the original from your bank app.
Unsubstantiated claims "I definitely paid, trust me".

Learn more: How to behave in a dispute.

Question 3

How do I open a trade dispute?

Accepted Answer

Open the trade page (/trade/[id]) — accessible from "Dashboard → Trades" or via direct link.
The trade must be in PAID status (after the buyer clicked "I paid") or OPENED (if the payment window expired but crypto is still in escrow).
Click the "Open dispute" button (or "Report").
Pick a reason from the list (e.g. "Payment not received", "Counterparty doesn't confirm payment", "Fraud").
Describe the situation in a few sentences.
Attach evidence — screenshots, statements, correspondence. See What evidence to attach in a dispute.
Click "Submit". The trade moves to DISPUTED, crypto stays in escrow, and a moderator joins.

What happens next:

The trade chat from before the dispute remains visible to both parties.
Each party now chats with the moderator in a separate private channel.
The moderator examines the situation and may request additional evidence.
Per the moderator's decision, the crypto goes to the buyer or returns to the seller. See How a dispute decision is made.

Timing: see How long does a dispute take.
Detailed guide: How to behave in a dispute.

Question 4

How long does a dispute take to resolve?

Accepted Answer

Timing depends on complexity:

Simple cases (user mistake, counterparty unresponsive, payment clearly visible) — a few hours during support working time.
Medium (need to clarify details, request additional screenshots, run negotiations) — 1-2 business days.
Complex (fraud suspicion, need to verify bank statements, AML flags, digital dossier) — up to 5 business days.

What speeds it up:

Submitting the full evidence pack upfront — no need to request more.
Quick replies to moderator questions (if they ask for clarification).
Proper submission — exact reason and a clear description.

What slows it down:

Sparse or suspicious evidence.
Ignoring moderator requests.
Complex banking checks (e.g. official requests via legal@bitmoment.pro).
Heavy moderation load at peak hours.

While the dispute is open:

Crypto stays in escrow, no one can access it.
Trade is DISPUTED — extra clicks can't "speed it up".
If you have a critical situation, message the moderator in the dispute private chat — don't duplicate via email.

The platform aims for speed, but no specific SLAs are declared — each dispute is handled individually.

Question 5

Can I appeal a moderator's decision?

Accepted Answer

Per the Terms of Use and Platform Rules, the moderator's decision is final within the platform. BitMoment decides at sole discretion, and decisions are challenged only through internal procedure.
What you can do:

Contact support with new evidence not previously submitted. It's not a formal "appeal", but if a genuinely substantive piece of info appears (e.g. the bank issued a statement after the fact), moderation may reconsider.
Write to support@bitmoment.pro with subject "Dispute review #ID" and a detailed description of the new circumstances.
For AML/sanctions questions — legal@bitmoment.pro.

What does NOT work:

Emotional disagreement without new evidence ("this is unfair, I'm sure I'm right"). Such requests don't lead to a review.
Reopening the dispute through the same UI — technically impossible after closure.
Pressure, threats, demands. Violates Platform Rules and may lead to a block.

Prevention:

Gather all evidence before submitting the dispute, don't drip-feed it.
Follow security best practices — reduces "your word vs theirs" situations.
Higher KYC and reputation (success rate, rating) — more weight to your arguments.

Learn more: How to behave in a dispute.

Question 6

How is a dispute decision made?

Accepted Answer

A BitMoment moderator makes the dispute decision. Possible outcomes:

In buyer's favor (BUYER_WINS): crypto from escrow goes to the buyer. Applied when payment is confirmed.
In seller's favor (SELLER_WINS): crypto returns to the seller. Applied when payment didn't arrive or was reversed by the bank.
Cancelled (CANCELLED): crypto returns to the seller (default for incomplete trades without a clear winner).

What the moderator analyzes:

Evidence from both parties — screenshots, statements, receipts. The authenticity of attached files is checked, and forgeries are detected.
Trade chat history before the dispute — verbal agreements, arguments.
History of both parties — rating, completed trade count, lost disputes.
Security and AML signals — the platform factors in indicators of suspicious activity and links between accounts. Visible only to the moderator.

Decision principles:

Fact presumption. Proven payment — crypto to buyer. Proven non-payment — crypto to seller.
In ambiguity — the side with better evidence and cleaner history wins.
The decision is made at moderator's sole discretion. The platform isn't obliged to disclose every investigation step.
The decision reasoning notes the main cause (e.g. "payment confirmed by statement", "payment fact not proven").

On challenging a decision, see Can I appeal a moderator's decision.

Disputes

Useful guides in this category

How to handle a dispute — evidence and outcomes

Still have questions?