Last updated on 28 May 2024
Last updated on 28 May 2024
When you buy something from a seller who accepts PayPal, you may be eligible for a refund under PayPal's Buyer Protection program, which terms and conditions are set forth herein and form part of the user agreement. When applicable, PayPal's Buyer Protection program entitles you to reimbursement for the full purchase price of the item plus the original shipping costs you paid, if any. PayPal determines, in its sole discretion, whether your claim is eligible for the Buyer Protection program based on the eligibility requirements, any information or documentation provided during the resolution process, or any other information PayPal deems relevant and appropriate under the circumstances. PayPal's original determination is considered final, but you may be able to file an appeal of the decision with PayPal if you have new or compelling information not available at the time of the original determination or you believe there was an error in the decision-making process.
IMPORTANT: You may be required to return the item to the seller or other party we specify as part of the settlement of your claim. PayPal Buyer Protection does not entitle you to reimbursement for the return shipping costs that you may incur.
PayPal Buyer Protection program may apply when you encounter these specific problems with a transaction:
If you believe that a transaction made through your PayPal account was not authorized by you, this type of claim is different from the PayPal Buyer Protection program, and is described under Resolving Problems.
If you buy something from a seller in-person by using a PayPal goods and services QR, your transaction may be eligible for PayPal Buyer Protection.
Your claim will not qualify for a refund under PayPal Buyer Protection for an Item Not Received claim, if:
If the seller presents evidence that they delivered the goods to you, PayPal may find in favor of the seller for an Item Not Received claim even if you claim you did not receive the goods.
An item may be considered Significantly Not as Described if:
An item may not be considered Significantly Not as Described if:
The following items or transactions are not eligible for PayPal Buyer Protection:
To be eligible for PayPal Buyer Protection you must meet all of the following requirements:
Open a dispute in the Resolution Center within the applicable timeframe and follow our online dispute resolution process.
If you’re unable to resolve a transaction related issue directly with a seller, you must follow our online dispute resolution process through the Resolution Center to pursue a claim under our PayPal Buyer Protection. You may also file a claim (Step 2 below) by calling us and speaking to an agent. The steps you must follow are described below, and if you do not follow these steps your claim may be denied:
Step 1: Open a dispute within the applicable timeframe. This might allow you to start a direct conversation with the seller regarding your issue with the transaction that may help resolve the dispute. If you are unable to resolve the dispute directly with the seller, proceed to Step 2. We will place a hold on all funds related to the transaction in the seller's PayPal account until the dispute is resolved or closed.
Step 2: Escalate the dispute to a claim for reimbursement within 20 days after opening the dispute, if you and the seller are unable to come to an agreement, or we will automatically close the dispute. You can escalate the dispute to a claim for reimbursement through the Resolution Center. The seller or PayPal may also escalate the dispute to a claim at this point. If you are making an Item Not Received claim, PayPal may ask you to wait at least 7 days from the transaction date to escalate the dispute.
Step 3: Respond to PayPal's requests for documentation or other information, after you, the seller or PayPal escalates your dispute to a claim for reimbursement. PayPal may require you to provide receipts, third party evaluations, police reports or other documents that PayPal specifies. You must respond to these requests in a timely manner as requested in our correspondence with you.
Step 4: Comply with PayPal's shipping requests in a timely manner, if you're filing a Significantly Not as Described claim, PayPal may require you, at your expense, to ship the item back to the seller, to PayPal or to a third party (which will be specified by PayPal) and to provide Proof of Delivery.
Step 5: PayPal will make a final decision (including automatically closing any dispute or claim), in its sole discretion, based on the eligibility requirements set forth above, any additional information provided during the online dispute resolution process or any other information PayPal deems relevant and appropriate under the circumstances.
Claim Type | Timeframe |
Item Not Received | Dispute must be opened within 180 days of the date you sent the payment to the seller. |
Significantly Not as Described | Dispute must be opened (i) within 30 days of the date of delivery or fulfilment (as applicable) of an order or (ii) within 180 days of the date you sent the payment to the seller, whichever is sooner. |
Unauthorized Transactions and Other Errors | Refer to the user agreement for applicable timeframes. |
In certain cases, if you purchase a ticket or pay for the right to attend an event from a payment recipient who is a UK registered PayPal account holder (“Event”), all monies paid by you may be held by PayPal on trust for you, so that the beneficial interest in such monies remains with you until the performance of the Event in question.