a13. Protection for Buyers
13.1 How am I protected if I have a problem with a purchase?
PayPal Buyer Protection is available for purchases you make both on eBay and off eBay:
- Purchases made on eBay
- For eligible items, protection is available for both items not received (INR) and significantly not as described (SNAD); and
- Purchases made off eBay
- For eligible items protection is available for INR only
If the problem you're trying to resolve involves a transaction that you did not authorize, please report the unauthorized transaction through the PayPal Security Center at
https://www.paypal.com/security.
13.2 What are the eligibility requirements for PayPal Buyer Protection?
You must meet all of these requirements:
- Use PayPal to purchase an eligible item
- Pay for the full amount of the item with one payment. Items purchased with multiple payments – like a deposit followed by a final payment – are not eligible
- Open a dispute within 45 days of the date you sent the payment – then follow the online dispute resolution process described below under Dispute Resolution
- Keep your PayPal account in good standing
In addition, for items purchased on eBay, you must meet the following requirements:
Send the payment to the seller through:
- The eBay Pay Now button
- An eBay invoice
- The Send Money tab on the PayPal website, by clicking the Purchase tab and selecting eBay Items or by clicking the Pay for eBay Item tab
In addition, for items purchased off eBay, you must meet all of these requirements:
Send the payment to the seller through:
- The Send Money tab on the PayPal website by clicking the Purchase tab and selecting Goods
- The seller's PayPal checkout flow
The item you purchase must be a physical, tangible good that can be shipped
How do I know if I'm purchasing an eligible Item? The following applies in addition to section 13.8, below:
Items purchased on eBay:
Look for the buyer protection message in the eBay listing in the right hand column under the Buy Safely banner. If you see this message, and you meet the eligibility requirements, then your purchase is covered by PayPal Buyer Protection. You can also view this message after you complete your purchase by logging in to your eBay account, going to "my eBay" and looking at the listing. If the listing does not include the buyer protection message, then it is not eligible for PayPal Buyer Protection.
The buyer protection message will vary based on the eBay website. The following is an example of the PayPal Buyer Protection message:
Items purchased off eBay:
Items are eligible unless they are excluded below:
- Real estate, motor vehicles, capital equipment, travel tickets, and events tickets
- Intangible items
- Services
- Items purchased using PayPal Payments Pro or Virtual Terminal
- You may not file a dispute for a Personal Payment
13.3 How much coverage do I get with PayPal Buyer Protection?
Items purchased on eBay:
If you see the PayPal Buyer Protection message "Pay with PayPal and full purchase price is covered", and if PayPal finds in your favor on your Claim, PayPal will reimburse you for the full purchase price of the item and original shipping costs – with no cap on coverage. PayPal will not reimburse you for the return shipping costs that you incur to return a Significantly Not as Described item to the seller or other party PayPal specifies. If the seller presents evidence that they delivered the goods to your address, PayPal may find in favor of the seller even if you did not receive the goods.
Items purchased off eBay:
If PayPal finds in your favor on your claim, PayPal will reimburse you for the full purchase price of the item and original shipping costs – with no cap on coverage
13.4 Dispute Resolution
If you are unable to resolve the problem directly with the seller, go to the Resolution Center and follow this process:
- Open a Dispute
Open a Dispute within 45 days of the date you made the payment for the item you would like to dispute.
- Escalate the Dispute to a Claim
If you and the seller are unable to come to an agreement, escalate the Dispute to a Claim within 20 days after opening the dispute.
You must wait at least 7 days from the date of payment to escalate a Dispute for an Item Not Received (INR), unless the Dispute is for $2,500 or more. If you do not escalate the Dispute to a Claim within 20 days, PayPal will close the Dispute.
- Respond to PayPal's requests for information in a timely manner
During the Claim process, PayPal may require you to provide documentation to support your position. You may be asked to provide receipts, third party evaluations, police reports, or anything else that PayPal specifies.
- Comply with PayPal's shipping requests in a timely manner
For Significantly Not as Described (SNAD) Claims, PayPal may require you to ship the item back to the seller - or to PayPal - or to a third party at your expense, and to provide proof of delivery.
For transactions that total less than $250, proof of delivery is confirmation that can be viewed online and includes: the delivery address, delivery date, and the URL to the shipping company's web site if you've selected “Other” in the shipping drop down menu. For transactions that total $250 or more, you must get signature confirmation of delivery.
- How is the Claim resolved?
Once a dispute has been escalated to a claim, PayPal will make a final decision in favor of the buyer or the seller. You may be asked to provide receipts, third party evaluations, police reports, or anything else that PayPal specifies. PayPal retains full discretion to make a final decision in favor of the buyer or the seller based on any criteria PayPal deems appropriate. In the event that PayPal makes a final decision in favor of the buyer or seller, each party must comply with PayPal's decision. PayPal will generally require the buyer to ship an item that the buyer claims is Significantly Not as Described back to the seller (at the buyer's expense), and PayPal will generally require a seller to accept the item back and refund the buyer the full purchase price plus original shipping costs. In the event a seller loses a claim, the seller will not receive a refund on his or her PayPal or eBay fees associated with the transaction. If you lose a Significantly Not as Described claim because the item you sold is counterfeit, you will be required to provide a full refund to the buyer and you will not receive the item back. (It will be destroyed.)
13.5 What is the PayPal Buyer Complaint Policy?
It is PayPal's process to help you resolve a problem directly with the seller through the PayPal Resolution Center for purchases that are not eligible for PayPal Buyer Protection. This process is available simply to facilitate communication between buyer and seller. PayPal does not provide protection for items that are not eligible for PayPal Buyer Protection.