Internet shopping continues to raise suspicion among some users. Especially among those who purchase products or services from other individuals. This is a totally lawful mistrust if we take into account that an individual seller does not give the security guarantees of an electronic commerce. For this reason, PayPal offers a service that ensures the money of its customers in case they do not receive the product, it arrives broken or it is not the one they ordered.
PayPal Buyer Protection works for most transactions made through its platform. Both between individuals and from business to clients. In the event that the purchase does not meet expectations, the buyer can open a "dispute" and claim a full refund .
Most of the transactions made through Paypal can be covered by this protection. Both physical products and services and intangible goods , such as access rights to digital content. However, it does not cover claims related to real estate, vehicles, products purchased in person, or payments to family and friends.
How to claim a refund through PayPal?
To initiate a claim for a refund, the first thing you must do is "open a dispute". Go to the "Summary" and in the "More information about your account" section, click "Solve a problem". Then click on “Report a problem”, select the transaction you want to claim and, finally, “Item dispute” . From this point on, follow the instructions.
Please note that to use PayPal Buyer Protection you must open the dispute within 180 days of the payment date . Once you have taken this step, a negotiation period will open with the seller. If he does not answer or you do not reach an agreement, you will have to raise the dispute to a claim before 20 days have elapsed from the opening of the process.
By taking this last step, you are asking PayPal to intervene in the litigation and make a decision . The online payment company will study the problem, request evidence from the parties and make a final decision.
What issues does PayPal Buyer Protection cover?
PayPal Buyer Protection can help you if you have not received the purchased product, it has been damaged or has different characteristics than those specified on the seller's website. That is, if you receive a DVD instead of a book, a fake, or parts are missing, you can claim.
It can also protect you against unauthorized payments. That is, if someone has taken over your account information and has stolen money . In this case, when you detect a strange movement, you must inform PayPal within a maximum period of 60 days. Once they verify that they have violated the security of your account, they will return the money immediately.
PayPal always sends an informational notice to your email when you make a payment. Therefore, if you receive an email about a transaction that you have not made, you should contact them immediately . For security reasons, make sure that this communication comes from the company. To do this, check that there is a green check icon next to the subject of the message. This way you will also avoid pishing scams through this platform.
PayPal also protects the seller
Bad shots in online shopping can go both ways. The seller can also be a direct victim of a scam, or indirectly as a third party of a subtraction from the buyer. In any case, if you provide sufficient evidence of the legality of the transaction, PayPal will transfer the amount to you .
However, the most common incidence for a seller is that the buyer cancels the payment, makes a claim because he is not happy with the product he has received or initiates a chargeback . In this case, PayPal will ask for proof that the order was shipped and that it met all the requirements. Then the company will mediate and, if everything has been correct, will resolve in your favor.
In the event that the seller is the victim of a purchase with a stolen account, PayPal may decide to deliver the full amount of the product . This situation occurs when there is an “unauthorized payment”. That is, when someone buys something with a stolen account and the seller has already sent their item.
PayPal's seller protection covers both tangible and intangible items . In the case of physical objects, the company recommends keeping proof of postage and delivery of the product. In the case of non-physical products and services, the proofs of sale and use will be kept in mind.
The limits of PayPal Seller Protection
However, PayPal Seller Protection does not cover certain transactions. Licenses of digital products, sale of financial assets, real estate, vehicles or donations are not protected . Neither can you claim anything for items that have been delivered in person. Likewise, when there are claims “for an item very different from the one described” or an open dispute in the Resolution Center, the money will be withheld and we will have to wait for the company to resolve the incident.
To avoid bad drinks, PayPal recommends never sending items to an address other than the one registered on its website by the buyer and tracking the item through a transport company that offers this possibility. In addition, it is important that the seller identifies risk behaviors. Several orders to the same address in a short period of time can be one of them. And, in the event of any unforeseen event, the first thing they advise is to notify the client to avoid misunderstandings.
Requirements to qualify for PayPal seller protection
If the seller has received more than 100,000 euros per month for six months in a row, he cannot avail himself of this service. Similarly, installment, partial or installment payments are excluded. To be sure that the sale is covered by PayPal's seller protection, you can check it in "transaction details" in your account .
In addition, in the event of a claim by the buyer, speed is essential. If the seller does not provide the evidence in time, PayPal can resolve the dispute against him . Therefore, when the client initiates a dispute, he tries to present the evidence in a period of less than 20 days.