13.1 Types of Problems Covered. PayPal Purchase Protection (also known as PayPal Buyer Protection) helps you if you encounter either of these problems:

If your problem is a transaction that you did not authorize, please report the unauthorized transaction through the Security and Protectionpage. 

An item is “Significantly Not as Described” if it is materially different from what the Seller described in the item listing. Here are some examples:

1. You received a completely different item. For example, you purchased a book and received a DVD or an empty box.
2. The condition of the item was misrepresented. For example, the description when you bought the item said “new” and the item was used.
3. The item was advertised as authentic but is not authentic.
4. The item is missing major parts or features which were not disclosed in its description when you bought the item.
5. You purchased three items from a Seller but only received two.
6. The item was damaged during shipment.

An item is not Significantly Not as Described if it is materially similar to the Seller’s item listing description. Here are some examples: 

1. The defect in the item was correctly described by the Seller.
2. The item was properly described but you didn't want it after you received it.
3. The item was properly described but did not meet your expectations.
4. The item has minor scratches and was listed as used condition.

13.2 Eligibility Requirements.

1. To be eligible for PayPal Purchase Protection you must meet all of the following requirements:

   • Pay for the eligible item from your Account.

   • 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. 

   • Send the payment to the Seller through:

     • the eBay “Pay Now” button or the eBay invoice; or

     • the “Send Money” button of your Account by selecting “eBay Item” and entering your eBay User ID and the eBay item number for purchases on eBay website; or

     • the Send Money tab on the PayPal website, by clicking the “Purchase” tab, or by selecting the “Checkout with PayPal” button or otherwise selecting PayPal as part of a Seller’s checkout flow.

   • 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. For Pay After Delivery transactions you must open your Dispute within 45 Days of the date of your transaction.

   • Have an Account in good standing.

2. For items purchased on eBay look for either a PayPal or eBay purchase or buyer protection message in the eBay listing. If you see a message, and you meet the eligibility requirements, then your purchase is covered by PayPal Purchase Protection. The purchase or buyer protection message will vary based on the eBay website. The message must appear on the top part of the listing and not under the “Description” or “Shipping and Payments” tabs. If the listing does not include the purchase or buyer protection message, then it is not eligible for PayPal Purchase Protection.

13.3 Ineligible Items. PayPal Purchase Protection only applies to PayPal payments for certain tangible, physical goods. Payments for the following are not eligible for reimbursement under PayPal Purchase Protection:

1. Intangible items, including Digital Goods
2. Services
3. Real estate, including residential property
4. Businesses
5. Vehicles, including motor vehicles, motorcycles, caravans, aircraft and boats
6. Custom made items
7. Travel tickets, including airline flight tickets
8. Items prohibited by the PayPal Acceptable Use Policy
9. Items which you collect in person, or arrange to be collected on your behalf, including at the retail point of sale
10. Items that violate eBay’s Prohibited or Restricted Items Policy
11. Industrial machinery used in manufacturing
12. Items equivalent to cash, including prepaid or gift cards
13. PayPal Direct Payments
14. Virtual Terminal Payments
15. Personal Payments

Even if your payment is not eligible for PayPal Purchase Protection, you can file a Dispute and try to resolve the issue directly with the Seller; however, PayPal will generally not find in your favor if you escalate a Dispute to a Claim for an item which is not eligible for PayPal Purchase Protection. 

13.4 Coverage Amount. If you are eligible for PayPal Purchase Protection and 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 specified by PayPal. If the Seller presents evidence that they delivered the goods to your address, PayPal may find in favor of the Seller for an Item Not Received claim even if you did not receive the goods.

13.5 Dispute Resolution. If you are unable to resolve a problem directly with a Seller, you can 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 (or the date of the transaction if using Pay After Delivery) for the item you would like to dispute to negotiate with the Seller for resolution of the Dispute. We will place a hold on all funds related to the transaction in the Seller's Account until the Dispute is resolved or closed.
• Escalate the Dispute to a Claim. If you and the Seller are unable to come to an agreement, you can escalate the Dispute to a Claimwithin 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 the equivalent of $2,500 U.S. Dollars or more (or currency equivalent). 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, at your expense, to ship the item back to the Seller, or to PayPal, or to a third party 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 showing at least city/state or zip, delivery date, and the URL to the shipping company’s website 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. 
• Claim Resolution Process. 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 SNAD 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 SNAD 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).

13.6 Digital Goods Micropayment Disputes and Claims. If you file a Dispute for a Digital Goods purchase of up to the amounts in the table below, PayPal may, at our discretion, reverse the transaction without requiring you to escalate the Dispute to a Claim.

PayPal may limit the number of automatic reversals that you benefit from. If these are limited, you will still be able to follow PayPal’s standard dispute resolution processes described in this Section 13 to attempt to resolve the issue with the Seller directly.

13.7 Relationship between PayPal’s protection programs and Chargebacks. Credit card Chargeback rights, if they apply, are broader than PayPal’s protection programs. Chargebacks may be filed more than 45 Days after the payment, may cover unsatisfactory items even if they do not qualify as SNAD, and may cover intangible items. You may pursue a Dispute/Claim with PayPal, or you may contact your credit card company and pursue your Chargeback rights. You may not pursue both at the same time or seek a double recovery. If you have an open Dispute or Claim with PayPal, and also file a Chargeback with your credit card company, PayPal will close your Dispute or Claim, and you will have to rely solely on your Chargeback rights. 

If PayPal does not make a final decision on your Claim until after your credit card issuer's deadline for filing a Chargeback, and because of our delay you recover less than the full amount you would have been entitled to recover from the credit card issuer, we will reimburse you for the remainder of your loss (minus any amount you have already recovered from the Seller). 

Before contacting your card issuer or filing a Dispute with PayPal, you should contact the Seller to resolve your issue in accordance with the Seller’s return policy as stated on their auction or website.