Need advice and a sanity check! Am I being scammed? (2024)

1. Protection for Sellers.

11.1 PayPal Seller Protection.
PayPal Seller protection is protection we provide Sellers from Claims, Chargebacks, or Reversals that are based on:

• Unauthorized Transaction or
• Item Not Received

PayPal Seller protection is available for eligible payments from buyers in any country. However, if you sell or market to buyers outside the U.S., please read the PayPal Buyer Protection policy and PayPal Seller Protection policy of the countries in which you are selling (accessible via the “Legal” or “Legal Agreements” footer on most PayPal site pages) as these policies will apply to you as a Payment Recipient or seller.

11.2 Scope of Protection.

PayPal will protect you for the full amount of the eligible payment and waive the Chargeback Fee, if applicable. There is no limit on the number of payments for which you can receive coverage.

11.3 Eligibility Requirements.

To be eligible for PayPal Seller protection, you must meet all of the basic requirements listed below under (a) Basic Requirements. To be covered for Item Not Received protection, you must meet both the Basic Requirements and the Item Not Received Additional Requirements listed below under (b). To be covered for Unauthorized Transaction protection, you must meet both the Basic Requirements and the Unauthorized Transactions Additional Requirements listed below under (c).

1. Basic Requirements:
   • You must ship the item to the shipping address on the Transaction Details Page.
   • You must respond to PayPal's requests for documentation and other information in a timely manner.
   • The item must be a physical, tangible good that can be shipped.
   • Your primary residence, as listed in your Account, must be in the United States.
2. Item Not Received Additional Requirements:
   • For Chargebacks, the payment must be marked “eligible” or “partially eligible” for PayPal Seller protection on the Transaction Details Page.
   • You must provide Proof of Delivery as described below in Section 11.4.
   • If the payment is for pre-ordered or made-to-order goods, shipment is required within the timeframe specified in your item listing. Otherwise, it is recommended that you ship all items within 7 Days after receipt of payment.
3. Unauthorized Transactions Additional Requirements:
   • The payment must be marked “eligible” for PayPal Seller protection on the Transaction Details Page.
   • You must provide Proof of Shipment or Proof of Delivery.

11.4 Proof of Shipment, Proof of Delivery and Signature Confirmation Requirements.
"Proof of Shipment" is online or physical documentation from a shipping company that includes all of the following:

• The date the item is shipped.
• The recipient’s address matches the shipping address provided on the Transaction Details Page.
• The recipient’s address, showing at least the city & state, or city & country, or zip/postal code (or international equivalent).

"Proof of Delivery" for intangible or virtual items or services is documentation satisfactory to PayPal that the item or service was provided to the buyer such as proof of download including the date of fulfillment.

NOTE: Although Purchase Protection extends coverage to buyers for intangible items, Seller Protection does not apply to intangible items. However, having proper Proof of Delivery can help a seller win a buyer’s Item Not Received Purchase Protection Claim.

“Proof of Delivery” for tangible items is online documentation from a shipping company that includes all of the following:

• The item’s status as delivered.
• The date the item is delivered.
• The recipient address is the same as in the shipping address section on the Transaction Details Page.
• The recipient's address, showing at least the city & state, or city & country, or zip/postal code (or international equivalent).
• Signature Confirmation as described below if the full amount of the payment including shipping and taxes is $750 USD or more or its foreign currency equivalent provided below:

"Signature Confirmation" is online documentation that can be viewed at the shipping company’s website and indicates that the item was signed for on delivery.

11.5 Items/transactions not eligible for PayPal Seller protection.The following are items/transactions not eligible for PayPal Seller protection.

• Intangible items, including Digital Goods, and services.
• Claims or Chargebacks for Significantly Not as Described.
• Items that you deliver in person, including in connection with In-Store Checkout.
• PayPal Direct Payments.
• Virtual Terminal Payments.
• PayPal Business Payments.
• Items equivalent to cash including gift cards.

Items that are not shipped to the recipient's shipping address on the Transaction Details Page. If you originally ship the item to the recipient's shipping address on the Transaction Details Page but the item is later redirected to a different address, you will not be eligible for PayPal Seller protection. We therefore recommend not using a shipping service that is arranged by the buyer, so that you will be able to provide valid proof of shipping and delivery.

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12. Resolution Procedures for Unauthorized Transactions, Remittance Transfer Errors and Other Errors.

(Previously called the Electronic Funds Transfer Rights and Error Resolution Policy)

12.1 Protection for Unauthorized Transactions and Other Errors.When an Unauthorized Transaction or Other Error occurs in your Account, including Unauthorized Transactions that occur because your PayPal Debit Card or PayPal Mobile-activated phone has been lost or stolen, PayPal will cover you for the full amount of every eligible Unauthorized Transaction or Other Error as long as you follow the procedures discussed below in Section 12.2. If you add a Closed Loop gift card to your Account, but this card does not act as a funding source in your Account, then any use of this card is not considered a transaction in your Account. Accordingly, any Unauthorized Transaction, Other Error, or Remittance Transfer Error on this gift card is not PayPal’s responsibility and you are not covered under any PayPal protection programs.

An"Unauthorized Transaction"is a type of error that occurs when money is sent from your Account that you did not authorize and that did not benefit you. For example, if someone steals your password, uses the password to access your Account, and sends a payment from your Account, an Unauthorized Transaction has occurred. If you give someone access to your Account (by giving them your login information) and they conduct transactions without your knowledge or permission, you are responsible for any resulting use. Such transactions are not considered Unauthorized Transactions and are not covered under any PayPal protection programs.

In addition,"Other Errors"occur when money is either incorrectly taken from your Account or incorrectly placed into your Account, or when transactions are incorrectly recorded in your Account. Other Errors that are covered by PayPal are limited to the following events: if you send a payment and it is incorrectly debited from your Account; if an incorrect amount is credited to your Account; if a transaction is missing from or not properly identified in your Account statement; if you receive an incorrect amount of money at an ATM; and if there is a computational or mathematical error by PayPal. Unauthorized Transactions and Other Errors do not include Disputes, Claims, Chargebacks, and Reversals. You agree that PayPal is authorized to handle Disputes, Claims, Chargebacks, and Reversals as set forth in this Agreement, and that no determination made by PayPal or a card issuer with respect to a Dispute, Claim, Chargeback or Reversal will be considered an Unauthorized Transaction or Other Error. Routine inquiries about your Account balance or the status of a pending transfer into or out of your Account are not considered Unauthorized Transactions or Other Errors unless you expressly notify us of an Unauthorized Transaction or Other Error in connection with the transfer. Requests for information for tax or other recordkeeping purposes and requests for duplicate documentation also are not deemed to be Unauthorized Transactions or Other Errors.

PayPal also covers you for Remittance Transfer Errors as long as you follow the procedures discussed below in Section 12.5.

You may request documentation or information regarding your Account or transaction to determine whether an Unauthorized Transaction, Other Error or a Remittance Transfer Error exists by contacting us through the “Contact” or “Contact Us” link at the bottom of each page of the PayPal website.

12.2 Notification Requirements.

1. You should immediately notify PayPal if you believe:

   1. there has been an Unauthorized Transaction, unauthorized access to your Account, or the occurrence of an Other Error;

   2. there is an error in your Account statement (you can access your Account statement by logging into your Account) or your transaction confirmation sent to you by email;

   3. your password or PayPal Mobile PIN has been compromised;

   4. your PayPal Debit Card or PayPal Mobile-activated phone has been lost, stolen or deactivated; or

   5. you need more information about a transaction listed on the statement or transaction confirmation.

2. To be eligible for 100% protection for Unauthorized Transactions or Other Errors in your Account, you must notify us within 60 Days after any Unauthorized Transaction or Other Error first appears in your Account statement. If you do not notify us within 60 days, you may not get back any money you lost after the 60 days if we can prove that we could have stopped someone from taking the money if you had notified us in time. We will extend the 60 Day time period if a good reason, such as a hospital stay, kept you from notifying us within 60 Days.

   You should regularly log into your Account and review your Account statement to ensure that there has not been an Unauthorized Transaction or Other Error. PayPal will also send an email to the primary email address you have provided in order to notify you of each transaction from your Account, unless you have opted out of receiving certain notifications. You should also review these transaction confirmations to ensure that each transaction was authorized and is accurate.

   For Unauthorized Transactions or Other Errors involving your PayPal Debit Card, notify us as follows:

   1. Log into your Account, go to the "Account Overview" page or “Summary” or “Activity” tab, select the transaction details for the transaction you wish to dispute and then follow the directions. Please print and sign the completed form, then mail it to us (PayPal, Attn: PayPal Debit Card Department, P.O. Box 45950, Omaha, NE 68145-0950) or send it by fax to (303) 395-2855; or
   2. Telephone PayPal Customer Service at Go to https://www.paypal.com/help and click "Call Us".
   For Unauthorized Transactions or Other Errors in your Account, notify us as follows:
   1. Use this form to file an error report in the PayPal Resolution Center; or
   2. Write to PayPal, Attn: Error Resolution Department, P.O. Box 45950, Omaha, NE 68145-0950; or
   3. Telephone PayPal Customer Service at Go to https://www.paypal.com/help and click "Call Us".
   When you notify us, provide us with all of the following information:
   1. Your name and email address registered to your Account;
   2. A description of any suspected Unauthorized Transaction or Other Error and an explanation as to why you believe it is incorrect or why you need more information to identify the transaction; and
   3. The dollar amount of any suspected Unauthorized Transaction or Other Error.

If you notify us orally, we may require that you send us your complaint or question in writing within 10 Business Days. During the course of our investigation, we may request additional information from you.

12.3 PayPal Actions after Receipt of Your Notification.Once you notify us of any suspected Unauthorized Transaction or Other Error, or we otherwise learn of one, we will do the following:

• We will conduct an investigation to determine whether there has been an Unauthorized Transaction or Other Error that is eligible for protec