The average time to resolve a dispute on PayPal is 10 to 14 days. Raising a dispute is free on Paypal unless a chargeback is involved.
Online services and mediators for transactions are handy given the age of the internet. Our lives are revolving more in the virtual world. Nowadays, lots of different operating platforms for online payments are being utilized by consumers, including you!
Indeed, you are aware of PayPal: an American company that provides an online money transfer mechanism for numerous countries. This platform is a virtual alternative to usual payment methods such as cash, checks, and money orders. Because of this, PayPal is widely used as a payment processor for online transactions or other commercial purposes.
PayPal maintains its reputation by ensuring that buyers and sellers of the platform will have easy and secure transactions. Any platform will eventually encounter disputes in some of its transactions. So, PayPal established its resolution center specifically to handle these problems!
If you want to know all about the PayPal Resolution Center: all the descriptions and how the features work, continue reading!
For more about other dispute resolution centers; Using the eBay Dispute Resolution Center: All You Need To Know About Resolving Your Online Disputes, Shein Paypal disputes, and How to Win Disputes on Alibaba: The Ultimate Guide, and Example of Online Mediation Provider- SmartSettle as an Online Mediation tool and AliExpress.
What is the PayPal Resolution Center?
PayPal’s popularity continues to escalate year by year. Now, they have as many as 300 million users from all around the world. Also, their accessibility to various countries makes them very convenient.
However, PayPal also encounters problems. A colossal number of active users translate to an escalation in the number of disputes! Scammers, faulty transactions, or misunderstandings are inevitable. To ensure that PayPal bounces back from such a setback, they worked on their resolution center.
The PayPal resolution Center is within their platform. If you have any problems and want to ask for help, the resolution center is there to help you.
You can report issues such as failed deliveries, unauthorized transactions, wrong billings, and keeping track of your previous claims.
This online dispute resolution platform serves as a bridge where the buyers can communicate with the sellers, or vice versa, with the hopes of resolving their problems. The goal is always to reach the most reasonable verdict and act accordingly. (Source)
Unfortunately, as of June-21, the PayPal Resolution Center can only be used on a web browser.
You cannot utilize this yet on the app of PayPal.
What is the difference between a dispute and claim on Paypal
This resolution center makes use of specific terminologies. You might be confused if you are unfamiliar with them. For now, you should know the difference between a dispute and a claim.
Disputes refer to a scenario where you want to communicate to the other party because you encountered a problem with your transaction. Basically, you talk to each other, with the platform mediating you to reach an amicable solution. (Source)
If you cannot solve your dispute, you can escalate it as a claim.
The difference in escalating to a claim is that you choose not to talk with the other party. PayPal investigates claims, and they are responsible for deciding the course of action.
How Does the PayPal Resolution Center Work?
Overall, the PayPal resolution center is a well-constructed online platform. Of course, there will still be some problems. Let us have an in-depth exploration of the center and how to utilize it efficiently when needed:
Initiating a complaint on Paypal
You can initiate a complaint by communicating with the seller or buyer you previously had a transaction with. If you are having trouble looking for their contact details, you can see them in your “Activity” tab and select “Payment.”
What is the current time limit to open a dispute on Paypal? The time limit for opening a dispute on Paypal is within 180 days from the date of payment.
All you need to do is click “Report a Problem” on your Resolution Center. Select the payment that is of concern and click continue. Here, you will see some possible reasons for a dispute, i.e., failed delivery, different item description, or a billing issue.
This way, the problem might be resolved by giving you a refund or initiating a return of products.
Remember that the Resolution Center can only be used on your browser, and you cannot find this if you are using your PayPal app.
What happens after initiating a complaint on Paypal?
When a complaint is initiated, the other party involved will receive an email so that the case will proceed to resolution. The other party can also see the notification in their own Resolution Center tab.
Moreover, the money received by the seller during the transaction under question will be on hold while resolving the complaint.
Do not worry! This will be released to the respective PayPal accounts once the case is settled in their favor.
Escalating a dispute to a claim on Paypal
Escalating your dispute to a claim is an option if you determined that your case’s resolution was unsatisfactory or unresolved.
Escalating to a claim means that you want PayPal to investigate the problem and decide the best course of action.
All disputes on Paypal close after 20 days unless you escalate it to a claim.
Responding to a dispute on Paypal
What if you are on the receiving end of the stick? If a problem is filed on you, you will receive an email or get notified on your Resolution Center tab. Of course, you need to respond to that case.
Once you log in to your PayPal account, you need to go to the Resolution Center. Do this on your web browser. Click “View” to see the case. Here, you must respond to the other party. You should follow the instructions there. You might need to state some information like tracking numbers etc. Lastly, click “Post Message.” (Source)
Posting the message directs it to the other party. This gives you the chance to resolve the problem efficiently. Remember to be polite!
How Long Will It Take for PayPal Resolution Center to Investigate your Claims?
When filing disputes or claims, make sure that you do this within the timeframe given by the PayPal Resolution Center. A dispute can be initiated in no more than 180 days from the transaction date.
After filing a dispute, you and the other party are given 20 days to try and talk it out.
Hopefully, within this time, a resolution can be achieved.
If your problem is unresolved within those 20 days, you now have the option to escalate it to a claim. This way, PayPal will intervene to help you. Remember that escalating a dispute to a claim means the dispute will be automatically closed.
The PayPal Resolution Center is committed to providing a reasonable resolution to problems that arise on its platform. They give reasonable timeframes.
However, the overall time needed to resolve your dispute varies because it depends on the amount of time each party responds to one another.
It can reach as many as 30 days before arriving at a solution. Sometimes, it is much faster. On average, it takes 10 to 14 days to resolve here on PayPal. (Source)
Are There Fees Involved in Using the PayPal Resolution Center?
Now that you know how the resolution center works, you might be curious about its fees. Do you need to pay a processing fee if you want to use the PayPal Resolution Center? There is no processing fee needed for disputes and claims on Paypal. You can use the resolution center for free! This is very convenient since you will not have to worry about additional charges on your end.
However, certain cases warrant a processing fee. For instance, if your problem is a chargeback, then you can incur a fee of up to $20. This problem is related to card issuers that need refunds. (Source)
What Are Some Common Causes for Disputes and Claims on Paypal?
One common reason for disputes is not receiving the item purchased. Since PayPal is an international platform, products and services can also be shipped to and from different countries.
This opens the door for a lot of shipping-related problems and misunderstandings, usually outside the buyers’ and sellers’ control.
Likewise, buyers encounter problems such as receiving items that are different from the seller’s description.
Of course, it is the buyers’ right to receive a product the way it is advertised. So, if you are a seller, make sure to double-check products before shipping them!
Similarly, buyers must carefully read product descriptions to avoid misunderstandings.
In Summary
A virtual payment method is very convenient given that most of our e-commerce activities are now over the internet. Despite the convenience, risks are always present. PayPal is not immune to this.
The PayPal Resolution Center can provide its users with a platform that can help resolve simple transaction issues. The average expected time to resolve a dispute on Paypal is 10-14 days and with no processing fee.
In case a dispute escalates to a claim, the duration will depend on the complexity of the case as Paypal will have to go through the details and resolve it. Fees are only applicable if there are chargebacks.
Be careful with Chargebacks on AliExpress as explained in AliExpress Disputes: A Comprehensive Q&A guide as it might get you banned.