PayPal to offer buyers better protection
Purchasing things like flights and digital media using PayPal is about to get much safer.
PayPal has announced it will be making some changes to its user agreement for UK buyers.
The online payments platform is amending its Buyer Protection policy to clarify details and widen the level of protection it offers shoppers. Significantly, PayPal is extending its UK Buyer Protection to cover the purchase of ‘intangible goods’, travel tickets and services.
The firm is also prolonging the time allowed for buyers to raise a dispute over purchases from 45 days to 180 days. PayPal says these changes will come into effect on or after 17th June 2014.
What this means for shoppers
Under the new rules shoppers that purchase things like digital media, airline tickets, holidays or car rental, which consequently never arrive or are significantly not as described, could get their money back through PayPal.
At the moment if you buy these items using PayPal you're not covered if things go wrong. However, you may be able to seek redress through other methods like your credit card provider or just asking the seller directly.
And soon buyers will have much longer to make a claim against a seller.
Shoppers will get 180 days or six months to raise a dispute, which will help people that discover faults in their purchase later down the line, which tends to happen on travel tickets booked in advance or services which aren't immediately used.
The new rules will apply to people using a UK PayPal account to buy from sellers in the UK or overseas. For the full details on what's changing visit PayPal's website.
What Buyer Protection still doesn’t cover
PayPal Buyer Protection allows PayPal to get involved with disputes between buyers and sellers on purchases made through the platform.
If you don't receive your goods or the purchase is significantly not as described then PayPal can decide to reimburse the cost of what you bought plus postage.
It's obviously good news that intangible items, services and travel tickets now fall under this protection. But there are still many things which aren't covered like real estate, custom-made items, businesses, vehicles and items equivalent to cash like gift cards. So remember to be very cuatious if you're buying something like that with the use of PayPal.
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