Direct paypal payment any protection? or does paypal do escrow?

[bunker_buster]

An online merchant offers me special pricing for items he is selling in his website. But for me to avail of the special pricing it will be done off site, in short I don't do the usual items in cart and checkout via the website. He will just request money via email and that's it.

My question is:

1. Can I get any protection from this type of transaction?

2. Does paypal do escrow transaction?

[surplusdealdude]

It's a scam - run away.

You have zero protection this way and, if the seller has suggested paypal escrow, it's an absolute scam.

[surplusdealdude]

By the way, the "merchant" probably doesn't really own the website - anybody can send you a URL and claim to be the owner of the website.