I need help understanding the process of requesting a payment for a item/service?

[nnguyen_1]

If you are selling an item and the person that is buying it from you wants it shipped to them, 1. After you request a payment from them how do paypal confirm that I sent the item? 2. Can they decline their payment after they receive my item? 3. Say I request the money and he pays me but I don't send the item, he should be able to request the money back right? I am asking because I don't understand how paypal protects us from this issue. I just don't want to send my item and have someone request back the money and I lose my item.

[kernowlass · Accepted solution]

@nnguyen_1 

If you want to send trackable then you can add the tracking number to your paypal transaction, but paypal does not need to know if you have sent the item, only the customer needs to know that.

If it does not arrive then they can open a dispute with paypal for non receipt of item.

You need to read up on paypal seller protection in their user agreement for your country and then risk assess your transactions accordingly.

If a buyer does not get their item then yes you would have to refund them, after all you would not want to pay good money for something that gets lost in the post would you.  That is why tracking will protect you as it will protect against false claims and if the item is lost then you can claim from the postal service you used?

If the buyer opens a dispute for not as described and paypal find in their favour then normally they have to rreturn the item back to you first before you have to refund BUT as i said you need to read up on seller protection yourself so you know the risks of online selling.