Late refund - how long does it take?

[BlueberryFresh]

My client was overdue with payment (I'm a service provider) and when they finally paid, I realized it was a wrong amount. They told me to refund so they can repay which I did immediately. I refunded on August 15, my status shows "refunded" but the client claims they did not receive the money yet. Plus, PayPal decided to keep the original transaction fee (ca. $30 to themselves).

First my payment was late because of my client, and now my payment will be late because of PayPal?

What can I do about this? I also contacted your FB support but they did not help much other than telling me to send my client the transaction ID, which I did (also sent them screenshots), but we are looking for actual reversed payment in their account, not transaction IDs.

Thank you for helping out ASAP.

[kernowlass]

@BlueberryFresh

1.

Pending refunds can only happen for two reasons.
a. The seller has issued a refund from their bank account which takes time to process.

b. You funded the payment to the seller using bank transfer. What PayPal do here is credit the recipient on your behalf (so there is no delay in despatching your item). Then if you receive a refund in the meantime they are unable to issue this until the original bank transfer completes.

https://www.paypal.com/us/smarthelp/article/i-want-a-refund.-how-do-refunds-work-faq3248

2. When someone sends you funds you are charged a % + fixed fee, when you refund Paypal refunds the % but keeps the 30c as a service charge for processing your original payment and the refund for you.

3. Its not  'our' Facebook page, this is a community 'user to user' help forum and not Paypal customer services.

[BlueberryFresh]

Delay in dispatching my item? I sent my item to the client two months ago. I am still not paid.

They were supposed to pay 40 days after I delivered the service and they were 14 days late. When they eventually paid, I saw it was a wrong amount and in the wrong currency, so I suggested them to simply send one more payment to make up for difference after conversion (ca. $30 difference). They told me to reverse the payment and now we are where we are. They are silent again, no communication, and no payment for me. Only one message from them yesterday that they will pay once the refund is with them.

I am a service provider and I don't charge in advance, instead my invoices are paid 30-ish days after delivering the service.

Now I regret having told them anything about the wrong amount as this may extend endlessly. Plus I am not sure what they will do about PayPal reversal fee retention, but that's not my problem. They asked for refund, they got one. Not my problem they are overdue plus sending wrong amounts.

At the moment I issued the refund the payment was in "pending" status as usual when I receive almost any payment via PayPal. Could that have delayed the refunding? The client is in South Africa, I am in Europe.

Any thoughts?

[kernowlass]

@BlueberryFresh

No one can force them to pay you unfortunately.

Refunds go back to the source of payment, if a card then it goes back to a card, if bank account then it goes back to their paypal balance.

The longest should be 30 days.