Retail online purchase did not complete after using x3 payment option

[SoulReaver2020]

A retail online purchase did not complete after opting for x3 month free payment option. Not chosen that option before and now wish I had not. The PayPal x3 set up seemed to go OK but when I was returned to the retailer's web site the checkout still showed my basket and no indication the purchase had been completed.

I tried again and the result is I now have two identical payments marked as 'Pending' ready to be debited to my bank account and presumably the others next month and October to come as well. There's no option to cancel either payment in my PayPal Activity tab when I click on either transaction either.

What to do?

Ideally I want to cancel both pending payments and the whole x3 arrangement, get confirmation of that and, preferably now not use PayPal at all for this transaction at all as there the retailer offers other payment options.

[sharpiemarker · Accepted solution]

@SoulReaver2020 

The transactions cancel/expire eventually and drop off as if they never happened. The money has not been transferred to the merchant. They are temporary authorization holds. If they remain pending beyond 30 days, contact your debit card to have the temporary authorizations voided.

[SoulReaver2020]

I've actually had a very quick response from a PayPal customer service representative about this with confirmation that the payments have been cancelled.

I don't know who is to blame but I'm going to be wary of using the x3 payment spread option again.

PayPal say the cause was the retailer not 'responding', whatever that means but I suspect the retailer who I also contacted won't be so quick to accept the blame. Some sort of IT glitch I guess and whatever the cause I could have well done without this hassle.