Payment error on Dell website, now I have two of the same payment pending?

[haljoyce14]

I recently made my PayPal account, and tried to use it to pay for a laptop I'm buying for university. I tried to make the purchase (from the Dell Outlet website) through PayPal but there was an error with the website and the payment did not go through. After that, there was a pending order listed in my PayPal activity. I tried to report the error through PayPal's resolution centre, but it just kept saying there was an error and kicking me out of the page. I tried calling PayPal, at which point I was told something along the lines of "now that security check has been completed, please retry your payment." Error on the Dell website again. Now i have TWO pending payments of $669 which cannot be cancelled and cannot be reported. I have read and understand that if the payment is not processed within 30 days, it will be cancelled automatically. However, I cannot wait 30 days for the payment to go through as I need the laptop before then. I also absolutely cannot afford to have those payments go through. Is there anything I can do? Is there any chance the payments will go through?

[kernowlass]

@haljoyce14 

When you pay a company then it is often pending or awaiting authorisation until that company processes your order and captures the pending payment.

If they don't process the order and capture that payment then the pending status times out at 30 days post-payment and returns back to your funding source.

If x2 payments go through then you can ask the merchant to cancel x1 order and refund x1 amount?

Or you can contact the merchant now to cancel one of the orders so that the second one does not complete?