Why is my attempt to refund partial payment to a customer "pending" day after day?

[DavidSpector]

The title says it all. My customer paid me $36 for three consultations, but only used one, so I need to refund $24. But PayPal refuses day after day, saying the payment is "pending". I'd like more specific status information, or help in getting the refund completed. PayPal doesn't seem to have a human-run customer service center that could move this along. Specifically, does "pending" status have an estimated time to completion associated with it? If not, why not? Can "pending" status last forever? How do I explain this uncertain delay to my customer?

[kernowlass]

@DavidSpector 

Pending refunds can only happen for two reasons.

1. You issued a refund from your bank account which takes time to process as it goes as an echeque.

2. Your buyer funded the payment to you using bank transfer. What PayPal do here is credit you the recipient on the buyers behalf (so there is no delay in despatching their 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/cshelp/article/where-is-my-refund-help130

[DavidSpector]

Thank you for your quick answer. Point 1 doesn't apply, since I'm refunding directly from PayPal, using PayPal Refund, not via any bank. Point 2 explains that a delay can happen due to the time it takes to do the bank transfer of the customer to PayPal. That makes sense to me, but how do I find out the current status? How many days does it usually take to complete such a payment into PayPal? My customer is worried, and I don't have an answer for him. I'd either like to give a general assurance, like "it will take about 10 days" or a specific assurance, like "it will happen this Thursday".

[kernowlass]

@DavidSpector 

Send them the link I posted in my above reply?

[DavidSpector · Accepted solution]

It turns out that the customer disputed the payment, yet kept pestering me to refund money. Eventually, the customer canceled the dispute with PayPal and I was able to complete the refund. PayPal could do a better job of explaining exactly why a payment is "pending".