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PayPal

PayPal

PayPal
1.4

2,654 reviews

Positive vs Negative
7%93%
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Transparency ?
1.3
Rates and Fees
1.5
Timeliness
1.4
Brand Manager for PayPal? Claim your listing.

 AI reviews summary 

The overall sentiment regarding PayPal is overwhelmingly negative, with most long-term users reporting a significant decline in service quality and trust. While a small minority of users still experience successful refunds and smooth transactions, the vast majority describe a system that consistently fails to provide the "Buyer Protection" it advertises. Recurring themes include a total lack of human oversight, automated dispute resolutions that favour scammers, and a customer service experience dominated by "brain dead" robots and unhelpful scripts.

Pros
Reliable for Small Transactions: Some users report that disputes for low-value items (under $20) are generally resolved quickly and in the buyer's favour.
Convenient Payment Interface: Long-term users continue to appreciate the ease of use for general online checkout and the "Pay in 4" instalment feature.
Security Layer: A few users still value the service for keeping their credit card details hidden from third-party merchants during transactions.
Successful Fraud Reversal: A small number of reviewers noted that unauthorised withdrawals were refunded within 24 hours after following standard procedures.
Cons
Flawed Dispute Resolution: Cases involving "item not as described," fake products, or fraudulent tracking numbers are frequently closed in favour of the merchant, even when the buyer provides hard evidence of a scam.
Inaccessible Customer Support: There is a significant reliance on automated bots and AI, making it nearly impossible for customers to speak with a human or escalate complex issues to a supervisor.
Unfair Return Policies: Buyers are often required to pay for international return shipping to receive a refund, even when the seller sent a faulty or incorrect item, which frequently costs more than the product itself.
Security and Access Issues: Users report accounts being suddenly limited or locked without clear explanation, as well as failures in two-factor authentication and the persistence of deleted old addresses during checkout.
Verdict

PayPal is currently viewed by most users as a high-risk platform that prioritises automated efficiency and merchant protection over genuine consumer safety. While it remains a convenient tool for minor purchases, the recurring failure of its buyer protection and the lack of human support make it unreliable for high-value transactions or protection against sophisticated online scams.

2,654 reviews
5 Brenton  · Excellent support services have been with PayPal for 10years and have always given me great service and a safe secure way to pay for purchases
1 Alan M  · PayPal is not secure. Despite setting, no two-factor authentication. Pushing passkey, but not requesting second factor before allowing payment.
1 Edwards  · PayPal has deteriorated from reasonable service with phone help to no service with a brain dead robot. I will never use PayPal again.
1 Tal  · Not helping as a buyer when you need them. And refused my disputes even the saler was misleading.
1 Paul  · hopeless. fraudlent transactions that paypal say where authorised. total rubbish DO NOT USE PAYPAL...THEY DONT CARE AND CANNOT BE TRUSTED WITH YOUR MONEY
1 Ram  · Scammers they have only seller protection no buyer protection as advertised use any other method better than this provide Betrüger.
layla
laylaVIC6 posts
 

I purchased an item from an international seller that arrived damaged due to clearly inadequate packaging. When I raised a dispute through PayPal, I was told I must pay return postage to receive a refund — despite the seller advertising free returns and PayPal's own buyer protection guarantees. PayPal has effectively sided with a dishonest seller… Read more

and made me financially responsible for their failure to package goods adequately. I did not damage this item. The seller's poor packaging did. Yet I am the one bearing the cost.

This experience reveals PayPal's buyer protection for what it is — a marketing promise that dissolves the moment it's actually tested. International sellers operating under false return policies are being actively facilitated by PayPal's dispute resolution process, which appears designed to discourage legitimate claims rather than resolve them fairly.

I will be using alternative payment methods for any future international purchases.

CybernautWA
CybernautWAWA12 posts
 

BIASED, IRRECONCILABLE COMPANY; that one star is very OVERRATED!! I have NOT received my alleged delivery since 2026.06.05_08.34. I complained to PayPal, including a dispute. Because the merchant had a POD (Place of Dumping) that I disputed and proved was not me, it was not good enough; PayPal's biased attitude favoured the merchant. As for the… Read more

auexecutiveescalations has NEVER EVER replied, enhancing my point. Clearly, speaking about SCAMMERS, PayPal should look in their own backyard first!!!!

Darren
DarrenQLD40 posts
 

This organisation is a disgrace and in fact lies about buyer protection. I have had enough of their "don't give a toss" attitude and after using them exclusively for a long time, I have had enough and will NEVER use them again. Appalling organisation

Ask the reviewer

Reviews with attachments

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Dejan T.
Dejan T.QLD2 posts
 

Extremely poor customer service. My dispute for an unauthorized $96 transaction was closed without any communication, no reason given, and no attempt to request further details or verify information. Customers are left confused and unsupported. The lack of transparency and refusal to engage may be inconsistent with PayPal’s obligations under… Read more

Australian Consumer Law, which requires companies to provide fair complaint handling and proper communication. If you have had similar issue, share your experience publicly and consider reporting it, so PayPal is held accountable for meeting consumer standards.

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Helen
HelenVIC
 

Didn’t listen to me or my requests for further information, PayPal closed the dispute

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Dean J.
Dean J.WA10 posts
  Verified

Bought a SSD through eBay, turns out the capacity is fake, not as the advertised capacity. Lodge a case with PayPal, provided numerous pics of the capacity write errors. PayPal found in sellers favour. How the f can someone be able to sell fake capacity SSD on eBay and get away with it. This is the problem and why nothing will change. Since… Read more

uninstalled eBay and thinking of closing my PayPal account also now, seeing as the protection they always promised it not actually true.

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Jaber R.
Jaber R.11 posts
  Verified

This bank is so bad – They did not return my money even though the item came to me completely different and I sent them pictures but to no avail.

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Deena
DeenaSA6 posts
 

PayPal let me down ,by approving a seller recieve payment ,despite them sending me VERY POOR quality products that were 3 sizes to big for me I’m going to contact my bank on Monday to ask about a better payment method as I simply can’t trust Pay pal anymore Sadly I’ve only just seen after googling the place I purchased from has 100% NEGATIVE REVEWS

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Anna
Anna9 posts
  Verified

I just had the most ridiculous interaction with PayPal. I thought I was safe shopping with PayPal but no longer. They don’t protect buyers. They protect retailers selling faulty goods. You’d think in this day and age, you’d be safe shopping online, PayPal has a dispute and resolution centre. It will be okay. If the retailer doesn’t help you, at… Read more

least you’ve paid with PayPal, you’ll be safe, your money is protected. So I sent the bogus quality goods back, fully expecting a refund, but no. The retailer says no. Even PayPal says no. What do you do? Inundate the courts with judge Judy-esque problems, not even, such a small st^pid ridiculous problem. You think when you buy goods they don’t work, you get a refund. It’s just how the world works, no longer when PayPal is around.

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Michael
MichaelNSW13 posts
  Verified

I purchased a power bank on eBay (payment method was PayPal), and the seller shipped the item via FedEx. ​One day, I was exercising on an indoor bicycle by the second-floor window, looking out at the front of my house. During this time, I received a notification from eBay stating that my package had been "Delivered." ​However, as I mentioned, I… Read more

was looking directly outside the window while exercising, so it would have been impossible for me to miss a delivery truck or a courier. Furthermore, I have three outdoor security cameras installed in my front yard, which automatically alert me whenever anyone approaches the house. Neither a FedEx truck nor any other courier vehicle or delivery person ever showed up, and I received no alerts from my security cameras. ​Anxious, I immediately went outside to check my front yard, the surrounding area, and the mailbox, but the package was nowhere to be found. Despite this, eBay showed the status as delivered, and when I checked the FedEx tracking link provided by eBay, it also indicated that delivery was complete. I then downloaded the Proof of Delivery (POD) from FedEx to verify. To my surprise, the exact delivery address was missing—only the suburb name was listed—and the recipient was signed by someone named "AVERY," a name I have never heard of in my life. When I explained this situation to the seller, they sent me a photo of the Proof of Delivery, which showed a completely different house with a different street number (Street Number 33). I went to No. 33 on our street, but it wasn't that house either. (Even though the seller clearly knew the item had been delivered to the wrong address, they initially refused to admit it. They only acknowledged the mistake later after I continuously provided evidence.) ​I attempted to open a dispute with eBay regarding this situation. However, because the original estimated delivery date had not yet passed, I was blocked from filing a claim, despite the status showing "Delivered" and the fact that I had not received the item. (eBay did not provide any clear explanation beforehand that a dispute can only be opened after the estimated delivery date has passed.) ​Feeling urgent, I filed a refund claim through PayPal instead. I provided PayPal with all the detailed accounts mentioned above, along with clear evidence of the misdelivery. However, without conducting a proper investigation, PayPal carried out a purely formal review and rejected both my initial claim and my two subsequent appeals, solely on the grounds that the seller provided a tracking number—even though it was a tracking number for a wrong address. ​Instead, as if they were tired of my persistent follow-ups, they closed the case by offering me a PayPal Voucher, still refusing to acknowledge the seller’s fault. ​What still infuriates and baffles me to this day is that they closed the case in favor of the seller, even though the evidence clearly proved the item was delivered to the wrong address. ​Does this mean that in the future, if I become a seller on eBay, I can just ship items to a friend's house instead of the buyer's actual address, and as long as I provide that tracking number, I'm completely fine? Am I allowed to just take the item back from my friend, resell it to other buyers using the exact same method, run a scam, and make money that way?

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Lee Goldring
Lee GoldringQLD24 posts
  Verified

USE APPLE PAY. After waiting 6 weeks for a purchase I did online I received the item only to see that I had been scammed and ripped off from a seller that uses PayPal so I made a refund request through PayPal as they advertise "REFUNDS GUARANTEED". which is a lie in itself. Straight away I got the run around and then received an email almost 2… Read more

weeks later telling me that I have to pay to return the item from Australia to America before I can receive my refund. So now I am expected to pay out of my own pocket to return what is obviously a scam and then wait with baited breath for weeks on end hoping I will get a refund. I now know why so many sites refuse to use PayPal but all use Apple Pay. After 20+ years of using PayPal for everything I purchase online I will never use PayPal again.

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Christopher C
Christopher CQLD
  Verified

I have been a PalPal customer for over 10 years. I have had no problems up until the last 12 months. I believe there Customer Service and or Resolution team are involved in fraudulent activity with regard to disputes and refunds that should have been honoured. I believe they are doing this in conjunction with the merchant and sharing the refund… Read more

moneys while the customer is left empty handed. The photo supplied is a copy of the tracking advice supplied by the merchant. This apparently proves that the merchant delivered the item, which they did not!

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DebL
DebLQLD10 posts
  Verified

I wanted to share a story, and do so when not emotional, aka extremely p*ssed off. I purchased some curtains online. I chose an Australian company. I wanted to support local, and whilst I could have purchased cheaper overseas, I felt having the protection of an Australian company would be best with this type of purchase. I found a company called… Read more

Home Curtains. I liaised with Isabella their Customer Service rep, after nearly 20 emails. I was satisfied. I placed my order.

I was after 2 panels, pinch pleat for a 200mm track. Their onsite measuring and communications from Isabella stated I required 2x200mm to account for the pleats.

So excited to receive my new curtains. Imagine my surprise and disappointment when they arrived drop shipped from Asia, this was never mentioned on their website or in the aforementioned communications. They had poor fitting lining, multiple cuts around the back of the pleats, pleats were 17cm wide instead of industry standard 12-13cm, AND they were too wide. Each panel measured 117cm not 100cm as agreed to, and ordered. Making the curtains 34cm too wide.

Now I’m good, not that good. I cannot magically produce additional wall space to accommodate the additional width. How great would that be if you could? Personally I’d like a larger bedroom.

I immediately contacted the company, who insisted I hang so that they could see photos. They immediately offered me $50 goodwill. I wanted to return and have them adjusted. This was not an option due to the drop shipping from Asia.

I made a few calls, and without seeing, to rectify locally it was going to be between $200-300. I told the company this, and said I was happy for them to fix, or take back for a complete refund. They were not interested in these options (drop shipping Asia). They increased their goodwill offer to $100. Still not enough for me to spend my time getting them fixed so they would fit.

I advised I would lodge a dispute with PayPal. PayPal rejected my claim, despite the above. I disputed. They rejected again. You can see their irrational reasoning in the attached screen shot. Please beware. If you order shoes size 7 and they arrive size 8 and are a different colour. According to PayPal, that is only marginally different. Too bad they are useless and you cannot wear them.

I then went back to the Home Curtain site and checked every page, no mention of Asian drop shipping anywhere, and all reviews were 5 star, also the main reason I went with this company. These reviews are picked up by other platforms, so for all intent, they were a good reputable company.

Well this is where it gets interesting. I received a communication from Home Curtain, clearly automated to give them a review. I did, not a good one. It never appeared on their site.

The platform for reviews that they use is a company called Judge Me. I contacted them and was advised that they have no control over how a company moderates their reviews. It was clear that Home Curtains moderate and delete all reviews that are not 5 star.

So not only does Home Curtains not honour their personal communications around size, on their website. They also delete any review that is not 5 star, and do not advertise they drop ship from Asia. Personally I call this false advertising and unethical.

What surprised me the most was that PayPal finds this behaviour completely acceptable. You don’t get what you ordered, it is damaged, unusable and it’s ok, as it is only marginally different. What bollocks.

Anyway this is a cautionary tale so you too, do not find yourself out of pocket by a substantial sum of money.

Companies like Judge Me shouldn’t exist if they allow complete moderation by the shop, as they are contributing to false advertising and allow a false sense of security by consumers.

All up a very distasteful experience.

PayPal, as an international organisation you need to do better and not support this unethical behaviour.

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James
JamesVIC43 posts
 

Just received an email from PayPal about changes to their SMS Two-factor authentication upon login. The email is poorly written and totally unclear. If a company even cannot write an email about security clearly, I cannot trust them to actually implement the security properly.

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Michael ballard
Michael ballard VIC4 posts
  Verified

I paid for a specific product , battery jump starter x2 Nico gbx 155 , 4250 milli amp , I was sent garbage from china , something far inferior, cannot be used as a jump starter at all , doesn’t have a brand name at all

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John
John3 posts
  Verified

I purchased dash mat for my car from Australian website "Luxury Car Mods", also known as "Carmate", through paypal. They sent me wrong product & refused to refund 100%. They even removed their mobile phone number from their website immediately after I called them. Paypal closed my dispute without any discussions with me. Do not trust this seller. Paypal is useless when it comes to disputes. My case is clear cut with no complications at all.

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Mick B.
Mick B.14 posts
 

Purchased a steel ruler from a Chinese company, paid with PayPal to protect my purchase, order jumped from $4.99-$28.99 after conversion to USD the company is in Chinese characters (why USD). Asked for a refund immediately & was promised a full refund the next morning by said Chinese company, tonight PayPal withdrew the full amount from my… Read more

Account, the order has been cancelled, no tracking is available yet I'm $29 out of pocket. PAYPAL IS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT YOUR PURCHASES FROM UNSCRUPULOUS ACTIVITY YET THEY'RE THE UNSCRUPULOUS OPERATORS IN THIS CASE. Referring to Consumer Affairs Australia.

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Ian M.
Ian M.WA
 

I ordered a digital funnel microscope from advocatey.com. I got a watchmakers loupe. What a scam as I saw other complaints just the same They offered me $6 as compensation after I spent $62 (+ $18 tax = $80) and didn't get what I ordered Luckily I paid with PayPal, they immediately agreed to refund the entire amount, highly recommend PayPay Money back from PayPal within a couple of days, thanks PayPal

Latest follow-ups

Darryn
DarrynQLD3 posts
 

My account had limited access placed on it in September 2023. No one at PayPal can tell me why and I can not do anything with cards and bank details being stuck in the PayPal system. I can't even close my account even though no one owes me money… Read more

and I don't owe anyone money. As a business tools PayPal support is non existent. I wouldn't Recommend PayPal to the neighbours dog. Thanks for nothing

 Follow-up  · Nothing has changed, my account still has limited access and I can not remove my accounts . Almost 3 years and Pay Pals help is still none existent. I have discovered that I don't need PayPal to do business or personal purchases online line. I would like to be able to remove my bank details from PayPal. I would not recommend PayPal to anyone.

Anet P.
Anet P.WA
 

Would not use or buy any service other than via PayPal. Have used them for many many years and over those years, they have obtained refunds several times. They are always quick and thorough. I have always been kept updated. Their site is easy to use and clear. Just love, love, love their service.

 Follow-up  · I have never been charged any fees for any purchase transactions. Security is the best, my financial account details are only used by PayPal, they do not give my financial details to the supplier. They do supply my address details for delivery. PayPal provide me, as a senior, complete 100% confidence I am protected and my account details are secure.

Greg P
Greg PVIC2 posts
 

I had used Paypal for many years and over those years I gbegan to trust the security their system. Then earlier this year I had 2 fraudulent transactions off my credit card and asscoiated with my paypal account and paypal would do nothing to… Read more

recover the funds. So impersonal was their system I never got got past a "bot" making a detrmination. Forunately my bank was very helpful and recovered the full amount. My advice before you start using Paypal see if you can find out how you will recover a fraudulent transaction. Paypal in not secure and takes no resposibility.

 Follow-up  · To answer the questions asked: The fraudulent transactions were an international money transfer and a purchase of gift cards. I had never previously done these types of transaction but PayPal said it was my normal profile. The fraud happened over about an hour before I noticed it and contacted the bank and put a stop on my credit cards I… Read more

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Positive reviews

Keith Rowley
Keith RowleyNSW22 posts
 

On PayPal I paid about $2 for a quiz - justa bit of fun. 3 days later a $60 subscription appeared on my PayPal account. I went to PayPal to report it - using their new forms. The refund to my PayPal account was IMMEDIATE. THAT is a good service and outcome - top class customerm protection. Thank you PayPal. Keith Rowley

baffie
baffieNew South Wales7 posts
  Verified

I always use Paypal as a reliable payment source. I give Paypal gold stars for everything. Very handy as a neutral mediator of interactions, especially when dealing with a Website that deals as a "warehouse" for products and goods are sent from another source. Website gives no indication that you will be dealing with another party You find out… Read more

when payment goes through and invoice appears:( :( In this case it is Brand House Direct (Thanks for your recent purchase at Brand House Direct) and supplier of shoes is YOURFIT PTY LTD :( Paypal ensures process of complaint is "fair" on both side After you contact the supplier with no resolution, PayPal gives the supplier a time limit to respond to Paypal direct and if this is ignored Paypal will refund the purchase.

Julie
JulieVIC
 

I have been badly scammed twice and each time Paypal has refunded the unauthorized withdrawals. I fill in the form with record of money taken and follow their procedures and within 24 hours the money is refunded. Thanks so much Paypal.

Negative reviews

Ryan h
Ryan h8 posts
  Verified

What happened to Paypal!? Paypal used to side with the consumer, If you threatened a Paypal dispute the seller would immediately try to work things out with you because they knew PayPal would side with you. I guess thats not the case anymore and paypals service is nothing more than a glorified money transfer service with ZERO consumer… Read more

protection. That's been my experience when dealing with them in a dispute on Aliexpress.

I puchased a RAM kit which arrived dead on arrival. Later i also confirmed with Samsung that the item was FAKE. When i contacted Aliexpress they were unhelpful. So i lodged a paypal dispute.

I have been forced to jump through numerous hoops including sending the item back to the fake item seller at my cost! signing customs declarations, providing non stop proof and evidence. The item hasn't even arrived in China yet. I provided the tracking info and receipt showing the postage paid and tracking details and have been patiently waiting for paypal to get back to me.

I then get an email from paypal this morning saying they have sided in the sellers favour because the item hasnt arrived with the seller yet. are you serious?! if their system checked the tracking which i provided it would show the item is with customs in China!

I had to then make a phone call and demand the case be opened again and escalated. Even if the case is resolved in my favour at this point my confidence in the paypal service is absolutely destroyed, i use paypal for a lot of purchases and moving forward i am going to severely limit my use of their service in future. Its unfortunate to see im not the only one with this experience, paypal would do well to adjust their policies as their days are numbered. Every consumer you burn is one 'paypal reviews' google search away from never using your service again.

At this point ill just deal directly with my bank. They seem to offer better protection.

ThK
ThK15 posts
 

I lodged a case against Booking.com who had offered a refund for one of my bookings, and sent Paypal the email from Booking.com stating they would refund. Booking.com have now refused to pay me. Paypal have also refused my claim despite having this evidence and have not held Booking.com to account.

Heidi G.
Heidi G.
 

I am writing to express my complete lack of trust and respect for PayPal. I trusted PayPal with my hard-earned money, but when I came to them for fairness and protection against a predatory merchant, their automated system completely failed me. Instead of supporting an honest customer, their platform protected a scammer. ​My bank, Commonwealth… Read more

Bank, showed me what real consumer protection looks like. They listened to the facts, recognized the predatory subscription scam, and rightfully returned my money within 24 hours. Now that my bank has overridden their decision, they suddenly limit my account under the guise of security. I have already moved my cards to Google Wallet and will be using Google Pay moving forward. PayPal chose to support a predator over a loyal customer, and because of that, they have permanently lost my trust and my business.

Recent reviews

Christine Kliendienst
Christine KliendienstNSW5 posts
 

Failed to help regarding a refund for a item that was not correct. The fabric was unwearable and poor quality and very oversized for the expensive price. Looks like a Temu product. PayPal must not have looked into reviews concerning St Frock I wish I did beforehand as I have wasted money on this item that was intended as a gift for my daughter. St Frock apparently does not give refunds on return buyer be ware as this is disgusting

Pat M.
Pat M.SA10 posts
 

Tried to cancel a transaction that clearly didn't state extra currency charges and USD as against AUD but waste of time, absolutely no support from PayPal at all and couldn't even lodge a dispute. Have removed this platform as a payment option and would never use again

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