I Paid the Scammer Using PayPal

If you purchased a product but changed your mind about it, you can request a refund of a completed payment by contacting the seller. Ask the seller to go to the Transaction Details page for your transaction and click Issue a refund. You can request a refund up to 180 days after you pay for your item.

Here’s how to find the seller’s contact information to request a refund:

• On the Summary page, select the transaction you want to cancel.
• Use the contact information to send the seller an email.
• Provide all the relevant information such as the invoice number and order date.

What if the Seller Refuses a Refund?

You may be able to open a dispute in the Resolution Center if you didn’t receive your item, received something that doesn’t match the seller’s description or if the payment was not authorized, in the case the seller does not agree to a refund. 

Common Trick Used by Shopping Scammers

We have had numerous reports about Chinese shopping scams following the same modus operandi. When the order fails to ship for a long time and you inquire by email (since it is the only method given), they will reply asking you to patiently wait. You might either receive nothing or some low-quality product. Then if you ask for a refund, they will offer a partial one.

For a full refund, they will demand that you ship the product to China at your own cost, which will cost more than the product itself. Even if you do ship the item back, it is unlikely that you will receive a full refund. Instead, you can get a full refund if you complain to PayPal about the product being not as described and the Chinese origin not being disclosed. 

Read 'How do I request a refund?' on PayPal