What buyer protection covers
Every order paid through Pasaran checkout is protected. Your money is held rather than forwarded, the seller is paid only after you have the item, and if something goes wrong a person reviews the evidence. This page sets out exactly what that covers, what it does not, and how to claim.
Last reviewed August 2026
What is covered
Five situations, all of which end in your money coming back.
The item never arrives
The seller does not dispatch within two working days, or the courier confirms the parcel was never collected. Full refund, including the delivery charge and the protection fee.
It arrives damaged
Broken, cracked or water-damaged in transit, and the damage is not described in the listing. Full refund on return, or a partial refund if you would rather keep it.
It is materially different from the listing
Wrong model, wrong size, wrong capacity, missing parts that were listed as included, or a condition grade the photographs do not support.
The wrong item was sent
A different product entirely. The seller pays return shipping and you get the full amount back.
A counterfeit was sold as genuine
The item is a copy presented as an original. Full refund, and the account is suspended while we investigate the seller’s other listings.
What is not covered
Being straight about the limits is more useful than a long list of promises.
Anything paid for outside Pasaran
Bank transfer, cash on collection, crypto, or payment arranged in a WhatsApp conversation. Protection depends entirely on the money having gone through checkout.
Changing your mind
Protection covers a seller getting it wrong, not a buyer regretting the purchase. Ask everything you need to know before you order.
Faults that were described
If the listing says the screen is scratched and shows a photograph of the scratch, the scratch is not a claim.
Normal wear on second-hand goods
Used items arrive used. Unless the wear goes beyond the stated condition grade, it is not covered.
Property, land, vehicles and services
These are not sold through Pasaran checkout and carry no escrow. Use an independent notary or inspector — the listing pages explain how.
Claims raised after the window closes
Once the seller has been paid out, the money is gone and we have no mechanism to recover it. The windows are set out below.
The single biggest gap
How escrow works
Where your money is at each stage of a protected order.
- 1
You pay through checkout
Your payment provider charges you and the money moves to a Pasaran holding account. The seller can see the order is paid, but has no access to the funds.
- 2
The seller dispatches within two working days
They add a tracking number, or arrange a collection time. If they do nothing by the deadline, the order cancels automatically and you are refunded in full.
- 3
The item reaches you
The order moves to delivered when the courier confirms it, or when you and the seller both mark a collection as complete.
- 4
You have 48 hours to inspect it
Open the parcel and check it properly against the listing. This is the window in which raising a problem is easiest — the money is still held.
- 5
Funds release to the seller
You confirm you are happy, or 48 hours pass with nothing raised, and the seller is paid. Confirming early is a kindness to the seller and costs you nothing you would otherwise keep.
At no point between paying and confirming does the seller have access to the money. That is the whole mechanism — everything else on this page is detail about the edges.
Claim windows
How long you have, by situation. Windows run from delivery unless stated.
| Situation | You have |
|---|---|
| Item not received (courier) | From 3 days after the estimated delivery date, up to 30 days after the order |
| Item not received (collection or meet-up) | Any time until you mark the order as collected |
| Damaged, wrong or not as described | 48 hours from delivery |
| Counterfeit sold as genuine | 30 days from delivery |
| Seller failed to dispatch | Automatic — no claim needed |
Opening a dispute stops the clock. Once it is open, the payment stays frozen until the case is decided, however long that takes.
Opening a claim
Four steps, and the first one usually settles it.
- 1
Message the seller first
Most problems are a late courier or a misunderstanding, and are settled in an hour. It also creates a record that you tried, which counts in your favour if it does go to review.
- 2
Open a dispute from the order
Every order has a report-a-problem link. Choose the reason, describe what happened, and attach photographs. The payment freezes the moment you submit.
- 3
The seller has three working days to respond
They can accept your requested outcome, offer an alternative, or submit their own evidence.
- 4
A reviewer decides if you cannot agree
Someone on our team reads both sides and all the evidence, then makes a binding decision. Refunds reach your original payment method within five working days.
Evidence that actually helps