eBay erased my Order From July and I have not received it yet. Due Oct 15.

[imakesugar]

I ordered a order internationally for just under $7.00. I paid July 14(?) When I looked at delivery date it is due on Oct 15. This is 3 full months. 

I was waiting to file an Item not received. I have been told I could NOT file until PAST the delivery date. Today I looked at the purchase and it is deleted. It says:

Your order # bla bla bla cannot be found. It is past the 90 days and is not available. 

What do I do now? I also wonder how many people are scammed this way. 
 Sugar 

[pburn · Accepted solution]

If you paid via PayPal, you have 180 days from the date of purchase to file for a refund if you don't receive the item (called an "INR" for "Item Not Received") by October 15. PayPal will (probably) see that the estimated delivery date is October 15 and may not allow an INR to be filed until after that date. After all, you were given that date at checkout, so you were apparently okay with it at that time.

If you didn't pay with PayPal and used your credit/debit card instead, you could contact your credit card issue or bank to see what they offer in these circumstances. The same would be true if you fund your PayPal purchases with a credit/debit card.

[imakesugar]

Thank You I will check and see what account I bought it on. Once I was in a hurry and just put my main debit card in. I had thought It was coming out of my PayPal checking account, Layer I discovered it was coming out of my main account. I had to change it tonight again! 

I am experienced on eBay for the most part this tripped me out. Then I thought what if he died from Corona Virus? I think I’ll just let it shine on. I can afford to let >$7.00 go. In all my years on eBay 2010,  sometime... I have never had that happen but two other times. 

I have learned an enormous amount of information on these Community Forums. I thank You ALL for giving your time. It has been a real lesson to me. 😉 Sugar

[pburn]

You're certainly welcome.

For newer eBay buyers, and just for future reference and perhaps more expensive purchases, keep in mind that purchasing with PayPal currently offers the longest protection against an INR. They also have a 180-day window for SNAD returns ("significantly not as described"), but the buyer has to pay return shipping.

Credit cards offer the next highest level of protection. My credit card allows disputes to be filed within 60 days of the date of the statement on which the transaction appears. 

Debit cards and/or checking accounts may have the lowest level of protection, depending on the card or bank. I've had good luck with my bank siding with me in a dispute for a non-eBay transaction, but the merchant had just plain ol' made a mistake and, I'm sure, didn't argue the chargeback.

So--always pay with PayPal, and use a credit card as your PayPal funding source, if at all possible, for the maximum level of buyer protection.

And therein endeth the sermon.