PayPal and AliExpress: When Buyer Protection Requires a Police Report

Introduction

Many Italian consumers buying on AliExpress with PayPal face lengthy procedures when claiming refunds for undelivered items.

PayPal advertises 180-day Buyer Protection, yet in numerous documented cases it requires a formal police report (Carabinieri or Police) for lost or stolen shipments by unknown parties.

While contractually allowed, this requirement often leads to significant inconvenience: travel to stations, waiting times, and bureaucratic interactions for relatively small amounts (typically €100–300).

Detailed real experience of an Italian buyer (completely anonymous)

An Italian consumer, long-time PayPal user spending €500–1000 monthly on the platform for years, purchased an item worth approximately €165 on AliExpress (part of a larger order).

The package never arrived, despite the seller-provided tracking. After opening an “Item Not Received” claim, PayPal required a formal police report for loss or theft by unknown parties.

Note the absurdity of this “protection”: PayPal obviously has all the tools and authority (tracking data, etc.) to verify that the item was never delivered. In our personal opinion, this appears as a pretext and unjust waste of the user’s time, ultimately serving private interests against the user’s will and causing significant loss of time.

The buyer went to the Carabinieri station and encountered strong resistance (a frequently reported experience on Italian consumer forums). The officer initially refused entry in the rain, repeatedly asking what “filing a report for loss” meant (??). The officer seemed confused by the request, asking multiple times about the meaning of loss or theft, as if the buyer were unbalanced or making an unusual demand. Only after prolonged insistence – bordering on an argument and possibly involving a superior – was the report finally accepted and registered. To add insult, the officer re-typed the entire report despite pre-prepared copies being provided.

The buyer had to explicitly threaten – in the presence of witnesses – a complaint against the officers themselves under Article 328 of the Italian Penal Code (refusal of official acts) to obtain acceptance of the report, which is a mandatory legal duty.

After uploading the report, PayPal contested the authenticity of the Carabinieri official stamp!! We have officially entered Fantozzi-level absurdity.

Refund was eventually granted only after several direct emails to PayPal CEO Alex Chriss. Disappointed by the excessively bureaucratic process for a simple e-commerce non-delivery, the consumer permanently closed the PayPal account and sent detailed feedback to support, copying the CEO.

Example screenshot (all personal data fully redacted) of feedback sent:

This experience is far from isolated: similar cases are widely documented on Trustpilot, Reddit, and consumer forums (see Sources section).

What PayPal’s terms actually say

Direct quote from PayPal Buyer Protection terms (updated 2026):

The request is therefore contractually legitimate but frequently applied in disputes with non-EU sellers.

Why this happens especially with AliExpress

Many AliExpress sellers provide partial or generic tracking codes. To mitigate fraud risk, PayPal requests additional evidence before refunding the buyer. The practical result is that honest buyers must initiate formal procedures with authorities for low-value disputes.

Simpler and faster alternatives

Many consumers, after similar experiences, now prefer:

• Direct payment with Visa/Mastercard credit or debit card on AliExpress and similar platforms.
  In case of non-delivery → bank chargeback directly with your bank (e.g., Fineco, Intesa Sanpaolo, Unicredit, Poste Italiane, Crédit Agricole).
  Online or phone procedure with order/tracking screenshots.
  Almost never requires a police report.
  Provisional refund often within days.
• Apps like Revolut or N26 with disposable virtual cards → maximum security and very fast chargeback via app.

Practical tips for online shopping

1. On AliExpress/Temu always choose “Credit/Debit Card” at checkout.
2. Always save screenshots of order, tracking, and seller communication.
3. Carefully read the protection terms of your chosen payment method.
4. For EU sellers (Amazon, European eBay, Italian sites) dispute risk is virtually zero.

Sources and public references

• Trustpilot PayPal Italy reviews (search “denuncia Carabinieri” or “police report”): thousands of similar cases.
• Reddit: r/ItaliaPersonalFinance, r/AliExpress, r/italia (recurring threads on PayPal refunds).
• Altroconsumo forums, SOS Tariffe, Italian consumer associations.
• Official PayPal terms (link above).

Conclusion
PayPal Buyer Protection can be useful in certain scenarios, but for purchases on Chinese marketplaces it often becomes a significant bureaucratic hurdle.
Being informed allows more conscious and peaceful choices.

Share this page if you found it helpful – the more informed we are, the fewer headaches for everyone.