Consumer complaint received 2025-12-24 00:00:00
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Unauthorized transactions or other transaction problem — 
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
On XX/XX/XXXX, I used XXXX Pay Later to purchase digital event tickets from GoTickets for a XX/XX/XXXX event. The total charge was {$530.00}. 

I never received the digital tickets I purchased. Specifically, I was not provided with ticket barcodes, seat numbers, or any transferable or venue-accepted tickets. 

XXXX has repeatedly stated in writing that the tickets will not be delivered until XX/XX/XXXX, which is XXXX day before the event. This confirms that the seller did not possess the tickets at the time of sale and that no usable digital product has been delivered. 

Despite this, PayPal classified the transaction as a completed service and denied my dispute based on alleged delivery, even though the service has not occurred and the digital product has not been provided. Any confirmation or delivery referenced by the seller is only a placeholder and does not constitute delivery of digital tickets. 

I requested proof of delivery, including ticket barcodes and seat assignments, and this information was not provided. I attempted to resolve the issue through PayPals dispute and appeal process. These appeals were denied despite identical circumstances where a separate PayPal dispute involving the same seller and same issue was resolved in my favor. 

Even if the seller were to deliver tickets at a later date, this would not resolve the issue. 

These tickets were purchased in early XXXX specifically to be given as a XXXX gift. The seller has confirmed that delivery would not occur until XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX day before the event. Delivery at that time defeats the essential purpose of the purchase and renders the product unusable for its intended use. 

Additionally, the venue prohibits resale, meaning I can not mitigate the loss by reselling the tickets. Delayed delivery is therefore materially harmful and not equivalent to timely delivery of the product purchased. 

A product that can not be used as intended, can not be gifted as represented, and can not be resold is not properly delivered, even if provided later. The transaction therefore remains significantly not as described. 

During the active PayPal dispute, the merchant contacted me and repeatedly encouraged me to cancel or withdraw my dispute, suggesting resolution would occur only if I did so. I declined and kept the dispute open. I am noting this because it created additional pressure during an active dispute process and did not result in delivery of usable tickets or a refund. 

Because the seller could not deliver usable tickets within a reasonable timeframe, I was forced to purchase replacement tickets directly from the venue to ensure attendance at the event. Those tickets were delivered immediately upon purchase, confirming that legitimate digital tickets are normally provided at the time of sale. This resulted in additional financial harm caused solely by the sellers failure to deliver the product as described. 

During the dispute process, XXXX advised me to resell the tickets despite the fact that ( XXXX ) I had not received the tickets and ( XXXX ) the venue explicitly prohibits resale. This advice was misleading and not actionable, as resale was not legally or contractually permitted and I did not possess transferable tickets to resell. 

I am requesting that PayPal correct the misclassification of a future service as completed, acknowledge that the digital tickets have not been delivered, and issue a refund.

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation