PlayerBay Blog

Category: Protection

  • How buyer protection works

    Every order is protected in two stages. After delivery you get a few days to check it and raise a dispute if something is wrong. Once the order is marked received, it stays protected for the period shown below, and our support team can open a dispute for you. The seller is paid only when protection ends.

    The two stages

    1. Delivered: check the order. Your order page shows the date next to Will be marked Received:. During this stage you raise a dispute yourself from the order page.
    2. Received: you selected Mark as Received, or the check time ran out. The order page shows Protected until and the date. If something goes wrong now, use Contact support and our team opens a dispute for you.
    3. Completed: protection has ended and the seller has been paid.

    Orders of currency, items, top-ups and keys from some high-volume sellers complete as soon as they’re received. Your check works the same way, so raise any problem before it ends.

    What’s protected

    If this happens What you do
    The seller doesn’t deliver by the guaranteed delivery time Cancel the order for a refund. See Cancelling an order the seller didn’t deliver.
    What you received is wrong, incomplete or doesn’t work Raise a dispute from the order page. For instant-delivery accounts and gift cards, select Contact seller first. See How disputes work.
    An account you bought is taken back after you received it Contact support from the order page while the order is protected. See Account warranty.

    Before the order is delivered, the overdue cancel is the way to get your money back. If the seller replied but hasn’t delivered, select Contact seller and choose Order was not received.

    Check everything before you select Mark as Received, and don’t let a seller rush you. Once you confirm, you can’t raise a dispute yourself.

    Where your money is

    1. You pay. The seller sees the order but can’t withdraw anything.
    2. The seller delivers, and your check starts.
    3. The order is marked received, and protection continues.
    4. Protection ends without a dispute. The order completes and the seller is paid.

    While a dispute is open, the money stays on hold until it’s resolved. Stay on PlayerBay from payment to delivery: anything arranged off PlayerBay isn’t protected.

    No. It ends your check, so you can’t raise a dispute yourself any more, but the order stays protected until the date shown on the order page. Contact support if something goes wrong in that time.

    The order is complete. If something still goes wrong, contact support from the order page and our team will review it.

    No. It comes with every order at no extra cost.

    No. Orders placed before then have one protection period that starts at delivery, and you can raise a dispute yourself until it ends. Your order page always shows the right dates for your order.

  • When an order is received and completed

    After delivery, the order is marked received when you select Mark as Received or, if you don’t, when your check time ends. It stays protected after that. When protection ends, the order completes and the seller is paid. Raise a dispute during the check; after it, contact support and our team opens one for you.

    Marking an order received

    Check that everything works and matches the listing. Then:

    1. Open the order.
    2. Select Mark as Received.
    3. For accounts, tick the checks in the confirmation, such as The received account information works.
    4. Select Mark as received to confirm.

    The order status changes to Received, and you can leave a review for the seller.

    Never confirm before you’ve checked the order, even if the seller asks you to. After you confirm, you can’t raise a dispute yourself.

    If you don’t confirm

    The order is marked received automatically when your check time ends. The order page shows the date next to Will be marked Received:, and we remind you a day before. An order with an open dispute isn’t marked received until the dispute ends.

    While the order is received

    • The order page shows Protected until and the date.
    • If something goes wrong, use Contact support on the order page. Our team reviews it and can open a dispute for you.
    • The seller’s earnings stay on hold.

    When protection ends

    • The order completes, and the order page says Protection has ended and the seller has been paid.
    • The seller’s earnings become available to them.
    • If the order was marked received automatically and you hadn’t reviewed the seller, a positive review is left for them.

    Not yourself. Contact support from the order page while the order is protected, and our team can open a dispute for you.

    Usually not: the earnings stay on hold until protection ends. Orders of currency, items, top-ups and keys from some high-volume sellers complete, and pay the seller, as soon as they’re received.

  • Something wrong with your order?

    What you do depends on where the order is. Not delivered by the guaranteed time: cancel it for a refund. Delivered but wrong, incomplete or not working: raise a dispute while you’re checking it. Already received: contact support and our team opens a dispute for you.

    Talk to the seller in the order chat

    Most problems are fixed fastest by the seller. Say clearly what’s wrong and add screenshots. Keep everything in the order chat: it’s what our team reads if a dispute is needed.

    Problem What to send
    Not delivered yet Ask for an update and check the delivery details you gave at checkout.
    Wrong amount or item What arrived, what’s missing, and a screenshot of your inventory or balance.
    Account login doesn’t work The error message or a screenshot of it.
    Code doesn’t work A screenshot of the redemption error.
    Top-up didn’t arrive Your account or character ID again, so the seller can check.

    If the order wasn’t delivered

    Every order has a guaranteed delivery time, shown on the order page. If it passes and the seller hasn’t delivered or replied, select Cancel & refund. We notify you when it becomes available.

    If the seller replied but still hasn’t delivered, select Contact seller and choose Order was not received. The seller then has a set time to deliver. If nothing arrives, you can cancel the order for a refund.

    Full steps: Cancelling an order the seller didn’t deliver.

    If the order was delivered but something’s wrong

    While you’re checking the order, raise a dispute from the order page:

    1. Select Dispute on the order page.
    2. Choose the reason, describe the problem and add screenshots.
    3. Upload your proof in the dispute’s private section.
    4. Watch the order page for the seller’s reply or offer.

    Instant-delivery accounts and gift cards work differently: select Contact seller first. The seller gets time to fix it, and the order page shows when you can raise a dispute.

    Full details: How disputes work.

    Never pay, trade or talk with the seller outside PlayerBay, even if they ask. Anything arranged off PlayerBay isn’t protected.

    If the order is already received

    You can’t raise a dispute yourself, but the order is still protected until the date on the order page. Use Contact support and our team will review it and open a dispute for you if needed. After protection ends, contact support and our team will review the order.

    Go to your orders

    Yes. For currency, items and top-ups, choose Delivered late as the reason. It applies when the seller delivered after the guaranteed time without your agreement.

    For instant-delivery accounts and gift cards, contact the seller first and wait for the time shown on the order page. If the order is already received, contact support instead. If our team is reviewing the order, no buyer actions are available until the review ends.

  • How disputes work

    While you’re checking a delivered order, you can raise a dispute if it’s wrong, incomplete or doesn’t work. For instant-delivery accounts and gift cards, contact the seller first; they get a set time to fix it. In a dispute the seller can fix it, send proof, or offer a refund or replacement, and if you can’t agree, our Dispute Team decides. After the order is received, our support team opens disputes for you.

    Before you start

    • Not delivered, and the seller hasn’t replied? Once the guaranteed delivery time has passed, cancel the order for a refund. See Cancelling an order the seller didn’t deliver.
    • Not delivered, but the seller replied? Select Contact seller and choose Order was not received.
    • Already received? Use Contact support on the order page while the order is protected. Our team reviews it and can open a dispute for you.

    Instant-delivery accounts and gift cards: contact the seller first

    1. Open the order and select Contact seller.
    2. Choose the reason, describe the problem and add up to 4 screenshots.
    3. Select Send help request.

    Your request appears in the order chat, and the seller is notified. The Seller contacted card on your order page counts down their time. In that time the seller can reply, send a replacement, offer you a refund, or tell you they can’t fix it. If they fix it, select Problem solved.

    Raise dispute becomes available when the seller’s time runs out, when the seller selects Can’t fix this, or if the seller hasn’t replied by halfway through their time. While a request is open, your protection lasts until at least 24 hours after the seller’s deadline.

    How to raise a dispute

    For everything else you can raise a dispute straight away. Messaging the seller in the order chat first often fixes it faster.

    1. Open the order from your orders page.
    2. Select Dispute.
    3. Choose the reason that fits your order.
    4. Describe what you expected and what happened, then submit.
    5. Under Upload your proof, add screenshots or a short clip of the problem, and select Submit proof.
    Go to your orders

    Your proof is private: the seller doesn’t see it, only PlayerBay does. If you can’t get proof yet, select I can’t get proof right now and explain in the order chat.

    You bought Reasons you can choose
    Accounts Account login doesn’t work, Account was taken back, Order is not as described, Order is missing details, Other
    Currency, items and top-ups Order was not received, Wrong amount delivered, Order is not as described, Delivered late, Other
    Keys and gift cards Order was not received, Code doesn’t work, Wrong region, Other
    Bought an account? Keep it as it is until the problem is resolved. Don’t play on it, resell it or change the login details.

    Deadlines

    If the seller doesn’t respond in time, the dispute goes straight to our Dispute Team. You can keep talking to the seller and our team in the order chat at any time.

    Seller offers

    The seller can offer a refund. For orders delivered instantly, they can also send replacement login details or a different listing. When an offer arrives, your order page shows it:

    • Review & accept refund: choose where it goes, then accept. The order is cancelled and refunded.
    • Review & accept replacement: the replacement is delivered to your order.
    • Decline offer: our Dispute Team decides.

    If you don’t answer in time, the offer expires and our Dispute Team decides.

    Closing a dispute yourself

    If the problem gets fixed, select Problem solved: close dispute. You can do this at any time before our team decides. Closing it confirms you received the order: the order is marked received and stays protected, and support can help if something goes wrong later.

    How disputes end

    Outcome What happens
    Refund If you paid by card or a card wallet, the order is refunded to your original payment method, processing fee included. Otherwise you get a refund voucher for the item price, active straight away.
    Partial refund Part of the price is refunded and the order is marked received.
    Replacement The seller’s replacement is delivered to your order and the dispute closes.
    Decision for the seller The order is marked received and the seller is paid when protection ends.
    Problem solved You closed the dispute, and the order is marked received.

    Once our team has decided a dispute, the order is locked and no more disputes can be raised on it.

    Chargebacks

    If you ask your bank for a chargeback, we can’t refund the order on PlayerBay while the bank reviews it. A dispute on PlayerBay is the faster way to get help. See Chargebacks.

    For instant-delivery accounts and gift cards, the seller still has time to fix the problem; the button shows how long is left. It opens early if the seller says they can’t fix it, or hasn’t replied by halfway through their time.

    It can’t end while you wait. An open request keeps your protection going until at least 24 hours after the seller’s deadline.

  • Cancelling an order the seller didn’t deliver

    Every order has a guaranteed delivery time. If it passes and the seller hasn’t delivered or replied to you, you can cancel the order yourself from the order page. If you paid by card, everything you paid goes back to it, processing fee included. Otherwise you get the item price back as a refund voucher, straight away.

    When you can cancel

    You can cancel when all of these are true:

    • The guaranteed delivery time on the order page has passed. Until then, the button counts down.
    • The seller hasn’t marked the order delivered.
    • The seller hasn’t sent you a message in the order chat.

    We notify you as soon as the cancel is available. Orders delivered instantly can’t be cancelled this way, and neither can an order with an open chargeback.

    If the seller replied but still hasn’t delivered, select Contact seller and choose Order was not received. The seller then has a set time to deliver. If nothing arrives by then, Cancel & refund becomes available.

    How to cancel

    1. Open the order from your orders page.
    2. Select Cancel & refund. It opens Seller missed the delivery window.
    3. Check where the refund goes. The dialog shows Original payment method or Refunded as a refund voucher.
    4. Select Cancel order & refund.
    Go to your orders

    You don’t choose where the refund goes. Orders paid by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or another card wallet go back to the card. Orders paid with crypto or voucher credit get a refund voucher.

    What you get back

    A refund to your original payment method is everything you paid, processing fee included. A refund voucher is the item price; the processing fee isn’t refunded. A cancelled order earns no Sand Dollars, so nothing is taken back from you.

    Refund When it arrives
    Refund voucher Instantly. It’s active, never expires and checkout applies it to your next order.
    Original payment method The site shows 5–10 business days

    If you paid partly with voucher credit and partly by card, the card part goes back to your card and the voucher-credit part comes back as a refund voucher.

    If you’d still like the order, you don’t have to cancel. Message the seller and give them more time. You can cancel later as long as the order is still undelivered and the seller hasn’t replied.

    No. Once the order is marked delivered, the cancel is gone. If it arrived late without your agreement, raise a dispute with the reason Delivered late (currency, items and top-ups).

    No. Wait for the guaranteed delivery time, or ask the seller in the order chat whether they can cancel the order for you. If the seller cancels, you’re refunded the same way: to your card if you paid by card, otherwise as a refund voucher.

  • Chargebacks

    A chargeback is when you ask your bank to reverse a card payment. While one is open, we can’t refund, cancel or dispute the order on PlayerBay, and delivery on the order stops until the bank decides. If something is wrong with an order, a dispute on PlayerBay is faster and keeps your options open.

    Try PlayerBay first

    Every order is covered by buyer protection. You can cancel an order the seller didn’t deliver in time, or open a dispute on one that was delivered wrong. Orders paid by card are refunded to the card as soon as the refund is decided, processing fee included.

    What happens when you open a chargeback

    • No refund on PlayerBay: we can’t refund or cancel the order while the bank reviews it, so you aren’t paid back twice. This includes the overdue cancel, seller refund offers and refunds from our team.
    • The order is put on hold: delivery stops and you can’t open a dispute on it.
    • The seller’s earnings are held until the bank decides.
    • Our team handles the chargeback with the bank.

    When the bank decides

    Bank’s decision What happens on PlayerBay
    In your favor The bank returns the money to you. The order doesn’t earn Sand Dollars.
    In PlayerBay’s favor The payment stands and the seller’s earnings are released.
    A chargeback on an order that was delivered as described can get your account restricted or banned. Chargebacks are covered by the Terms of Service.

    Ask your bank to withdraw it, then contact us with your order number so we know.

    Don’t. The order has already been refunded, and a chargeback would pay you twice. Our team shows the bank the refund.

  • Account warranty

    Every account you buy is protected twice: while you check it after delivery, and for a set number of days after it’s received. During the check, raise a dispute from your order page. After the order is received, contact support and our team opens a dispute for you. A refund goes back to your card, processing fee included, if you paid by card; otherwise it’s a refund voucher for the account price.

    How long you’re covered

    After delivery you check the account. Once the order is received, protection continues for a set number of days, depending on the game. The listing shows it next to Warranty, and your order page shows the date next to Protected until.

    What’s covered

    Our team reviews account problems against these rules.

    Covered Not covered
    The account doesn’t work or isn’t as described A ban caused by what you did, such as playing with cheats
    You lose access because the seller recovered the account Losing access for reasons unrelated to the seller, such as forgetting your password
    A ban caused by the ownership transfer A ban after ignoring the seller’s instructions, such as contacting game support when told not to
    A ban for something the seller did Reselling the account to someone else, which ends your warranty

    How to make a claim

    While you’re checking the account

    1. Open the order and message the seller in the order chat. Include a screenshot of the login error, ban notice or recovery email.
    2. Select Dispute. For accounts delivered instantly, select Contact seller first; the order page shows when you can raise a dispute.
    3. Choose the reason that fits: Account login doesn’t work, Account was taken back, Order is not as described, Order is missing details or Other.
    4. Describe the problem, then upload your screenshots under Upload your proof.

    After the order is received

    Use Contact support on the order page while it shows Protected until. Send the same screenshots. Our team reviews it and opens a dispute for you if the problem is covered.

    Keep the account as it is until the dispute is resolved. Don’t play on it, resell it or change the login details. Our team checks this when it reviews the dispute.

    What you get back

    The seller can offer a refund. For accounts delivered instantly, the seller can also offer replacement login details or a different account. If our team decides, they can refund you in full or in part. If you paid by card, the refund goes back to it, processing fee included. Otherwise you get a refund voucher for the account price. See How disputes work for every outcome.

    After your protection ends

    The order is complete and the seller has been paid. If the account stops working later, message the seller first. If that doesn’t help, use Contact support on the order page and our team will review it.

    No. It ends your check, so you can’t raise a dispute yourself, but the account stays protected until the date on your order. Contact support in that time and our team can open a dispute for you.