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FTC says it is sending refund checks and PayPal payments to 6,205 GOAT customers who did not get a refund from the sneaker marketplace

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The Federal Trade Commission said on October 6 it is sending 6,205 payments totaling more than $100,000 to people who paid online marketplace GOAT for expedited shipping between 2020 and 2024 and did not get a refund. The money comes from a 2024 settlement of FTC allegations that GOAT shipped some orders late without offering the required refund-or-cancel option and did not honor its 'Buyer Protection' promise. GOAT refunded more than $736,000 directly in 2025 under the same settlement.

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In a press release dated October 6, the Federal Trade Commission said it is sending checks or PayPal payments to 6,205 customers of the online sneaker and apparel marketplace GOAT "who have not yet received a payment." The payments total more than $100,000.

What the FTC alleged

A press release dated December 2, 2024 says the FTC filed a complaint and a final order against GOAT — legally 1661, Inc. — in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The complaint alleged GOAT "shipped 37% of all 'Instant' orders later than it promised" and "more than 16% of all 'Next Day' orders on the second day or later after the order," while buyers paid $14.50 to $25 in shipping upgrade charges. In those cases, the FTC alleged, GOAT failed to offer buyers the option of agreeing to the delay or cancelling for a prompt refund, as the FTC's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule requires — a rule the agency describes as "requiring companies to have reasonable shipping practices." It also alleged GOAT promised full refunds under its "Buyer Protection" policy for products that were inauthentic, incorrect or not as described, but rejected many such requests and gave only partial refunds or store credit.

The order, and who gets paid now

That release announced a court order requiring GOAT to pay $2,013,527 "to provide refunds to consumers harmed by the company's illegal shipping practices," and barring it from the practices the complaint detailed. The Commission's vote authorizing staff to file the complaint and the stipulated final order was 5-0, with two commissioners each issuing a separate concurring statement. The FTC's own note says a complaint reflects only its "reason to believe" the law is being violated, and that stipulated orders "have the force of law when approved and signed by the District Court judge." In 2025, as a result of the settlement, GOAT itself issued refunds the FTC says returned more than $736,000. The October payments go to people who paid GOAT for expedited shipping between 2020 and 2024 and, the FTC says, "didn't get a refund from GOAT."

What the documents do not say

The documents read for this record do not say how the full $2,013,527 was or will be distributed, and do not account for the difference between that figure and the sums the FTC describes as paid out. No average or per-person amount is given. This desk has no explanation for the difference and does not offer one.

Getting paid, and avoiding a scam

Most recipients will get a check in the mail; some a PayPal payment. The FTC says check recipients "should cash their checks within 90 days, as indicated on the check," and PayPal recipients "should redeem their PayPal payments within 30 days." Questions go to the refund administrator, JND Legal Administration, at 1-888-970-2410, or to the FTC's refund-program FAQ page. The release adds: "The Commission never requires people to pay money or provide account information to get a payment."

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