Oh dear god yes you can trust PayPal...and given the state of the world, it isn't a stupid question at all.
I hate dealing with people for customer service related transactions (weird for a nurse, eh? lol) and do most of my shopping online. My husband teases me that I get enough packages to make it look like Christmas around here...so I guess I should say "extensive shopping." PayPal is the best thing since sliced bread, in my not so humble opinion. I've used it for almost 1000 eBay transactions alone - and use it whenever it is an option with an online retailer. Never had a problem...and the purchase comes with a guarantee from PayPal more often than not.
One word - Collective...Mankind - CONNECTED
