Can PayPal EVER admit their mistakes?

[n4aof]

PayPal has taken my money but has NOT paid the merchant.

PayPal says the payment was refunded, but it is not.

First PayPal told me that the payment was refunded by the merchant and insisted that ONLY the merchant could have initiated that action.

Then PayPal told the merchant that the payment was 'reversed' and that since the record does NOT show them refunding or refusing the payment that it must be some computer mistake by eBay.

Either way, the merchant does not have my money -- BUT neither do I.

The bank shows the charge to by credit card but does NOT show any refund.

PayPal nonsense about it taking up to 30 days to show on my statement might apply to the monthly statement but the bank has online records in very near real time. It takes MINUTES, not days, for transactions to show up. There are several transactions that were completed AFTER all this nonsense that already show on my account, but NOT this supposed refund.  I called the bank and they have NO outstanding transactions for this account.

PayPal has been blaming this problem on everyone else, but so far the entire problem is at PayPal.

PayPal got my money.

PayPal took the money back from the merchant.

PayPal has NOT refunded the money to my credit card.

I want my item and the merchant wants the money, but I am NOT going to pay for the item AGAIN until I get my first payment refunded -- which PayPal has NOT done yet.

[kernowlass]

@n4aof

If you funded the original paypal payment to the seller with a debit or credit card then it won't go back to your paypal balance.

Once marked as completed it will automatically go back to your bank account or credit card but takes up to a week to process through to the bank and a bit longer for a c.c (paypal say allow 30 days but I have never waited longer than a week for mine).

Had 2 refunds last week from Ebay sellers and from when it was marked as issued / completed it hit my card statement in 4 days.

[n4aof]

I don't know what bank you use that takes days to post transactions -- but I can tell you that Chase posts transactions in minutes, not days. 

If the refund takes days to be credited that is because PayPal is dragging their feet (and, of course, earning a few extra days interest on my money).   I have had refunds to the credit card in local stores and the transaction was already posted by the time I drove home.

Bottom line - PayPal got my money.  PayPal gave my money to the merchant then three seconds later PayPal took the money back.  PayPal still has my money.  I have nothing, the merchant has nothing.  PayPal swears it is all someone else's fault.