Bait and Switch

[kbaker2]

I purchased a product and when I received it, it was not what I had been led to believe I was getting. I submitted a request for refund from both the seller and PayPal. The product was shipped from Indiana, USA but to receive my refund the seller has requested that I return the product to a location in China. When I went to the post office I found that the shipping cost to return the item is more than the purchase price. But if it's not returned I won't get the refund. Seems like a huge scam to me, any suggestions as to what I do now?

[PeonyDays]

Same thing happened to me. The item I purchased was shipped to me from southern California.  Seller sent item that is completely different from what I had purchased - I have proof as they sent me a receipt for the the item description and product image and what they sent me is completley a different design in a much more smaller size in the wrong color and material - pure bait and switch, which is illegal in US and PayPal condones bait and switches and make the buyer pay for return shipping on a bait and switch item because that is how they ruled in the Resolution Center.  Instead of shipping item back to southern California, I am given an address in ShenZhen, China to send the package back to within 8 days which for international shipping is impossible to meet the deadline - so in other words not only did the seller **bleep** me over, PayPal is complicit.   Not only did the seller enacted bait and switch, PayPal's ruling compounded the distress  again victimizing the victim.  In my messging in the PayPal Resolution Center, I was explicit that I am not responsible for return shipping as it was not my mistake.  PayPal's ruling condones and make it open season for scammers to victimize consumers.  The amount is not much but it is the principal and legality that irks me.  In this day and age for a major corporation such as PayPal to victimize consumers is deplorable.  Any class action lawyers want to take this on, I am game.

[Fellforit]

I learned through recent experience that not only does PayPal not protect buyers against bait-and-switch sellers, although they offer the description "item received is significantly not as item ordered" -- they did not acknowledge, let alone honor, this problem in my dispute.  They closed the dispute as item having been delivered/received -- which was my original reason for filing a dispute, but then the item arrived over a month after ordered and the item was nothing, nothing, nothing like the pictured item.  I updated my claim to this bait-and-switch event, but PayPal did not respond to me on this issue.  PayPal ruled in favor of the seller and I am out over $50 now.

[StuMills]

kbaker, I'm a reporter with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation looking into PayPal's poor record with this kind of complaint.

I'd be interested in speaking with you if you have a minute -

or six one three two nine two nine two eight two

Thanks!

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