I was so taken by this scam too. However the simplicity of this scam was so impressive that I have been documenting everything along the way as I thought "no way this can continue, they will be shut down soon after I report this". I've come to learn that either the scammer knew about credit card company and PayPal policy tactics for Buyer Protection, or they got lucky as both didn't live up to their worth of the paper they are printed on. In light of all this, there is NOTHING stopping others from continuing this scam
In short, Paypal refuses to honor the Buyer protection policy.
For anyone just reading this...the scam goes like this. Place an order, vendor sends you just about anything they want, from an empty envelope, a nail or a cheap phone case...even though you ordered an Xbox, Nintendo Switch, etc. It is deliverd UPS or FEDEX and the vendor has tracking proof that you received the package. I'm thinking to myself, "OK, this is a new scam, but Paypal has my back".
On JUly 16 I file a claim with Paypal and then call customer service so that I am assured they know about the scamand company so that others don't get taken. Based on the number of response post Julu 16, 2020, I assume Paypal did NOTHING about it, even though they knew about the scam. When I spoje with PayPal Customer service they told me to call my credit card and make a claim as well. The Credit Card Company investigated and their brilliant investigation results in denying my claim because the vend has proof I received "the" package. They say I can appeal their ruling by showing proof that I did not receive the item I ordered....hold on to that nugget for a second. I politely asked to speak with the supervisor as I knew the next level of this discussion could not be understood by the initial rep I was speaking with. The supervisor for Citi Costco card gets on the phone and I ask, "how do I prove that I did not receive something".....not to my surprise I am told to take a picture and send a photo copy. I think at this point I instinctively said "are you f&ckign serious....taking a picture of nothing will suffice? I call PayPal back and they tell me "let the credit card company close the case and call us back, we cant do anythign while the credit card case is open".
Fast forward a month or so and the CC company finaly closes the case. I call PayPal customer service and they now tell me that since I called the credit card company and filed a claim, which I did at the direction of Paypal, that there is nothing they can do and their buyer protection policy doesn't apply.
Anyway, at this point I do not care about the $170. I want to ensure:
1) The BestOnline scam doesn't take anyone else and that other are aware of ease of being taken by this type of scam
2) The stupidity of the credit card company is known,
3) Paypal does not continue to intentionally averted their Buyer protection Policy or that they simply abort it and do not use it as false advertising.
4) I will also be sending copies of all compaliants and my time line of events the the CT State Attorneys office so they are made aware of the false advertising and unfair business practices of PayPal.
On point 3, I will be reaching out to a class action attorney, with the BestOline scam as evidence. I am sure it is reached further than this case.
How long until Paypal removes this thread and shuts my account?
