China Bait and Switch Scam

FriendlyGiant
Contributor
Contributor

Happy New Year All

After seeing an advertisement on internet for Twisted Car (Christmas Offer| Gesture sensing Stunt Remote Control Car, I thought I would have a look. The controls where worn on hand and activated the car moving them forward back and side to side doing crazy stuff. I purchased the cars and paid for shipping from the Shaco Store according to the invoice -SKU: HX1900162KCCH, as I felt assured that the seller was reputable seeing that PayPal was attached as a payment method. The seller’s info from PayPal is Swopply Technology Co.,Ltd and in another place the name kassadin.store appears.

When the cars finally arrived, they were not even close to what was advertised. I contacted PayPal and launched a claim in the resolution center. Emails start back and forth with PayPal as the go between. The seller agreed to take back the items and I was instructed by PayPal to ship items back and get a tracking number and receipt for return shipment, the parcel needed to be back by a certain date approx. 15 days, the shipping out too longer than that. I tried using our account at work to ship with other services but I will only post Canada Post’s charges of $96.37, as they were the most reasonable. This amount to return items that cost $34.97. PayPal did offer to help out with return shipping with an offer of $30.00. Do the math? If I ship back the items and even get my money back, PayPal kicks in 30 bucks, it would still have cost me an additional $31.40 and I end up with nothing but heartache… HMMM…. now it is making sense. What a scam. Thinking about this if 10,000 people like me purchased these items and tried (stressed tried) to return them, most that have a brain would just forget about it and take the lost. I sent PayPal a message stating I was not going to provide a tracking number and someone from PayPal may want to call me about this. Long story short , I called them, went through how things went down between the seller and myself and was told that PayPal does not Vet (investigate) the seller that any scam artist can set up shop (not quite the language) there you have it this seller probably just made $349,700.00 for what likely cost the a quarter of that amount after looking at the items they sent instead of what was ordered., clear profit $262,275.00.  Thinking I may need to move to china and start up a business…. Don’t know what do you think.  Additionally, I made another purchase 3 or 4 days later, ☹ oH oH the same seller, when that item arrived, BINGO same thing not what was ordered, same run around, send item back, tracking number, by a certain date. Another call to the poor person at PayPal who patiently listening to me harp away, and try as they may cannot really do anything other than tag the issue and bring it to the attention of his/her superior. All to which I as the buyer will never be informed of what happens to the seller when things like this go on. BEWARE FRIENDS DON’T BUY FROM CHINA would be my suggestion.

As for PayPal, I fully understand that they have done all they can to return things to square one for me, I still feel the company has a lot to offer for sellers and buyers alike. I agree there is really nothing they can do about dishonest seller’s wishing to bait and switch items I hopes that buyer will not spend more good money to recoup bad. I do feel that PayPal could be more open with the PayPal community as a whole and publish what happens to wayward sellers that obviously don’t give a hoot about ethics. So buyers like myself can check to see if a seller is legit or not before a purchase is made… Open to your thoughts.

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65 REPLIES 65

helgajr
Contributor
Contributor

i have been using Pay Pal for years   but i think i will use some other way to handle my money matters ..been scammed  twice and paypal did not do anything to correct the problem with the seller ,so it will be GOOD BYE for me ..of course i will never buy anything else this people sell on Facebook .just my stupidity. .lesson learned 

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Pargirl
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I have decided to end my relationship with PayPal also. They clearly don’t read disputes. I was scammed and PayPal denied my complaint because the seller showed “ proof “ of delivery of item. PayPal clearly missed the point if it was NOT the item ordered !
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Caveman930
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Contributor

These scams are not just on Facebook. Unbelievable how PayPal allows these scammers to operate. They are now posting adds on Yahoo pages looking for victims. Any time you see these adds click them on so they will be charged and then click do not like add and check box stating it is a scam. They get charged each time their add is clicked on. 

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Caveman930
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Contributor

Unbelievable how PayPal allows these scammers to operate. They are now posting adds on Yahoo pages looking for victims. Any time you see these adds click them on so they will be charged and then click do not like add and check box stating it is a scam. They get charged each time their add is clicked on. 

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atrahan4
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Contributor

The same happened to me.  The entire point of PayPal is to be able to conduct secure transactions over the internet.  If PayPal knows that these "businesses" are continually scamming people, and continue to do business with them, then they're a part of the scam.  I imagine they make money hand over fist from these "companies."  I use PayPal was because I honestly thought they were secure.  My stomach is turning now to look at all of the scams... so many from the same company I dealt with... for months and months, and PayPal has been complicit in helping them.  Had they EVER done ANYTHING about this company MONTHS ago, I wouldn't have fallen prey.  Never in my life will I run another transaction through PayPal.    

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Blondenblue
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Contributor

I purchased 2 pairs of boots in October for Christmas.  They arrived in January one at a time.  They are not what was pictured or even a vague resemblance of the description.  I tried to contact the company but the Website was gone.  I contacted paypal and filed a dispute.  The China Company RollyChic moved the conversation off of Paypal as quickly as possible and Refused a refund unless I return them but they would not provide an address for return.  Paypal stood up for them and demanded I return the boots before they would consider a refund.   So for 71.98 in garbage boots I paid 61 and change to return them.  Paypal would monitor the return and refund $30 of my $61 shipping.  I uploaded all the required documentation after mailing them only to find out now they want a picture of the package that I have posted in the mail to China!!!  Paypal is supposed to be a protection from fraudulent companies and an advocate for consumers when things like this happen.  Paypal has failed.  I am out 71.98 for the product and another 61 for the shipping.  I have filed complaints not only against the company that sold me the boots but also Facebook who continues to allow the same company to advertise and sell through their website and now against Paypal for failing to protect consumers - the only reason I used them in the first place.  

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NCHANTD
Contributor
Contributor

I'm just going through this process now (GRR). Purchased 2 x 1tb SSD drives for $69.68USD, what I received were 2 x 32gb flash drives + 2 x left ear fake ear pods...
Offered me a partial refund, I declined.
They wanted me to return these for a refund, so took it all to the post office (I'm in NZ), as the earpods have small lithium batteries they had to be specially shipped at a cost of $108NZD, so in total would cost me $69.56USD just to send them back. That'sa total of $139.24USD plus my time sorting this out.
So I refused, sent PayPal photos of the shipping estimate at the post office.
PayPal reviewed my claim, declined it as they say the product was not different enough from what I purchased – FFS guys!

PayPal needs to own up to this.

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FriendlyGiant
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Contributor

Here is my take on the whole China bait and switch issue. As everything is done by a computer at PayPal and no actual person reads the dispute, they fall through the crack. This then makes PayPal complicit in the bait and switch scam, as even when presented by overwhelming evidence that the seller has mislead the buyer, PayPal refuses to take the seller to task on the manner. IN most of the Xmas china purchases I made the same problem rolls around, when asked to return the item with a tracking number, the cost of doing so is outrageous and would only be spending good money after bad, as the unethical seller would probably say that the item was damaged in shipment, nothing was in the package or a multitude of other reason they will come up with to not return the money. As a general rule PayPal does work and offer the buyer protection from not disclosing information to the seller, when both buyer and seller are reputable and ethical. The fact is the Chinese companies or individuals that do these scams need to be dealt with and PayPal refuses to do the work required. I would suggest that firstly you tell your friends about the issues you are having with PayPal and let them make up their minds on where or not to use the service, secondly do not purchase anything from China.

 

 

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MsMac56
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Contributor

I train dogs and teach owners to train dogs.  For decades I have repeatedly warned against buying pet toys, treats, food, raw hides, etc. from China, Mexico, and Thailand.  These products have very few regulations and standards for production making them pretty dangerous.  And I mean NEVER.  I will now be strongly warning against buying any online products using PayPal funds from your bank.  Using PayPal to purchase with your credit card has a relief by taking the fraud to them.  Also, Chinese products purchased through Amazon or using Amazon Pay take a while to be delivered, but they have always been the product advertised in my experience.   And Amazon Pay has a respectable fraud process.  

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Chinas
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I agree , I will continue to use amazon , especially when it’s amazon prime delivery , I will never use untrustworthy PayPal again I’m closing my account after 15 years ! I bought a folding kayak and received a paddle , and 2 reusable leaf face mask and received 10 cheap disposable face mask
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