Delivered product differs totally to advertised item

[Howick]

Bought lego set that differs totally from what was advertised. Escalated it. Have offered a small refund, then a bit more then said if I close the complaint the will refund me in full. Surely that is not correct. If I close the complaint then I have no recourse?

[Temp20220104d]

There seems to be a number of Chinese sellers that use PayPal as a platform to make money.  The scheme is as follows:

1. advertise a product for for a certain amount of money
2. send a different product than what they advertised
3. when you try to file a dispute, PayPal has you try to resolve the issue with the seller
4. the seller offers a lesser refund (they don't even attempt to fix the problem)
5. you refuse the lesser refund and file the complaint through PayPal
6. PayPal demands you send the wrong product back to the seller with tracking and here is where it goes sideways.
7. You take the package to the post office and find out it costs many times more than what you initially paid to ship the product pack to China (for example, spend $30 but cost for return shipping with tracking is $70)
8. PayPal gives no guarantee you will be reimbursed for the shipping and so you refuse to send back the wrong product
9. You don't provide proof of shipping and so PayPal closes the dispute. You are stuck with a product that is worth pennies and the seller profits off you.
10. Win for the seller as they rip you off and have PayPal provide the platform to protect their scam.

[Howick]

I really thought using PayPal was a level of protection if you are not happy. Also for me to phone PayPal is a call from South Africa to America and wonder if it is going to produce any results. Do you suggest I just suck it up and move on. 

[Temp20220104d]

In my case, I have no other option but to move on.  The strange thing is that there have been other users who have received refunds through PayPal without having to return the fake/fraudulent item.  Possibly PayPal changed their policy.  I'm going to see if I could apply for chargeback with my credit card but it is possibly too late.   If you have not been frauded out of a lot of money, you are likely best to move on.  I'm not sure why some PayPal users get resolution and others don't.  PayPal's dispute system does not seem to take into consideration the circumstances but just following the procedural process which, in the end, could cost you more money or just break even with a lot of extra work (for nothing).

[Howick]

I am still battling to log an escalation to PayPal resolution centre. Going round and round in circles. Frustrating. The steps the give to achieve this does not even exist. 

[Temp20220104d]

Unfortunately, the information on PayPal's site is limited, links don't work and they are generally non-responsive.  You will find more information on the community discussions.  Like this from Kernowlass (they seem to be a PayPal staff or someone who has been through the ringer for years - 176027
Posts, 16416 Solutions):

How do I open a dispute with a seller when a purchase goes wrong?

You can open a dispute in the Resolution Centre of your PayPal account within 180 days of payment if:
•You don’t receive the item OR service
•You receive an item but it’s significantly different than the description on eBay or on the seller’s website

By opening a dispute, you can communicate directly with your seller to work out a problem transaction.

If you reach an agreement with the seller you can close the dispute. If you're still not happy with the result, you can escalate the dispute into a claim. Paypal will review the claim and decide on reimbursement.

These steps apply to Personal accounts. If you have a Business account, please log in to see the steps that apply to you.

To open a dispute:
1.Log in to your PayPal account.
2. Click on the transaction and use the resolve a problem option at the bottom of that details page.

Note:
•Generally buyers must wait at least 7 days from the date of payment to escalate a dispute for an item not received
•Where an item has not been received, please ensure you have given the seller enough time before opening a dispute

DO NOT CLOSE THE DISPUTE UNTIL YOU HAVE A CLEARED REFUND OR YOUR ITEM WHATEVER THE SELLER SAYS. ALSO DON'T FORGET TO ESCALATE THE DISPUTE TO A CLAIM WITHIN 20 DAYS IF THE SELLER DOES NOT REFUND.

If you lose because seller provides a fake tracking number (likely) then post back for more advice.
If the item arrives and its tat the make sure you CHANGE the dispute quickly before it closes to 'not as described'.
If that does not work then if you funded your paypal payment via a card then contact your card issuer and see if they will do a chargeback for you.